The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-11
SENSATIONAL .sSOw.sTORsI.

SIOEIn III New SElthhS-
From the PiedyllHe. Jdludry4.
New Orleans wore quite novel APP
pearance yesterday, draped in the snowy
garb. Fifteen years have passed since
snow was seen in our city. At an early
hour in the morning we assembled to the
top of the City Hall. On the roof of
this building the snow was from two to
three inches in depth. Reaching the
highest pinnacle we strained our eyes
in every direction. 4 heavy blue vapor
hung over the city. and feathery flakes
of snow fell thick and fast around US.
This greatly circumscribed our vision.
Such portions of the city as we could
see, presented an odd appearance. A
white pail seemed TO mantle every
thing. The clerk of the weather dur
ing our SAUNDERS had dropped sheet
over us and neglected furnishing a
blanket. This was certainly cold COM
fort such night.
Lafayette square presented quite n
picturesque appearance wide sheet
of snow; not spot uncovered. The
old staunch SycamoreS, which have for
so many years graced this square, for
once wore a garb becoming their age,
and each tree looked hoary-headed.
During the morning the newsboys
had a happy time in the square. a
large number could be seen with bare
feet rolling large balls of snow with as
much indifference TO the weather as if
they had been reared amidst icebergs.
These balls they packed together and
made u "snow man" graced the central
walk about 0 O'Clock. 4 huge snow
figure graced the balcony of building
corner of Baronnet and Poydras streets,
as late as . o'clock in the evening.
The feminine portion of the commu-
nifty, especially those born and reared
in our midst, unaccustomed to "snow
frolics," enjoyed the occasion amazing
ly. We noticed many OF them battling
with snow-balls, and bouncing each
other with a hearty good will. They
frisked and romped like anteloPes
skipping about, and their merry laugh
ter and bright faces told the Jolly time
they We're having. The sharp air made
their pretty little noses as red as radish-
eS. There was one we saw with her
long hair flowing about her neck and
shoulders, the snow clinging Dit, and,
in its spotleSS white, not whittier nor
purer than the bosom which heaved
beneath. The sunshine, soft and un-
clouded, of about sixteen summers,
shone in her face, and she was as joyous
as "A bird; and she had that in her eye
which always shoots fellow right in
the heart. We wouldn't care how often
it showed, if we could only witness
wished we had been one of those snow
flakes clinginS in her hair, May she
live TO enjoy snow frolic.
From he Nelc orleans Times.
Occasionally we have had splitting
of snow for few minutes during wears
not far back, but no such hyper borean
visits as this, since the winter of 1S5l-2.
The weather then, however, was incom-
parably more severe than it is now.
The snow then descended as heavily as
it did last night, but the storm was i'm
mediately followed by Il frost uneXam-
pied in severity and duration in the
recollection of the oldest citizens, with
solitary exception which occurred
something like half a century before.
In '5l-2, for three days there was no
thaw, and the snow not only remained
on the streets, but also on the house
tops during that time. Even sleighs,
improvised for the occasion, We're seen
running through the city, and all who
enjoy snow-balling as sport had 4
memorable feast. The writer of this
has vivid recollection of the lowness
OF the temperature, for rising one morn
ing out OF his accustomed bath, his
hair was frozen before he could dry
himself.
a SEA OF ICE.
From The Montgomery (-4Ed5dBa) Mail, Jan. Il.
Our city presented "a real icy appear
ance yesterday, all things out of doors
reminding one forcibly of the "Sea of
Ice" The sight was rare one in this
locality, and one that will not be seen
again in life time. Everything was
frozen up, and so loaded were the trees
with the ice that many OF them were
lowered to the ground, and MANY
branches broken off. The thawing
commenced yesterday, and the streets
were so slushy as TO render them al
most impossible.
JACK FROST sILVERPLATEs ALABAMA
GORGEOUS SPECTACLE.
From the Mobile Register, Januu1yl
On Saturday morning last, good
deal of Sleet was to be seen in this Sec
ton. 1t was to be found on iron rail-
ing and on the limbs OF the trees. In
the EUenGly NeiDS of yesterday, it was
mentioned that this sleet was so heavy
in the neighborhoOd of Gainesville
junction, on the Mobile and Ohio Rail-
road, that the trees were broken down
by 1t. We have since learned that it
extended much further south than that
point, and that around Chronicle and
Beaver Meadow, within twenty or thir-
ty miles of the city, the trees, fences,
telegraph wires, Sc., We're thickly
coated with ice. \ gentleman who
passed through the woods in that sec
tlon, represents the scene as having
been beautiful in the extreme Icicles
hung from the long-leaf pines and from
telegraph wires, causing the latter to
look like interminable strips of silver
fringe. The roads and paths through
the forest were blocked up with
branches of the trees which had heen
broken down by the weight of the ice
The leaves of the magnolia, holly and
other eyergreens We're completely coat
ed, and when taken from their silvery
covering, the ice exhibited specimens
OF natures stereotyping which could
not De eNcelled by the most skiIlful
hand oil art, every fiber and vein and
lmperfection of the leaf being clearly
impressed upon it. Unfortunately, the
day was cloudy. y few flashes of sun
shlne would have lent a Sorgeousness
and splendor to the scene far beyond
the fancy OF the poet, or genius of the
painter. Such scenes as that presented
last Sunday are not uncommon in the
States further north, but they are verv
rare in South Alabama.
THE RAT STORY.
We remember being told. last fall
while in Kentucky, u remarkable RAT.
story IN connection with prediction.
ny "one of the oldest inha )" that
TINS would prove one of the seyerest
and most Indictment winters that we
have had for many years.
me story was, that in October last IT |
was discovered that an immense army
OF rats, consisting of over fortv thouS-
anu mad crossed the Ohio river from |
the States of Indiana and Ohio to Ken
lucky, and We're making forced march, |
es in southerly direction. An old |
hunter of Kentucky stated that he had |
not known of such an occurrences since
1850, which proved one OF the hardest
winters throughout the country thar
they had known for years previous
ana he predicted this winter would be |
one of great severity,
1t seems that this army of rats yv,s
well organized, Differed and discipIin1