Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-01-25
THE RIVAL MAIL ROUTES.

The American of yesterday, with more ra!or IMAM
discretion selects the present time to assal the Post
Master General for putting the mails on the Central
Road in preference to the old Potomac line.
This is done by the endorsement of tho article
from the Fredericksburg News Does not the Ane-
rican know Of its own knowledge that the mails have
no, been delayed a r,rk, as charged by the "News
| to have been the cusel Does not the Editor know
| that with the exception Of few days, the mails
have, during this unparalleled season. come through
from Washington every day. but unav oidabv behind
time on some days! Does not the Editor OF the AnIe
rican know that the present is acknowledged on al
hands to be Of greater difficulty than ever
was known before in this climate7
Does the American really believe that the mai
would have been brought with more punc,uaity by
the old Fredericksburg line! Has that line made
one regular through trip Between Washington and
Richmond in the last two weeks! Does he belize e
that the old line would or could possibly have
brought the mails '.over land" from Washington to
Fredericksburg!
Wepronounce that to have been impractcable, and,
il it had Leen done the rail road service between
fredericksburg and Richmond would not have been
as regular as on the new line.
We do not make these remarks as partizans OF
the new line; but justice to the Postmaster General
requires US to say that if the mails had not been put
on the line by Gordonsvile we do not see how they
could have been transmitted to us. They could not
have come up from Norfolk, for the james has been
and is still frozen over, with ce eight to ten inches
thick. 1t va, impossible to have brought them
bv land through the SHOW twelve to eighteen inches
deep, with drifts piled so high as to defy horse power
Il 70 MI m pll by
way Of Baltimore. that would not have answered, as
the bay at Baltimore has been blocked up with ce ana
ON the Rail Roads between this and Weldon, there has
been much detention.
The American ought to have known as much about
the extraordinary character OF this season as the Dis
patch aud tue Wing. See what they say OF tue Wea-
ther in their papers Of yesterday:
The Poor are suffering for food and fuel, both in
town and country. Most of the neghoorhood mills
are frozen up 40 tight that meal cannon pe h""'-
What ia TO become nj them!
RApPAHASSucK FROZEN OrER.-The Rapphhan-
mock river is frozen below lsngtoI, point some
distance below Tapphannock At Port Royal the r.
yer is crossed on the ice by whSons and horses.
From the wh;s
In our day, certainly, We have known no such su-
perabundance of snow is this region As heavy falls
NAV have been known but they rarely remained up
ON the ground longer than three or four days This
has been upon US now than two weeks has been
twice augmented and promises before it is done 10 at
tain the dignity of Scandinavian winter. To be
precse for future reference: On Saturday, the 9th
inst snow tell here the depth of t~ers an chSs aMd
extended from North Curolina, below the Blue Ridge,
to as far North as we have heard from at varying and
increased depths On Saturday following the l2lh inst,
there was another fail OF Of some tonr 'mchrs
On Saturday, the 18th, the weather WAS delightful
and the snow was rapidly disappearing in the exposed
parts Of the streets. But the day only proved II
'weather. breeder and next morning, Sunday, the
the both, We awoke to another aya!anche-and tho
process Of showing, which country boys call the o!d
uoman picking tie GOOSE" continued with slight in.
termissons throughout that day, and was resumed
and continued for the early portion 81 yesterday
The precise depth of new snow We have not ascer-
tanned but presume it ranges from eigkt 10 frs!r'
inches.
gentleman who has kept Thermometer and
watched its bearings for 80 years IN Richmond trls
us that the mercury fell lower on "Wednesday night,
the 9th, than he had known daring that period
II descended to below On that night, we wit
messed the process Of snowforlnation, OF which We
had often read and with which the Car OF Russia Is
said to asouish strangers in ST. Petersburg, ut plea
sure. ltoccurred at the Wing office. The steam en-
yiue there about 10 o'clock emitted huge volume
OF hot vapor, which, ascending the narrow stairway
in the centre of the building, became chilled and CON-
densed and was precipated in the shape OF perfect
and beautiful fakes OF sn,w.