The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-27

To this date, 3l.3 I"
The Philadelphia Ledger says that DIR. Con.
rad of that city, has examined the record OF
ahe weather kept the Pennsylvania Hospital
with scrupuous exactness, ever since the
year 1925, and that last Tuesday was The cold
est day in all that time. Our readers will re-
collect that we expressed the opinion that
there had not been such day, at least, in Vir-
ginia, within many years. Wehave heard that
Cd last Tuesday morning the thermometer was
fourteen below zero in Charlottesville, and still
bower in Staunton. At the White Sulphur
Springs, it was, in 1885, as low as 10. We
learn that il had not been lower than IA when
last heard from, but that was previous to Tues
day.
The New York Evening Post thus speaks
Of the cold of that awful Monday night and
Tuesday morning.
TEE FRosT.-Last night was, without ex
ception, the coolest this city has experienced
for many years. The East River, between
Brooklyn and the Fulton Ferry, was so COM
pleiely frozen over, that the regular trips of the
ferry boats were suspended for some hours
Hundreds who were thus cut of from the
usual means OF Communications with this CITY,
were forced to cross the river on foot, for the
krst time, perhaps in their lives; while others,
more tmorous, were compelled to confne their
spheres OF operations TO Brooklyn. The North
River is also frozen over in some parts, afford
ing safe passage for pedestrians. So intense
was the cold, that water placed few feet from
she fire was frozen over with thick ice.
This morning several of our hands, and
Many other persons, including women, crossed
Rrnak tuu tn this itv ont ho -af nh
eleven o'clock the ice, with many persons on
II, began TO move towards Governors Island
several boats put out to their assistance-se-
veral persons got into the water, but thus far
we have heard of no loss of life. One gentle
man crossed from Brooklyn TO this city quite
early, with a horse and wagon-an event
which has not happened but two or three times
within the memory of the oldest inhablants.-
The thermometer was three degrees below
zero at four o'clock this morning. A man with
ahorse and cart was crossing on the ice when
1t started this forenoon, and they were carried
down the bay.
During the war of the revolution, in the win
ter of 1880, Sir Henry Clinton having car
yed large body of troops to Charleston,
Washington conceived the idea of attacking
ahe city of New York. The intense cold, never
squalled before or since in this country, by
freezing the rivers TO the consistency of terra
Grma, favored such an operation. The British
fearful of such an attempt, made all haste TO
for,ify themselves as we'll as they could. On
the occasion, cannon Of the heaviest descrip-
lion then used, were carried to Staten Island
% the ice.
The Ledger thus speaks of the cold in Phi
ladelphia:
The thermometer, at halfpast six O'Clock on
Tuesday morning, in an exposed situation
ranged at four degrees below zero, which is
said to be the lowest indication Of the mercury
since the 18th OF February, 1922, when it stood
ii five degrees below zero. The Delaware
river, which the evening before was crossed b,
the ferry boats, was frozen tightly from shore
90 shore, aud during the day not less than
thousand persons passed over on the ice
aciuaied probably by the novelty Of the under
taking. For severity, the present winter com
pares with that of 1886, when the river wa.
frozen over about the middle of January, ana
remained closed TO the end OF February. Ii
that year, Washingion's birthday was cele
brated by The roasting of an OK upon the ice
1T the lower end of the Island.
A gentleman Of Charleston, who has kept {
careful record Of the weather since 1923, has
handed 10 the Courier an extract from hi.
Diary. from which we take the following:
1852. January Alb, Mercury "a deg; 9th