The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-15
THE GREAT STORM.
WHAT THEY SAY AT TIE SIGNdl
OFFICE.
Gen. GreeIy's Remarks ON the Loaded
Telegraph Pole Nuisance. Etc.
From the Washington Start

81 hope that thls STORM VIII carr! con
viction 10 Congress-" raid Gen. Greedy 10
Star reporter this morning., "that the
oyeI headfwires ought to be abolished,
except perhaps for local work. u
would be money in tho pockets Of tn.
Western Union and other telegraph
people 10 bury all Of their wires. To be
sure. the expenditure would he consider.
able at first, bat in few years The
money saved from the cost of repairs
would mpic than amount to the oIislnai
outlay. just see what it would have
avoided if the wires had been under The
ground, alongside the RAILROAD tracks,
instead of being strung on poles along
the way, ready at the tirst strong wlnd
TO topplc over, endaugering life and 90
LAYING travel You see the way they
load the poles. sometimes with lO or %
wires, can5es II 10 be possible for The
breaking of only few of them 10 50 tan
gle the rest that they are all useless
"TIIIs STORM is UNPRECEDENTED,
he added. "at this time If the year
do not think that the temperature has
ever before been 50 low IN Washington
a, this time. The low est point reached
vas Ii degrees above zero, which occur
red this morning; that Is also about as
low as We have had this year
Prof. Able was not TO he found WHEEL
the scribe climbed the stairs 10 the pre-
dictions room. I he assistants would not
express any weather opinions, but 10
terred the reporter 10
TIE BULLETIN SHEETS
that hung on file on the side of com
posing case. Beginning with Saturday
night they read as follows:
Top. u, March l0-Indications for The
twenty four hours commencing - a.
NJ. Sunday For District of Columbia,
Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, fresh
to brisk southeast winds, slightly VAIN
.r, threatening weather and ram. F"f
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
&c, stationary temperature, iiShi 10
flesh sou beast winds, rain, followed tS
colder, westerly winds.
IA. NJ. March ll--lndicaiions for The
twenty four hours commencing ; /.
Sunday: Fresh to brisk easteily winds,
with rain, will prevail tonight, followed
OH Monday by colder, brisk westerly
winds and fair weather throughout TIE
Atlantic States.
7A.M,, March l2-Fresh to brisk west
erly winds, backing TO fresh southwest
colder, followed 10y warmer, fair weather
IA. Nj, March l3-Ihe storm centre
has moved slowly along the Middle AZ
lantic coast, and is now near Nova SEQ
tia. For the District of Columbia FRESH
TO brisk northwe cot winds, colder, IAN
weather.
THE WEATHER PROPHET AsTRAf.
Thus it will he seen that the prophet
snuflled breeze on Saturday nigbr, but
bis predictions did not hint at aDythin &
like the upbeavel of the elements that
actually occurred. He also had an eye
on the recipient tempest that was then
bre wing in Georgia, the bad end OF the
storm though, which afterwaId swept W
the shore and snapped the cords OF our
electric intelligence. This disaster Gu;
| OF the Signal Office as well As the other
part Of humanity from outside know
ledge, hence the slip that was made yea
terday when prediction OF warmer
weather was made. They changed iheii
minds, however, at I this morning, and
concluded that it was n little safer Il
stick 10 the cold wave scheme.
! THE MAXIMUM VELOCITY OF The WIND
was IS miles, attained this morning, and
| tue lowest temperature was Ii degrees
above, which was noted at O'Clock ihi'
morning. 1t is not safe 20 assume thai
the storm has subsidized III Norfolk OF
Il Ia, "a. pnnth of The IND
reached 90 miles at the mouth Of the hay
Yesterday morning, but went Gown tt
20 miles in the afternoon.
There has been 80 report from NorolS
this morning, and consequently II II
| impossible 10 determine the exact cOndi
ton of things in that vicinity.
! ONE OF THE MOST PECULIAR FEATURES
of the present state of things is the fac
that while the reports from the New loTl
and other northern stations have moi
been heard from, the office has been II
constant communication with all The
Pacific coast and the cities lying oh 4
line between here and that end OF The
country. The information thus far re
ceiyed shows cOusclusively that The
storm has been confined entirely To III,
Atlantic coast. Last night the reports
from nearly all of the western station;
were III, but late in their arrival. Al
they are all III cipher, and the system
does not provide for any information out
side of the bare weather points, The Sig
nal Office is at present as Ignorant OF The
outside happenings Of the world as The
rest of Washington humanity
The officers stationed at the Signal OF
flee. who have in reality but little sym
patty for the civil end OF the Bureau
acknowledged that the present manage
ment has done very we'll IN view OF the
meager data with which the prophecy
shop is provided.
THK WINTERS RECORD.
The winter, which 1t Is to be hoped
will close with the present blizzard, has
been more severe than that Of last year,
Judging by the record of Col. John Nj
Wilson. the officer in charge of Public
Buildings aud Grounds. In this capacity
he has the duty of keeping the sidewalks
and paths in aud around the parks and
public reservations clear Of snow. He
has charge of all the public grounds
EXCEPT those around the Capitol and
tue Agricultural Department. The
total length ofsidewslks and paths under
his supervision is sixteen miles, GOVERN Z
4 l.