New-York tribune., 1916-03-07
Army of $4,000 ShOvellers
at Work in Manhattan
and Brooklyn.
CHAUFFEUR DIES
FROM EXHAUSTION
Interborough Foreman. Blinded
by Storm, Hit by Express
Train-Liners Held Up.

The city was tucked snugly under .
white blanket six inches thick last
night, after a days struggle against
vind laden with snowflakes all save
Street Cleaning Commissioner Fether-
ston. who knelt late beside the new
white counterpane at his prayers.
He was beseeching the weather man
to fulfil his prophecy that rain would
come by morning and wash the snow
into the sea, even if it took with 1t the
upper layer Of soil from the pavement'
of Manhattan. The rain came.
From all the boroughs reports agreed
that the storm was the worst Of the
season, but that traffic. though slow
continued 20 plod through it without
any serious tie-ups and with few grave
accidents. At times Brooklyn feared
trouble, and the b. r. T. officials kept
saying "Not yet. not yet" as occs-
sionallv in the broad expanse covered
by their surface cars there was tempo
rary trouble.
The longest delay occurred on
Brooklyn Bridge. where the trolley
cars we're held up from 7:10 to 1887,
blocked By a motor truck whose engine
tired under a vain effort 10 Nake the
rise. The rush crowd turned TO the
elevated, which became overtaXed Tor
longer period than usual. There was
complete tie-up OF the shuttle feed
ing Brownsville through Utica Avenue.
1000 Shovel in Brooklyn.
In Manhattan the regular force OF
the Street Cleaning Department at
tackled the drifts, coniining their efforts
especiallv 10 the car stops and cross
ings. At 1 o'clock the first reserve corps
Of snow shovellers was called out TO
the strength of $4,000 men, with the
promise that they would be relieved az
midnight BIZ the second detachment.
Fire Commissioner Adamson's recent
Is created emergency squad for repair
ing alarm wires sat IN the old flre
Headquarters. IN East Sixty-seventh
Street, throughout the night. A hign-
powered automobile waited at the door,
but the alarm system kept intact and
the squad had no work.
Four passenger liners were held up
during the afternoon by the storm
and waited off Fire Island with their
several hundreds OF passengers until
il was too late TO dock. They were the
Kristianiafjord, of the Norwegian Line,
from Bergen: the Swedish American
liner Stockholm. arriving after many!
delays from Greenock, and the United
Fruit boats Sixaols and Tenadores.
Other steamers due to-day are the
Czarita. the first Russian liner TO ar
rive in several weeks, and the disabled
Apache, which is being towed into por;
after her collision of the Virginia
Capcs.
Small accidents were many IN num-
ber. One man. James Enfield, OF 56S
Columbus Avenue. died from exposure.
lie had battled all day with the storm
in the drivers seat of a taxicab. ana
as he started up the stairs OF ms
garage 10 retire. fell over dead.
James Fitzpatrick. a foreman OF the
Interborough. was blinded by storm
as he was directing his men and was
hit by an express train. His skull was
fractured and he probably Will die.
The diminished resources IN men VINO
can be called as snow shoveliers Is
shown on the register OF the Munlclpal
Lodging House. where there were 2oO
men. Is women and children yester-
day. as compared with total OF 2,4Oo
on the corresp sponding night last year.
Fifty-three men were put TO work shoV-
elling on the bridges and l56 at the
piers of the New England Steamship
Company.