New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-31
THE MERCURY BELOW ZERO.
COLD WEATHER ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

COLD WEATHER ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
The TEMPERATURE LOWER N NEw-YORK THAN Al
ANY TIME SINCE 1S75-wHAT THE THERMOME-
TER REGIsTkRED-TRAINs BLOCKADED ON IHh
LONG ISLAND RAHROADS-MIDER WEATHER
sxPECTED IN THE WEST.
Yesterday was the coolest day New-lo
has known for five years. The thermometer
recorded % below zero at Hudn|ts III the
morning, and on the Equitable Building the
record was % below zero at Z a. III. Much
suffering was caused by the cold. cars ana
stages were overcrowded, and travel was
greatly impeded. In Brooklyn and else
where around New-YOrk the thermome-
Ter marked several degrees below zero.
Trains on the Long Island Railroad were
much delayed by tho drifting OF the snow,
which filled the cuts nearly as rapidly as they
were cleared out. Reports from different
parts of the country indicate that for the last
few dJys the weather has been the coldest
known for years In the West yesterday the
temperature Was rising.
COLDER IN NEW-YORK THAN IN FIVE YEARS.
.,rNE- oN THE sTREETs-FEANIiC tFfokls TO
krHP wAEM-TUE RECORD on THE rHERMoME-
TER YESTERDAY COMPARED WITH TINT OF PRE-
y!oCs YrAHs-mow TIE COLD WAS FELL AROUND
HE CITY.
When the Now oller put his head outside OF his
loor Yesterday morning he found that the tempera-
.rrc was many degrees lower than when he went 10
he'd Their. was a nippIuc air that seemed to mock
iAe sunshine. and avariable wind swept clouds OF
icht snow from the hOusetops. Everybody was
ofh to leave the warmth of cheerful freside>, and
pncc ia the street found inconvenicnces travelling
n addition to the discomfort OF the unusual cold.
The sidewalks were covered with a crisp coating OF
snow that crackled under the feet and made walk
nr dilicult; IN some places where the snow had
been clca,el OF the day before there was film OF
ice tina; gave pedestrians opportunity to exercise
their sklll5n balancing. Not a few lacked the
cesslry skill to keep their footing aud fell at full
length.
Tho pc King of the snow that had fallen for
seyera, DAYS has made good sleighng in all OF the
avenues and drives. Central Park, the bOulevards
and the less travelled avenues were enlivened dur
ING the al rIuoOn and evening by the merry jingle
of sleigh beiis. But the occupants of the seighs'
even where there richly caparisoned horses
and warm robes. did not excite much envy in those
who watched them 90 by from windows. Many
,e,ghs invaded Broadway, business men in some
,ases substituting them for thor cOupes. Ice men,
pilkmen and others in like trades adapted tho
EASIER method of making their rounds on runners.
I'm consequence of the Discrimination TO endure
lie cold the various ear lines were overcrowded
with passengers. The traffic on the elevated roads
wasncreased about one-thlrd; during the COMMISSION
,onrs th. Insh was so great that there difficulty
n getting Oh a train. On the Ihlrd-ave. aud other
rface roads four horses were attached 10 the cars
md swcepeTs with six aud eight horses attached
made trips at intervals over the roads TO Keep the
rack clear. JbtaIl cars on some OF the roads
eIjDyed the dignity OF two horses mere were ire
uicnt DELAYS ON the elevated roads, the passengers
5elng compelled in some instances TO wait malJ
minutes. his was especially the case with passen-
gers gong through.
The Battery Park was probably one of the coldest
places in the cIty. the strong wind had an pnoO-
strnctei sweep across COmmunlpaw Bay. and the
Nth R,yer and sent volumes of spray dying over
the sea wall and for several feet above II, when
froze as fast as il struck. The snow was as0 Do"h
~ o 1een % dpift on the walks aud only those who were
nhhopd to cross the park ventured through them.
A Crrnan immigrant who went out of Castle Garden
for a short time only returned win his ears frozen
and was admitted to the hospital. n Young lrsh
woman crossed the Park to South ferTy 10 go nome
fo her friends in Brooklyn, but was brought Oack
to the Gard III with her hands badly fr0St-olten.
some of the ticket agents of the Third Avenue
Elevated Railroad left their places Dehlhd the
GcLet windows and sold tickets over table placed
near The stoves in the middle OF the station rooms
T., ,yas evident to people who were out late We'd
peadav nIcht that the temperature was falling rap
idly. b. 3 a. m. the mercury at Hndnui's was only
10 above zero. At the same hour "Wednesday morn
;rg the thermometer recorded IL: By O'Clock
vester,lav morning the mercury had descended to %
LeIo,i zero the lowest reading Tor the day. AT y
o'clock the thermometer indicated rise III the TEN
perature of 81. The mercury remained stationary
npti noon. after which 1t began 20 rise gradually
anti at 3 O'clock il reached . above zero Inc
reading at o'clock was A.. and at midnight the
m~rcury had reached Il below zero.
J6r downward tendency Of the temperature dates
frar Monday when II Was lower by from 3 TO 90
tian ON the iav before. The average reading for
Tte,d,v was lSloO about ! L lower than the aver
no" ot Monday Wednesday the change was still
more marked the average record being 12l40
,nfereucc TO the record for December 80 las, year
shows that the temperature ranged from 70 to ~
ahove zero; and that ~ 1878 on the corresponding
dav il varied from % 10 I2O. The co dcst day III
TSzo was January 3, when the mercury declined TO
ro. the next coolest day of that year was January
a ,vhen the minimum TcadInn was 50. Last winter
tnc coldcst day was February =, when the minimum
was 100 above zero. go
II was stated al the Signal Service Bnrcau last
,i,,ht that the temperatuTr had not been so low IN
ih,s cty -lnc. January, 1870, when the minimum
,acord was Go below zero. Ihe thermometer on the
,on of IN Euuitablc building Indicted a temper
stnre ar 7 a. IN Yesterday IF - below zero; al II
njc,ock 10 below zero: 2 p m. % degrees above; 3
n,cInck 81 above; g O'Clock 2 above; and at md
0iaht II was zero. 1t Is thought that the cold
w.atber reached Its eliminating point YESTERDAY
Little change Is expected today, Dnt
hv tomorrow 1t is Thought ~ that the
mercury will begin to gradually. This predlc-
Tim IL 6a sed on the fact that the temperature III tbe
Wrst and Northwest has risen several degrees
WITHIN twenty-fou hours. The severity OF the cold
cas areater M the Eastern Atlantic and New-Eng-
nd States than at other POINTS III the country.
Following are given the minimum readings OF the
thermon,et.r at some OF the principal points i'll the
.nuntry as reported to the signal Service Bureau.
ta second column indicating the change IN twenty
toui HUNS Cbaucei Change.
90 90 IndjauapO'ls 50 100
hioanS aio5,ny; ;'.. 80 80 NJ !disou....... . 100