, 1872-12-25

tIan 20 plead for mercy and relief.
Yesterday the mercury, as observed By Mr
{. Manasse, optician. at No. 50 West Madison
street, stood as follows:
6:30 a. -18 deg. below zert
s-sV a. 1T deg. below zers
500 g. n. .16 deg. below zere
.o-oo .. 1u--..- IL deg. below 7ers
10y q. m.,-.- deg below zsre
1ou p m-- deg. below zero
55op m.... deg. above zerc
4So 2. deg. above zere
o.uo P. H.. deg. above zers
It will be observed that during the day the
mercury went up very gradually, and with much
only Q.
Observations elsewhere indicate more severe
weather. Al Evanston, at o'clock yesterday
morning, the mercury stood at 800 below, and
ct o'clock % below. At o'clock, on War
ren. near Ashland ayenue, it Was down to % 9
below On Ashland avenue, near Union Park, il
v2s 23o below. The esyerest weather indicated
Chicago, Burlington g. Quincy and the Chicago
I: Indians Central Roads, which marked SO Q
below at $3.50 yesterday morning. 4 communi-
cation from the Illinois Industrial University
shows that the standard Thermometers OF the
meteorological station Of the University regis
tered minimum temperature Ct $40 below
zero on Monday.
THE RAILROADS.
The " cold snap" has seriously interfered with
the timetables Of the various railway lines conn
ing TO and leaving this city, all OF them being
considerably behind time on account Of the diaSi-
guilty in watering the iron horses, and OF broker
rails yet no accident worthy of mention has
happened, owing to the great care and precau-
lons taken By the nanagements Of the various
lines. Two freight trains vera off the track on
tie Chicago Rock Island Railroad, and pas
Eenger train ran off the track on the Milwaukee
l. St. Paul Railroad dislocating the shoulder Of
passenger, but otherwise dolng 6 no injury. The
Union Pacific Railroad has as yet experienced no
trouble, and is making regular trips through to
San Francisco.
On Tuesday morning about 2 o'clock the night
express train bound south, en- the Wisconsin Di-
vision OF the Chicago l. Northwestern Railroad,
when about four miles north Of Harvard juno
ton, was thrown of the track By q broken rail.
The engine was partly " "ditched,' t4d tie e1-
one side Of the track. The fireman OF The en-
CINE and the conductor we're slightly injured
The passengers were taken to Harvard Junction
by relief train sent from the latter place. The
wreck was not cleared away until late in the
day, DELAYING all traffic on the road about twelve
hours. Early on Tuesday morning freight train
was thrown from the track By broken rail,
two mules les fro from sIa hs"rsnea nen By tae 10
track. Farther than these trivial accidents the
various lines Of the Chicago & Northwestern
Road comprising about 1000 miles, have es-
capped all accidents occasioned by the cold
weather.
The q. n. train on the Pittsburgh, Fort
Wayne Chicaio Railroad did not Teach the
city until yesterday afternoon at o'clock. The
delay was occasioned by broken rail III the vi
ciuity Of Delta, Ohio. The morning trains of
the Chicago Alton Road did not reach the city
until noon. Railroad time tables have been
much tampered with, and the result is that hotel
proprietors do not know when to anticipate the
arrival Of guests, and keep smoking meals dur
THE WATER AND GAS PIPES.
Not content with exclusive jurisdiction OUT
Hde, the Winter King has gone WITHIN doors,
and has blown his icy breath into the water and
gas pipes, producing darkness at night and dry
ness day and night. The household CRY has not
proceeded from the babys throat, but from the
mouth of the good mother, who has repeated, as
often es her husband has been within hearing,
$50 for the plumber" Plumbers hare been
house on the street at the same hour, have not
always gone when called Tor. Their place Of
business have been quite as popular as toy
stores and candy shops, and proprietors haze
Not . shop, however small or large, has the
capacity to serve its customers ns
they have ordered, and from the suffer-
ing and Inconvenience prevailing in the house
soma shops there a1e 200 orders not filed Yes
terday the cold was 30 intense that water froze
while running, and, in one case: plumber
vent to the Masonic Temple, on Washington
pipes, went home to dinner. When he returned
the janitor of the building was waiting at the
plumbers Office to inform him that the pipes
had frozen up again. In blocks which are heat
frozen up. Plumbers say that if people would
use their water apparatus properly, NO pipes
would freeze. They direct that, upon the ap-
proach of cold weather, the water should be
shut off, and the water then let cut of the pipes.
zShen water is wanted during the cold spell, it
mould be turned only long enough to Let
put the quantity needed at that time, and
then the water-cock should be LETT open until
the pipes are emptied- Following this plan. no
one would suffer the deprivation OF water dur.
Ing severe weather. There are two ways Of
thawing out pipes. The ordinary way IS to
dish hot water upon them ; but this ls subject
to many objections, not the least Of which is
that it freezes to the surface Of the pipe before
pour benZlno over and down the pipe and then
set it on FIRE. It is estimated that enough BEN
zine has been consumed in this process in the
last twelve hours, by plum bera, to blow the city
The use of benzine ie, OF course, attended with
great danger, aad We almost hesitate to an
nouuce it as an efficient agent in the thawing
out OF water-pipe8, lest some household may be
lost to sight, and the 1nuch-anticlpated 1estlgl-
ties OF the holidays postponed indefinitely.
THE DOCTORS OF GAS PIPES
are likewise rushed with large practice, which
it is only safe to pursue during the day,-the
presence of Light near by q gas pipe: even
in which the gas is frozen, not insuring absolute
safety to those who may be in that vicinity.
Last night there were many houses in compara-
tive darkness; for the light OF a tallow candle
isn't much, despite the fact that it Was used by
our forefathers. Gas. pipes do not freeze
zolidly, as water pipes do, but the gas is con-
densed by the cold into frost, which so fills up
the pipe that little gas can pass through.
The principal remedy used is alcohol,
although in one yesterday, where this
1as not at hand, q workman emptied . flask Of
whiskey into pipe with good effect, both to the
pipe and himself. The alcohol ia generally
pumped in, and seldom fails to rid the pipes Of
The frost. The greatest difficulty is found IN
reaching the spot where the pipe is frozen, and