The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18
TN the opinion Of Mayor Mitchell there
are several matters connected with
Il the extraordinary weather Condi-

are several matters connected viii
i the extraordinary weather condi'
t.ons which prevailed in the early
part OF last week that the citizens Of New
York should carefully consider.
First Of all IL the fact that "old fash
toned winters" have not altogether dis
appeared from this latitude. az many
people have been led to believe from
mildness OF recent winters. Coupled with
this is the fact that such a period of in
tense cold and accompanying suffering
as We have been through may occur most
UNEXPECTEDLY during any winter yet t.
come. Under these circumstances II l.
proper that New York should be prepared
70 cope at any moment with such q dis
tressing situation AS occurred few days
aeo-a situation which may be fraugh.
with most serious consequences 10 large
numbers of women aud children who by
reason Of poverty cannot prepare them
selves against such conditions.
"That even one person should really
suffer from the cold is bad enough" said
the Mavor while discussing the question
That any human being should actually
freeze to death il far worse.
"Still we must remember that the blast
came down upon us without more than a
few hours warning. We must remember
that in our great cosmopolitan popula-
finn there are many who have hard
etu0p,e in the best of wealth II a nd who find
n difficult to And proper food. adequate
shelter and sufficient clothing When
"a terrific gale blowing from seventy to
c;gh,y miles an hour sweeps across the
country, bringing with 1t zero tempera-
+uro the condition of these poor people
becomes pitiable in tho extreme IL If
the duty and the privilege OF persons IN
authority TO do everything they can 10
alleviate such conditions.
.The city is prepared to core with at
s.oks IF contagious or infectious disease
through our guardians of public health
the sanitary police. the isolation hosp'-
fels. quarantine stations &c. are We
fitted to cope with attack by devastating
weather conditions'
-Tbe Commits sioner OF Charities has
been working almost night and day over
This matter and has been in consultation
with me. 20 feel We can say that New
York is at any rate far more ready 10
meet such conditions now than AT any
time in previous history and that the
amount az suffering among the poor ana
homeless. ii We have another attack OF
uneN .ectei zero weather Will ne very
much reduced"
IA tho Mayor says. New York is better
prepared to-day than ever before IN its
history for coping with zero weather such
"a descended 30 suddenly upon the city a
few days ago. Although New York as
whole may not be aware Of the fact. yet
IL Is fact that within the last twenty-four
hours municipal authorities have in
creased nv 100 per cent. public facilities
for shcltering the homeless In time oi
killing temperature accompanied by an
eirhtv-mile gale such as burst upon the
town last week.
When John A. KinGsbury took hold oil
his new work AZ Commissioned Charities
one Of the first matters he discussed with
Mayor Mitchell was that OF caring FOR
several thousand homeless men and
women when blizzard should sweep
down upon this big town. Both Of them
realized that an emergency might arise
at any time which would tax TO the
utmost the facilities for public relief
And having the Mayors hearty approval
Commissioner Kingsbury n, once set &c
work to get things in readiness. Be II
remembered that this was done Gs aoor
as he assumed office as head Of the De-
partment Of Charities. long before the
cutting gale with its zero temperature
roared its way eastward from the regior