Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-03
A VISIT FROM THE FROST KING.
The Foliage of the Forest City
Draped with Ice-The Beauty Of
the Park Marred = Considerable
Damage.

The last week of 1880 will be remembered
by Savannahians as the coolest on record
within the recollection OF the coolest in
habitant," and the weather generally as ex-
traordinary. After three days Of clear, Bit
ter cold weather, there was change in the
temperature, with indications OF snow, sleet
or rain. Friday opened threatening, with
the Thermometer at Z O'Clock marking Is,
but subsequently, falling 2 degrees. During
the day, however, there was a very percep-
tible moderation, and by 3 O'Clock, it had
reached AZ, and slight drizzle set In. 1t took
another tumble towards dark, and at ten
O'Clock had dropped below IS. The sleet,
which In the meanwhile had formed, was
falling fast, and the trees began to glisten
In their icy covering under the feeble glare
OF the street lamps The sidewalks were
covered, and the pedestrian had to exercise
unusual care to avoid too sudden and for
chile contact with the bricks. Throughout
the night the sleet continued to form, and
proved too much for our semi-tropical trees
and shrubbery, which yielded to the I'M
usual weight of frozen Tater, and were bent
Never-before In the remembrance of any
Que now living has such a sight been seen as
our streets and parks presented Saturday
morning. The foliage which few days
since was beautiful green wss glistening
with ice, and icicles several inches long were
had presented transformation scene which
the most skilled artist could not reproducc,
and which defied description. II was rare
spectacle, exciting admiration and surprise.
1t is unfortunate that the background
OF this crystsllized picture should be ruin
and Disagreement, but such Ia the case.
Forsyth Park, the pride Of our COM
munity, has been greatly damaged, and Mr..
Moves, the keeper, states it will be long
time before It can be restored to the attrac-
tive appearance 1t presented few DAYS
since. Large limbs were broken from the
tall pines, and stately oaks were snapped by
the icy hand of the Frost King, and married
of their beautiful proportions. The cracking
OF the limbs was heard for several blocks
off. and the graveled walks are strewn with
the ruins. Policemen were stationed at the
Park gates to warn persons passing through
the Park of the danger from the fall Of
limbs. The hedges Of evergreens are pro-
badly killed at the roots, and the wire rail-
ings around the flower beds have
been broken down by the fallen branches.
In Johnson square the palmettoes which
graced the corners of the iron railing around
the monument are ruined, one having been
snapped In twain. 1t is thought If these
trees had not been so closely trimmed up,
they would have been able to resist the
storm.
Throughout the city on nearly every street
were seen huge branches covered with ice
cles lying on the sidewalks and in the
cutters, and many small shade trees were
completely Frustrated beneath their Icy
burthen.
The telephone and telegraph wires pre-
sented the novel sight of myriad strings Of
icy beads.
Thirty years ago Savannah witnessed a
similar sight, though not on as great a
scale. Ga the 18th December, 1851, a cold
wave struck this section, and there were
two days of intense cold. On the Josh
| and on the 20.h the trees were laden with
| ice aud the streets covered with snow,
| which remained for several days. Consid-
cradle damage was then done to the shrub
berry.
Throughout the forenoon, and, indeed,
| the greater portion OK the day, rain fell,
and the inevitable result followed. The
trees and shrubbery, the ratings and fenc-
| ing were soon shorn OF their crystallized
covering The sidewalks were rendered In
a horrible condition, the rain having reduced
| the sleet and ice, and the result was abomi-
! nable slush. After dark there was change
and the night was exceedingly unpleasant,
aud was followed yesterday by another
freeze, though not as severe IS that of Sat
urday. There were indications of rain, bun
none fell, and last night was damp and
cloudy, though the temperature was con-
siderably milder. The signal report for to-
day indicates cloudiness, warmer weather,
with slight rise in barometer
The truck farmers In the vicinity of the
the city have suffered heavily from this I'M
exampled weather, and the Market Satur-
day afternoon was almost bare of vegeta-
bles. Indeed we have never seen q scantier
supply In the Market, and many Of the
stalls were not occupied at all. We@re IN
formed that all the peas which have been
planted early, and had attained a good
growth, are killed. Csbbages and pota-
toes are frost-bitten, and all vegetation has
been injured to some extent.
We also hear that cattle have suf-
fered considerably from the intense cold,
though so far as we have learned there has
been no fatality. For the first time in
many years there has been anxiety on the
part of owners to secure shelter for their
live stock, which heretofore have thriYen
In the open fields. The sheep particularly
are said to have suffered from the pitiless
weather, and it has been found necessary to
house them.