New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-15
Traffic Demoralized, Wires
Down and Fuel Situation
Made More Acute
Freezing Weather
Turns Snow to Ice
Task of $500 Shovellers
Rendered Herculean by
Drop in Temperature

New York's first real blizzard Of the
winter left the city last night with
railroad and streetcar transportation
crippled, Geographic communication
badly hit and an increasing menace Of
fuel and food scarcity as "a result Of
the general tie-up.
An army Of $500 "snow fighters"
marshalled by Street Cleaning Commits
sioner John T. FetherstN in the three
boroughs, were able 10 do little more
after working all day yesterday than
partially clear the main arteries OF
traffic
Last night the temperature began 10
drop rapidly and the Weather Bureau
predicted that from p degrees at $
p. m. the mercury would fall 60 10 de-
Crecs by this morning. The tug'd
weather, coming on top Of the frozen
suowstorm." which blankcted the city
with seven inches of crusted drifts, will
make the job Of cleaning the clogged
street, an Herculeau task rendered
more difficult By the war labor shortage.
New York Central Crippled
The New York Central Railroad was
hardest hit OF the roads entering New
York. Trains were hours late last
night. wires were down and communi-
cation cut OF to many points.
President a. II. Smith authorized The
following statement:
"Snow from two 20 four feet deep
drifted in huge banks along the line
of the New York Central Railroad
nearly the entire distance from New
York TO Rochester. Wires are down
and communication cut of TO many
points. The storm obated a. 1880 this
morning and passenger trains Kept
moving through with great difficulty.
"All freight operations suspended az
30 o'clock last night IL will be slow
process to clean up after the storm on
account Of a shortage Of labor. I'm New
England there is I'VE feet Of snow ln
the Berkshire Hills. and trains were
IN snow an Thursday night In New
York Harbor much floating equipment
from the railroad has been damaged
and sunk
Telegraph Wires Down
Onc-ouarter OF the Western Union
telegraph wires leading 20 this city
were still out Of commission last night.
although an emergency force Of 200
men. hastily summoned from suburban
points. had been working all day 10
nut up poles snapped by the eighty
mile gale and RESTING wires broken by
the load Of heavy snow.
Between New York and points IN
Delaware all communication was cut
Off. and n was announced at the office
Of the company that there was consld-
cradle damage on every route. Breaks
of several hours in wires TO Washing
ton held MP q mass of official commu-
ulcatious and added 20 the plnng up or
ordinary commercial messages. 1t IS
hoped that all lines viii be working by
tonight.
Broadway. Lafayette Street and the
principal cros-tOwn thOroughfares were
the main oUJcctlves In the attack OF
Commissioner Fcther,ton's "shocA
troops" against the forces OF hlng
Snow. Reinforced By POO motor-drlven
"tank snow ploughs and trolley sweep
er-. the shoyeliers- only 5000 90 start
with Thursday night ranged up and
down the city clearing the tracks.
Streetcar Traffic Uncertain
Yesterday morning a second shift 81
5000 men took up the task, and by la'e
afternoon there were 5000 emergency
workers added 20 the regular force oil
300
Frozen rails. clorged trolley slots and
tre prcscncc of long caravans Of trucks
and wagon. on each cleared roadway
made surface car travel uncertain. As
I'd result. the subway and elevated lines
in Manhattan. which kept 20 regular
.chcduIcs. were jammed far beyond
their everyday business hour condi-
tous.
Brooklyn. Staten Island and nearby
points in Jersey suffered severely from
breaks boo transportation. The fire
alarm system OF Brooklyn was put out
of commission for time and the Fire
Department had 90 depend upon the
telephone entirely 100 getting alarms.
Trolley traffic over the greensboro
Bridge was 40 % staLdstil for ten
hours during the morning, while Jersey
City suffered from suspension Of tele-
graph, telephone and ear service.
Commuters Held Up
Commuters from Jersey points were
delayed from one Go three hours il they
came hy train and for shorter periods
" they used the ferries. which poked
their noses cautiously through the mist.
The Central Railroad OF New Jersey
abandoned AN its trains al 3 o'clock
yesterday morning, and only resumed a
partial service ats. Pennsylvania trains
were from one TO five hours late, esUe-
clally those from Washington and 81.
Louis. while every other line except the
Long Island Railroad reported serious
delay.
ID 1900 CL 49, DILL