The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-31

SNOW CLEANED FROM THE SIDEWALKS THE
wYANoKE-sTATE OF THE THERMOMETER,
| &C., &C.
As was indicated Yesterday In our weather
notice, the mercury fell very rapidly during
the night, until at sunrise Yesterday IL had
fallen to the surprising low temperature lin
an exposed position In be city, TO degrees
f3yeiow zero--a temperature below that Of
my winter for many, maDy,vears; and the
astonishing part Of ii Is that it continued TO
be very cold all day long.
The work OF clearing off the snow from
the sidewalks was begun early, and on all
OF the more important thoroughfsres there
was almost clean pavement by noon.
which added not a little TO the comfort Of
those who were compelled TO be OUT. In
the sun during the forenoon the snow melt
ed little, but only little; but where its
warm rays did rot penetrate everything re-
malnPdfrozen or continued 10 freeze. IL was
In deed a very cold day. The night before
there were several parties in the city. and
number of hackmcn were out, and OF course
suffered not little from the intensely cold
night. Moses Taylor, a7cOlored man who
drives for CARRIER, was one OF the backmen
on duty that night, and about o'clockyfs-
terday bis team came along down town to
the stable, the driver sitting uDon his seat
erect as ii nothing was the matter; but
when the horses stopped at the stable Moses
was found to be stiff cold, and had to be
taken down from his seat, his condition
helpless and bis body and limbs ifeless
from the cold. lie was taken home, and at
last accounts, late last evening, was I'M
proving rapidly.
This Is mentioned only TO show what the
suffering OF people must have been who
were exposed to the bitter weather. The
dock and river were both frozen up tight
Yesterday. The ice in the river was very
thick between the ship-locks and lower
wbarvts. and, in fact, far down the river.
The basin was also frozen up. and few
venturesome folk enjoyed the skating up 10
10 O'Clock last night.
Notwithstanding the condition OF the
river the acknowledgement Couch found
his way UP 10 the Old Dominion steamship
wharyes with the Wyanoke, reaching the
city on his usual time. Captain Couch, it
will be remembered, has had some memora-
bic experience i'm ice gorges on james river,
and he knows how TO get out Of them.
The Wyanoke lett here on Friday night
last on her trip TO New York, and encOun-
tered the very severe gale and pililess
storm which beat upon the coast on Sun
day. One OF her wbeel.houses was stove
in, and she suffered other damage, which.
however. was not OF serious character.
She was delayed in getting into New York
until Monday night, while she is due there
on Sunday evening. She will sail this
morning for New York instead Of the hour
heretofore announced. Captain Couch re-
ports ice in James river from Claremont up
10 Richmond. Near the city the ice yester-
day was about an inch and bali thick on
the river, and within half an hour after 1t
was broken up by tugboats it would freeze
up again.
Mr.. Whitcomb, OF the James. River I'M
prOyement, went down as far as the bar In
the steamer Craighil 10 look after the city
and Government machinery, which has
been or is being put behind the ietties
out OF the reach OF the danger OF the
drifting ice. The ice in the dock yester.
day was broken by tug.boalS in order that
vessels might be moved from one wharf to
another with ease.
The ice-gorge, we learn, continues In the
canal between The first locks and this city !;
but as the current Is rather swift the wafer
in the canal is not in some places entirely
frozen from shore TO shore. Some OF the
hands at the Tredegar have been forced 10
stop work on account OF the gorge.
As will be seen, the mercury varies in
different parts OF the city. For instance !:
At No. 731 west Marshall street at 1880 A.
NJ. IL was s degrees below Z'ro; 2:30 T..
NJ, maximum II degrees; 10 p. NJ,
3 degrees below zero; on Church Hill,
q degrees below zero; while at this Of
fee the thermometer indicated deerees
above. The maximum reading on Cnurch
Hill was Ii degrees, and at Z. NJ. it had
fallen to degrees above zero.
The snow was pretty well beaten down
Yesterday, and the sleighing was very fine
i'm fact, better than we have had for many
years past. Sleiebs Of every desert piion
were brought into requisiiion. Buggies,
pbaetons, carriages, and even wagons were
taken from their wheels and runners put
upon them, and sIeighs thus rugged up. One
enterprising gentleman, anxious TO adver-
tise his business, had barrel cut down and
nut upon runners, and in it be drove about
The city, much to the amusement OF every
one who stopped long enough in The
cold to take look at the various styles
OF sleighs which appeared upon the streets.
Another gentleman had a wooden.bottom
chair boxed up and put upon rockers, and
under the inspiring notes OF number OF
cow-bells, with his fast horse, glided along
as independently as he would have done in
the fiuest sleigh to be found in all OF New
England. To-day promises to furnish an
other occasion for fine sleighing and the
exercise OF the inventive genius OF those
who enjoy such sport and suffer from cold
fingers from driving.
All the trains from the roads centring
in this city were more or less delayed yes
terday. S,me did not arrive at all. On the
northern and southern roads, Chesapeake
and Ohio, and Richmond and Allegheny
lines, the delay was caused by the snow az
well as by freezing pumps.
c.x..,, Arcrncxr ro TApTAIx u 4,