Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-12
DOWN TO ZERO HERE.
,ur co, pesr SPELL RICHMOND HAS
EXPERIENCED FOR YEARS.
Medication suspended Macy ffrs-Pings
Frosrn Up-Ioterfereocs VIZ" '"e
water Suppiy~The Poor

The cold spap continues throughout all
ar lection. The river il entirely closed to
NAVIGATION. and reports. ~ Tar as tnoy can
rcobtained from below, indicate tha, "nen
,bo ice breaks there will he great DANGER
90 ,orcos The New York steamer ola not
s,,cmn, % come up Yesterday ana no
c,aft Of any sort essayed 70 60 out
IL Yesterday morning the weather
a.. ooidest that had been expe-
,,o,ccd for somo years. AZ some titne De-
tuccn midnight and daWu ~ ~ 6toaHa,'t =
.r',,,d99rter Of Mr.. William ~. Ilessahts
w. '.,,,.I n M his home, on Church mn;
,,,r,,oroctcr ~ attached 20 board
'ni' Ca tree. and IN the best possible
H'''' 800, fo, making an accurate record.
ino Riotmond. Fredericksburg and Po-
-. ,oilroad. shops a. A. VI. the mer-
~ v,e 4 degrees above zero; az Tue resi-
d'nre Of Mt n. Theodore bilysoh' on
C,,,e avenue. It was degrees ABOVE, ana
~ ne corner of Brook avenue ana Bfoad
-, tho .awe. From outside points the
n,-r,rr,r rcts The following reports: Bon
a httTo below o; Ashland, degrees
i'i.r a. Newport News. u degrees above
~. Cn.oousyiilc. / degree below Both
g.oll o. Goshen. degrees below v; Ron
ceyeftc. W. Va. n degrees below binton,
IA Va - degrees below. At Seottsyiile
the river was nearly frozen over.
COLD SPILLS ~ THg PAST.
On tbo slst If December. 1880, the Their
,,or1eter here registered degrees below
Irr,. on tho1st Of January 1881, u reach;
cJ D degrees below. while on the 6th OIL
.,aruArt. 1854 the mercury hoyered Just
noe point above There was another WIN
try smell in the February Of 1886. when the
Ulrrury on the 9Th of February stood
degrees above zero.
The most serious phase Of the situation,
81 Ear IA. Richmond u concerned, ~ tuat
many Of she hre-plugs are frozen mp.
Yesterday details from the fire department
were engaged IN trying 70 thaw them out
rs building bOnhres around them. a
practical mechanic, who was watching
tins OPERATION NJ one Of the plugs, suggest
"a as a safeguard against the recurrence
az tho evil that each plug should have be-
low tie ground frost line wastc-cock
connecting with a sewer. which cOck
X.0uId open automatically whenever the
Mug was shut of and drain the stand
gipe.
WATER SHORTAGE.
Another evil resultant from the freeze
Is that In many Of the houses IN the more
elevated portions of the city water cannot
be- had on tho second floor. How grave
matter this IS NAV be judged tiom the FOL
lowing, which WAS sent the DISPATCH yes
teIday afternoon by leading physician Of
the city:
Cannot something be done TO relieve
the water famine in the more elevated por
tions Of the city, For the most part, tol
the last month we nave been without water
on our chamber floors. Putting the steam
pump 10 work, and thus increasing the
amount In the reservoir, would probably
give relief. The health Of tho people must
suffer unless relief comes quickly
when the authorities Of the wator-works
wore Questioned IA 10 the condition of the
rr-arvoirS they stated that the Old Teser-
Vo.r was full, but there was 1--WE or SIX teet
loss water M the New reservoir than n Will
hold II was also stated that the steam.
pump WAS broken, and the matter had
been before the Council for some weeks.
one reason for tho reduced supply IN The
New reservoir IS that the ice clogs the
wheels Tho people are cautioned against
The waste Of water.
SKATING NOT VERY GOOD.
The skaters are about the only people
who have thoroughly enjoyed the cold
weather. Tho sport was INDUCED IN yes
t,rday at both Forest-HIH PGrk and the
reservoir lake. also on tho dock The
ice was however. very rough. Coasting IS
rtlll being enjoyed by the youngsters on
the icy mlisides.
There has been good doal of suffering
among the poor consequent upon the cold
weather, but The city MISSION, other charl-
table organizations, and liberal individuals
have amehor0tcd tins as far rs possible.
in some of the northern and western cities
the price of coal has been advanced, bui
there has been no rise ia Richmond.