Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-31

sIEvES DEGREES Fellow ZERO IN WASHINGTON
-HE TEMPERATIKE KLSKMHxRE

| country except one. The Thermometer here aC
that hour registered 10 degrees below zero two
| degrees lower than IL stood at the famous Du-
| luth. Minn., and the frgtd town OF Ia Crosse,
Wis. AZ the same hour Baltimore was conpar-
/ aufeiy comfortable al temperature OF de-
gree above zero; New York. Boston ana Pnila-
delphia the same: Albany, above; Atlanta.
Ca @ !, 10 shove: Angns5a. Ga, IL above; Bismarck.
J ton, VI, above; Charleston. s. G.. % above:
Chicago, above; Cincinnati. I2 above; Cleve-
acksonvie F IS ssoge Kx exas St Fo aoOvs G
, above: Memphis, Tenn, Il above; New Orleans.
La, = ABOVE; san Francisco, 81 ABOVE The
weather here Tor New Year day, but with the
strong probability thar the mercury win IN this
city sttll be below zero The weather to-day
Mountains Is clear.
THE CURIOUS FEATURE or rHR WEATHER HrRr
is the fact that willie the temperaturrs ia fhix
city this morning {st an earlier hour than noted
above) was eleven degrees below zero al Baltt-
me ne. Philadelphia and New York the mercury
was at the same time one degree above zero.
The temperature hereabouts this morning is
the lowest recorded In many years. and Is tbs
lowest temperature recorded at all stations east
OF the Mississippi river except at the summit OF
Mount Washington. The temperature is eelow
: freezing al mos of the southern stations To-
day IL is showing al Brownsville, Texas, at the
mouth OF the Rio Grande, and at Indlanola-
! THERE Is A TENDENCY TO WARMER WEATHER
IN the mississippi valley and lake region. which
/ viii probably extend cast during 10 morrow.
I The coldeSt points this morning were Fort
/ Buford. which recorded 90 degrees below zero:
Mount Washington. &c below; Washington, u.
! G. 10 below, Marquette, Mich. 10 below: For
Stevenson, 10 below.
SPLENDID sI.EIGHISG IN WASHINGTON
There is DO finer sleighing anywhere than IN
Washington at present The snow is lust In
! that crusty condition when IL packs and affords
a smooth surface TO run upon. ION each side or
| the railway tracks On Pennsylvania avenue Is
a broad snoW-coyered drive, and the avenue is
! the popular thoroughfare for sleigning. Thossi
/ going towards the Capitol take the south slde
OF The avenue, and those going towards the
/ White House take the north side. This has
| bsen brought about by common consent, ana
thus the danger OF collisions is avoided. The
| drivers OF flashy sleighs and fast horses were
! making the avenue race course. but the fun
was cut short by the police. To-day newly
| constructed sleighs were seen upon the avenue
In numbers, and on some OF them the paint
. was not dry. so impatient were the owners 10
! join the throng OF sleighers. The oldest inhab-
/ ltants generally agree thai Washington has
/ never enjoyed liner season for SleigBlDg. The
! sun scarcely makes any impression upon The
snow.
THE GREAT SNOW HRAPS
which wee piled up at the curolngs OF the
/ streets in cleaning on the sidewalks when the
snow First fell, stiii remain and are now frozen
/ as hard as ice. These huge SNOW piles prevent
wagons, drays and carriages from reaching the
1 Sidewalks, and consequently merchants and
others who ship or receive goods are compelled
! 10 have these snow hills cut away. Coal deal
eTs have had hard time delivering fuel TO
|
haul more than three quarters of ton OF coal
| at a load, and the labor or cutting away snow
banks 10 reach the places OF delivery causes
delay that embarraSSeS the business. Some or
/ the dealers are hitching teams in tandem to
! their carts. The present packed condition or
/ the snow. however, Is much more favorable 10
the coal dealers and other branches OF business
| having goods to deliver, than when It WAS SOFT.
| When the thaw begins though, all kinds OF
| hauling VIII be impeded. The street railways
| have succeed IN getting their tracks pretty Well
] MAKING
! now.
