Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-01
BOREAS' Biting BLASTS
A PhanOmenally Low Temperature
and High Wind
PANSIES BURIED IN SNOW
Blue Canyon Company Keeps Lake
Whatcom Open Fourteen Be
low Zero.
PANsIEs BURIED IN SNOW

an unusually severe winter have al
ready been much more than fulfilled
The winter carnival of the past week
eliminated yesterday in the worst bliz.
zard ever known on the Pacific coast
since the Japan current was established.
Old settlers who have lived here thirty
years declare they have never before
seen anything equal TO it. The phe-
nomenally low temperature Of Monday
night was accom- panied by fierce gale
which gave the atmosphere u bitug.
penetrating cOldncss never before cx-
perienced here. Thermometers regis
tered from II to II degrees below zero
in various parts Of the dity. l.. W.
Strader's crack signal service insiru-
ment recently purchased from Max
Kuner stood at II. Henry Engberg re-
ports II aud j. j. DOnovon says that
his registered IA at 5D'clOck aud lac did
not question its veracity
As winters in this climate are almost
invariably mid, houses aud buildings
here are not constructed with view to
protection against such extremes of
cold, and therefore the discomfort and
damage done here during the recent
polar wave was probably greater than
would have resulted from temperature
Of 40 or 50 below in Dakota. Water
pipes were frozen in all parts Of the city.
The local demand for domestic coal
has increased fully five fold during the
past week. The telephone in the
Washington Improvement cOmpany's
office was kept hot NIL day with orlers
for fuel. II was feared that Lake
WhatcOm might freeze over aud cause
a coal famine by rendering the Blue
Canyon company unable to transport
coal from the mine 10 the railroad
wharf, and such would probably have
been the case had II not been for the
prompt and energetic measures adopted
by Engineer DOnovon.
A barge load was brought down from
the mine Monday evening in the teeth
of the heavy gale. Mr.. DOnOvOn had
the barge moved about around the
railway wharf all night TO prevent the
ice from forming. BY this means he
kept an open space around the wharf,
while beyond this the lake was COW
cred with crust All inch and a half
thick a. far up as the narrows. Above
this point the lake IL 80 deep that no
ice formed. Yesterday morning he had
the water line Of the tug LILA protected
with "A sheathing Of sheet iron, aud
with her powerful engines she was
driven through the ice up the lake TO
the open water. II was then found
necessary to put a thicker sheathing
on her hull. When this was done SHE
was kept moving up and down through
the ice all day and night, keeping
olen a wide swath. Today IL is hoped
that the steamer eau be hauled off long
enough to bring down barge load Of
coal. All other steamers on the lake
are ice.bOund at Geneva.
All the members OF the tram crew Of
the B. Il. d f.. railroad suffered severe
frost bites in coming In from the lake
Monday night. Brakeman COwley's
feet were 80 badly frozen that lac was
not on duty yesterday. street railway
service is stu suspended. Engineer
DOnovon, Of the Il. Il. d f.. yesterday
proposed ~ the street ra lway company
To put on "A passenger train TO the lake
for the convenience Of the public, but
has not yet received an answer.
The sloOps Eva and Odd Fellow,
moored at the old wharf. were sunk
during the gale. The tide left them
aground, and the waves soon filled
them. The Eva was the home oi
"ScOttie" Campbell, the fisherman,
and he lost his bed, cooking utensils
and every thing. The obi Fellow be-
lOnged to Capt. f.. II. Smith. The
Success went aground at the extreme
low tide and was prevented from sink.
ing by cutting away her bulwOrks.
A. X. Campbell tells Of weather
somewhat similar to the present ia 1884
During the winter Of that year he was
employ ed as civil engineer In Seattle
aud In the month Of February ran a
line across lake Union which WAS frOz
en- 10 a thickness Of ten inches aud
from which large quantity Of ice was
cut for storage. The thermometer dur
| ing the time went down to seven de
grees below zero and remained at about
that point for three weeks.
County Treasurer Rogers who has
| lived on this coast all his life aud fOi
many years In this county reports tie
| present cold snap the worst that eyei
visited this portion Of the country. IN
| 1862, the worst gear he ever saw. the
thermometer registered seven degrees
below zero but nothing 10 equal Mon
Z day nights weather was ever known
Captain McAlpine Of the steamer IL
and Belle reports the cold more severe
than he ever experienced IN sixteen
years' steamboadng here. He says ths
[ thermometer marked ten degrees below
zero at Friday Harbor, Monday light
One Of the drivers for the Whatcom
Transfer Go. had his face severely frost
bitten Monday while driving between
this city and New Whatcom.
Everybody who could procure 8
sleigh or anything resembling one, wal
out on the road enjoying the rare treai
Of sleigh ride In this country.
Rev L. W. Appiegsts's New Field
Rev. l.. w. AppIegafe. who recentl.