Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-02-05
OrR POLAR waVE,
How flS Freaks are Appreciates
Hereab0nts.

subject will be a leading theme of
discussion for some time to come. 1t
has been awful on dumb brutes aud
sheep, according to the way a farmer
puts It, aud citizens generally Of this
latitude don't Ike it.
Evening before last we enjoyed an
almost tropical temperature. The
breeze came briskly from the south and
the clammy nature of the atmosphere
bad a Oppressive influence on human
ity and animated nature generally.
For some time after dark many people
sat out on front galleries with doors
and windows wide open and many felt
uncomfortable with their coats on.
An hour or SO after dark, however,
the wind . whipped suddenly
around to the north, aud it cam on
us at a sweeping pace, driving the
southerly current on the back track,
and two hours later it was laden with
a decidedly frosty tinge. A slow rain
set in during the night, soon turning
to a snowy sleet, and this kept up
steadily all through the night, contin.
ming almost without intermission
throughout yesterday and last night.
1t did not cease until after sunrise
this morning.
Late on Saturday afternoon the ex
posed thermometer marked a temper
ature Of 760. By ten o'clock at night
it had dropped to Ale, and at sunrise
yesterday to 2S0, a fall Of 4S0 inside of
10 hours. This morning it was down
to 90, a total drop Of 81 degrees. The
wind a part Of the time ratified along
at a 20-mile an hour gait, but
it had Stacked off to almost
ten miles this morning. 1t
has been a genuine touch of Arctic
Wintry weather, all Of yesterday and
to-day. Most people stayed indoors
aud kept up their fires all of yester-
day, and the demands of business,
which isgreatly retarded by the general
inclemency, is all that induced them
to venture forth to-day.
The copious rain, sleet aud snow fall
hid its effect on everything exposed
The trees and shrubs are heavily
coated with a mass of ice and their
limbs are bent, in many places broken
by its weight. Telegraph and tele-
pheae wires are about an inch in
diameter, with their ice laden coate.
Many of the telephone broke, and
lay this morning in a tangled state
across the streets, roads aud ban.
quettes. The street cars ran
over their ice imbedded tracks
With much difficulty, yesterday, and it
was worse to-day. This morning,
upon leaving their stables, orders were
issued to not move out of a walk.
Along a portion Of the way it turned
out to be a very slow walk, owing ia
the rough nature Of the track and
mule path, and passengers, in many
instances, preferred getting out and
going it %a>foot, though the pavements
were exceedingly slippery, and many
a wayfarer measured his length before
reaching his destination The Super.
intendent, Mr.. Raphael Semmes, with
his usual industry, was out at an early
hour at the head Of a force of men.
with picks, to knock the ice from the
rails, and with bags Of sand to sprinkle
over the iron to keep the car Yheels
from jumping out Of their proper
course. 1t was rough on the car.
driver, rougler on the stock, and
doubly rough on everything in the way
Of vehicles. The country roads were
impossible both yesterday and to day
The wagon traffic is in a state OF sus.
pension, and the river trade is also
greatly impeded by slippery landings
and the difficulty Of handling freight
But few people attended thu
churches yesterday, and the majority
Of those who went we're men. Th,
la1ies nearly always predominant a
church by a large majority, because
as is universally conceded, women ar,
better than the other sex but they
the ladies, found it convenient ant
decidedly more comfortable to stay
indoors yesterday. They will not b,
apt to venture out much while thii
gold spoil holds, unless it be to attend
a party OF %parobsss "fxins'i foF one.
The worst of it is too, that the in.
dications point to the cold snap hold
ing on with a firm grip for some
time yet. The weather reports from
Washington at noon says we are t
have still colder weather, with snow
or rain sll over the Tennessee ant
Missouri valleys and the Gulf States
This sleet storm has been sonora
all over the Western country from thu
lakes to gulf. It was %sleeting thil
morning at Indiauola, Galveston ant
San Antonio, Texas, with a 20 mil,
norther tearing over that end o
the country and the mercury dowr
10 degrees below freezing point a
the last named placc,on degree colder
than here. Think Of that kind 0
weather below the twenty-ninth par
alell. 1t was also sleeting this morn.
ing at TT. Smith aud all over Texas
also at Nashville, and at Cincinnati
it was showing. Yesterday it snowe,
in Texas aud as far south as Vicks