Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-01
THE COLDESr
PLACE.
Fourteen Degrees Below Zero!
LOW TEMPERATURES HLsEwHERE.

In the thermometer was away down below Ze,u
and Still falling-the coldest birth OF year
ever known in Washington. AT four O'Clock
this morning the minimum temperature was
inhaoitant racks his memory in vain to recall
anything like IL. AT O'Clock this morning. &C.
coldipg TO the Signal Service bulletin, Wash
1ngton was the coldest place in the United
States. The following are the reports from
leading points:
Albany, N. y. -s: Alpena, Mich. 9: Atlanta.
Ga. 22: Augusta, Ca. %; Baltimore, Md, );
Charleston S. C., 50: Charlotte. n. C., 1e; CHAT
tanooga, Tenn, lS; Chicago. III, 10; Cincln-
nst, ns1,,r o., ?; Cleveland e @, z Columbus o. o;
Moines, Iowa, g. Detroit, Mich, 4; Duluth, MINI,
%; Eastport, Me-, S; Erie, Pa, 4: Escauab L,
Mich, s; Galveston. Tex. 32: Indianapolis. Ind,
keokuk, Iowa, l6; Key West, Fla. 72, La Crosse,
Wis, d; Leavenworth, Kan, l6; Little Rock,
Ark, %; Louisville, Ky, 8; Lynchnnrg, Va. ,;
bile, Ala, 2s; Montgomery. Ala, II; Nashville,
Tenn. l6. New London, Conn, .: New orleans,
La, 81; New York, N. y. 8; Norfolk. Va, 22;;
North Platte, Neo, u; Omaha, Neb., $; Oswego.
n. T.. 9; Philadelphia. Pa, 10; Pittsourg. Pa. !:
Portland. Maine. 4: Portland. Oregon 81; Roch
ester, y. l., /; Salt Lake City. [. T.. 81; San
dasky; y o. & san san francisco ira Cal 81 Savannan
Vicksburg. Miss, 80: Washington, d. C., 10.
MORE SNOW COMING.
II was learned at the signal Office to-day that
in the west there is a general fall Of tempera-
ture. This IS decidedly the case in the MtssIS-
sippi valley and the entire northwest. There
has been general fall, With the wind shifting
suddenly, In the upper Missouri valley. Near
Fort Stephenson there has been a fan Of 4j de-
grees In the last tHenty-fo hours. In the
southern states the temperature is generally
below freezing point IL was showing this
morning at Pensacola. Florida, ani al Mobile
Ind Inr
tropical storm In the Cult, which VIII probao oily
move north aud give US snow in the middle
Atlantic states Tomorrow. The present Gle .r
weather prevails In the eastern and Atlantic
states westward to the Mississippi, VALLEY. TIE
temperature is near freezing point In New Eag-
land and westward OF Lake Erie.
EXPLAINING WHY WASHINGTON IS THE CoLDEsr
PLACE.
One peculiar feature Of the temperature is Ias
stated above that IL fell to l4 degrees below
zero here last night. This IS the coldest wealth.
er we have had here for forty years. The tenn
Ferature here has been lower during the cold
spell than at any other point In the middle
states. This may be explained by the fact that
heavier settles down in this valley. and gives
US lower temperature than Is experienced at
more elevated points. Night before last the
temperature here was eleven degrees below
zero. Between and o'clock yesterday morn
Ing, at which time the temperature Is generally
rising, II, on the contrary fell TWO degrees here
marking l3 degrees below zero. This unusual
depression was colncident with the partial
eclipse OF the sun. One of the striking features
OF the weather we have had has BEN Ia Texas.
TEXAS WEATHER.
The signal officer telegraphed two days
beforehand that Texas WAS to have a norther
This was distributed over the lines o.; signal
service telegraph In that state. A movement
Of troops had been contemplated. but it was
delayed On account of the prediction tele-
graphed. The next day telegram was re
eeived. asking II weather in which troops could
be moved might be expected the next two or
the troops are being moved.