THE HERDIC COACHES
were started on the avenue last night aud have
| been making regular trips TO daytime wheels are
| locked ana runners are attached beneath them
converting the coaches, for the present. Into
sleigbs. Each evening there Is what might DC
/ called regular
/ sIEIGHING CARNIVAL ON rag AVENUE.
| Everything that is on runners IN the city seems
! TO be turned on Pennsylvania avenue towards
| dark ana {; merry lingling OF bells is kept up
men have reaped harvest OF profit, hiring out
! their cutters at S. per hour, but so many veni-
cles are now being rigged on runners that the
monopoly In sleighs has been broken. The rate
OF hire has been reduced 10 g. per hour and
viii probably go below that yet.
GRoRGETowN HEIGHTS TnE col pEsr
The thermometer this morning al lie Droit
Park stood 1917 degrees below zero; on George
! town heights at l2 below. The weather I'm
] Alexandra Is reported the coldcst experienced
there for nifty years In Georgetown harbor
no vessels lying at the whaTyeS, but a solitary
brig lies below. The depots OF the coal comua-
| nieS have gone into winter quarters. On Rock
creek there Is very fine skating. MANY skaters
were on the ice to-day. The Washington adGe-
duct people keep daily record or the tempera-
| ture. AT Great Falls yesterday at am the
temperature was degrees below zero aud at 2
pm. degrees above. At : this morning the
I temperature was lS degrees below zero. At the
receiving reservoir yesterday at : ir was Y bel wv
zero, and below at pm. The thermometer
ati that point only mark a. low a temperature
as u below, and the mercury was In the bulb.
At the distributing reservoir yesterday az a.
m. the thermometer went 10 degrees below al
marked II degrees above at pm. To-day at :
I am. il was Is degrees below. AT Rock creek
bridge yesterday at I Ii was degrees below
and IL degrees above at = pm. Today at : a.
lives about three miles beyond cabin John s.
bridge says that the mercury went down at his
house this morning TO l. degrees below.
DELAYED TRAINS.
The railroads In this section are more OF less
affected by the cold snap. The New York train
due at the b. a T. depot at Geo this morning
which leaves here at was held back for this
connection. The fast line from the west and
/ north, due at 3 o'clock, was an hour lste; the
Midland train, due at SIS did not arrive til -:
o'clock. The trains or the Washington aud OHIO
| road are not running. The train men report
that the tracks are all clear and In good condi-
ton now. but so intense is the cold that IL IS
| with the greatest difficulty sufficient head or
steam can be kept up. on che Baltimore and
Potomac railroad the 1850 fast maiD came in
as local. and the 1880 train arrived Al l.3a
with the Boston connection and the New York
papers. ON the Baltimore and Ohio the train
due here at A. ~. with the western mail did
not arrive until after one O'Clock. The train
due at i.55 is reported 10 be ~ hours late.
THE RIVER REMAINS ICE BoUSD
and navigation is virtually suspended iesteI-
day the ferry boats attempted to keep the
channel between the wharf and Alexandria
open by running at Irregular intervals, but the
frost or last night was too much for them and
no attempt has been made by them. The ice Is
quite thick on the hats but over the channel Is
| thinner, owing TO the warmth OF the sewerage.
TCE CUTTERS.
Butchers and others Interested In the ice crOD
are busy TO. day In saving Ice for their business
| Commissioner CaSwell, or the almShouse has
| been cutting Ice to-day from an artificial lake
on the poor house premises eight inches thick.
BOAT BLOCKED II THE ICE.
The signal corps station at Cape May, " J.,
| reports at 1915 p. IA. TO day small boat with
| American flag lying. blocked ln the Ice on bay,
| about four miles 10 the west OF this station.
| 1fe-Saving crew has gone TO her assistance
| and have taken all articles necessary for the
| preservation OF lie. The bay Is covered with
| foatiDg ice, ana the tide Is running down very
| rapid. Wind, west and fresh.
| Ldter.-The crew OF the LIFE saving station at
| Cape May, n. j.. found IL impossible to reach
| the small boat, before reported, on account OF
4