Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-02-06
City Starts to Dig Itself Out Of
Big Snow Jam
COMMUTERS ARE DELAYED
Tides Recede Here--High Ten
sion Wire FaIls--AIi Train
Schedules in Bad Way

Although the snow has ceased fall
Ing, conditions after the blizzard are
not showing any great Improvement.
WIN the possibility of q heavy rain
falling before the end of the day, 1t
is believed that the blockade on land
will be greatly broken up and trains.
trolleys and busses can run as usual.
With slight northeast wind blow
Ing, the tide which was ten feet
above normal yesterday has dropped
three feet today. indications point
to greater drops during the day. The
Tottenville ferry is running quite
regularly, but all other shipping is
tied up due to the slush in the bay
and sound. Outside % stalling ship
ping, little damage has been done.
About midnight last might people
in this city were given a shock when
big flare was noticed in the sky
They believed this to be some great
phenomena or explosion. 1T was
learned this morning that the cause
Of this flare was due to a high ten
sion wire breaking on New Bruins
wick avenue just west of Convery
place. AS the huge wire fell to the
ground it took others with it and
threw a great reflection when il hit
the ground.
The falling of this wire effected the
lighting system along New Bruins
wick avenue and vicinity and the pub
lie service men were at work early
this morning repairing the wire This
is really the only real damage done
to the lighting system in this city
The schools were ordered closed
again this morning as it was believed
conditions We're not satisfactory To
call out the children. The fire whis
tie notifying no school usually rings
at o'clock and twenty minutes after
This morning telephone connections
could not be made in time. and the
whistle did not blow until twenty
after eight and was. repeated at the
half hour. A large number of chill
dren were already out when the fire
bell rang and had to return to their
homes.
The fire departments sleigh was
taken out yesterday morning and
made ready for use in case of fire,
but up TO the present time there has
been no call for It's service. The big
truck and horses would have hard
going through the snow, but will be
put back into use again as soon as
the streets are in fair condition.
Trolley and train service in MANY
instances Is badly demoralized and
| the regular schedules are not expect
! ed..to be resumed until there ia some
| let-up In the storm Rain, hail and
fort of travellers early this morning
While many of the busses were stall
ed on Wednesday night when the
storm first began there were several
about the city this morning,
Traffic on the Staten Island sound
and Raritan bay is about at stand
still. The ferryboat Perth Amboy OF
the Staten Island Rapid Transit
railroad, that experienced considera-
BILE difficulty in making trips back
and forth from this city to Totem
Vile yesterday, is making hourly
trips today with very little difficulty
in getting across the sound. There
is still considerable ice on the sound
and bay. but the ferryboat is able to
plough its way through. There were
but few trips made yesterday during
the day because of q Lehigh Valley
barge drifting in front of the slip on
the Tottenville side and a string of
empty barges bound for South Am-
boy in front of the slip on this side
of the sound. This held the ferryboat
up from 11:40 o'clock yesterday
morning until 2:45 o'clock yesterday
, afternoon when the barge at Totten-
vile was taken away.
Two tugs of the Pennsylvania rail-
road, with tow of empty barges. are
still tied up at Bunten's and the city
| dock, unable to get to South Alnboy
on account of the ice and tide, which
! it was said yesterday was the high
est seen in this section in years The
barges are swinging with the tide and
there is some fear that when the tide
turns. there will be Interference with
the ferry traffic again on this side.
Trains on the Staten Island Rapid
Transit, connecting with the ferry
were having considerable trouble
again this morning The regular
schedule was greatly mixed during
the early hours and a number of the
trains We're abandoned The midnight
train last night failed to reach Tot
tenville until $3.50 o'clock this morn
ing and the others came limping in at
irregular time.
At Camp Raritan several army
tanks are al work clearing the snow
away from that property 50 that
room can be made for the trespass-
ing of the government automobiles
and trucks. Passa geways for the
employees are also being made by the
tool of war. The use of this piece of
machinery in this section is some
thing unusual for the clearance Of
snow.