STORM SIGNALS
are up at Norfork and the South Atlantic coast.
stations for the storm that is coming from TIDE
Gulf. By tonight storm signals viii be PROB
ably ordered for New jersey for the sam
storm.
LivKLY STREET SCENES.
Those who are fortunate enough TO Own
sleighs or who have been ingenius enough to
tmpTovise vehicle that answers for one are
about the only persons who are really anXlou5 )
that this cold weather shall continue. coca
sionaily-and it Is not often-a person Is heard
TO exclaim: "Oh. this Is delightful weather. and
hope 1t will last" When called upon by che
astonlshed hearers to explain he usually does
SO by saying: ''My wife ior daughters. fire.
qUently,) insisted upon my buying Sleigh, and
now want the snow to last long enough for
Year day, being general holiday the number
OF sle!ghs has been unusually large. Thirteenth
street from + street south was given up to
coasters, and not less than a thoUsa nd iaen
were collected to watch the sport. Not only
boys. but men took part In the sport OF coast
iEg. and when car came along Z street il was
not permitted to interfere With the fuH. When-
ever sled was overturned yell signi1ad the
event. Towards the middle OF the day the
weather moderated until it was pieasaur
enough TO admit OF moving about without dts
comfort.
THE RAILROAD TRAINS.
The Boston connection due at the B. and f.
depot al l2E O'Clock yesterday did not arrive
until after O'Clock. The New York train due
at 1920 was few hours late. To-day the New
York train due at Clio was about two hours
late, and the western and northern connection
due here at o'clock arrived about 10. The
Richmond train due al 9:15 arrived about 1910
The fast mail train came In as local at 1880,
but the mail came In with the Philadelphia ex-
press at 1:so, being one hour late. The local
trains are generally running to time. on the
B. and o. the western train due here at 61a to
day was about four hours late. The New York
train due at 6:e0 came In at 3. and the western
train due Al l:S5 was about two hours late. The
local trains generally run quite close to seized
ule.
THE ICE BIOCKAGE IN THE RIVER
is complete and norhing but field OF SNOW
covered Ice Is visible as far as the eye can
reach down stream In Alexandria every
branch Of business Is effected by the blockade.
The steamers Lake ana thompson, which went
to the relief OF the New York steamer John
Gibson Thursday morning, which had been iu
the ice near Fort Washington since Tuesday
last came up with the rescued steamer that
evening and ali three OF them ara now laid up
In Washington. The Alexandria ferry
steamers suspended navigation Thursday even
ing.
A THREATENED OYSTER FAMINE.
Special correspondence OF the Baltimore
Gazette from Annapolis, December 81, says:
The Thermometer was degrees below zero this
morning at 8 o'clock. The ice thickened an
inch last night even outside the harbor, and
the bay has on it ice an inch and half thick
In the harbor sailing vessels can no longer get
out without assistance from tugs. A clear
track, however, Is kept open TO the bay by the
the price or oysters rise, and common oysters
that usually bring Is or 20 cents a busbel. now
command so and 80 cents, whilst large ones
are not to be had. Neither uongmen nor
dTedgerS could work to-day, and unless the
weather modcrateS there will be In few days
an oyster famine on the Chesapeake.
THE COLDHSr DECEMBER.
The meteorological summary OF the signal
Office for December shows that the past month
was the coolest December during the decade
just closed The following Is a statement OF
the comparative emperatures-average OF the
month In each year named:-32.3. 1871; $40.
1872 409, 1S13 30. 1874 81, 1875; 20 99 1876:
a., 1877: 33.6. 1878; ais. 1879: 1915, $780, The
highest temperature OF the month just closet
above zero; the lowest, the 3iSt tlast night.
when 1t fell to 13 below zero! The number OF
days on which rain or snow fell during the
month was 16,