The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-01
TEE COUNTRY SHIVGRED.
A Cold Snap Which Broke All
Previous Records.
The Entire South Seriously Af-
fected by the Severe Weather.

For a good many years to come all cold
snaps will be compared with the one OF
1893. It has broken all previous records.
While it lasted one could hardly place his
finger on the map Of the United
States or Canada and fini place where
water would not freezs il it was Left
out of doors. The temperature reached the
freezing point clear to the middle OF Florida.
And that Is mighty cold weather for Florida.
The mercury registered ffty-six degrees In
Ksy West. That is an unheard Of tenn.
perature there, and is bound to play the mis-
chief with oranges. At other places along
the Gulf OF Mexico they were worse OH. At
Mobile and Pensacola 1t was eight degrees
below the freezing point on the same day,
and 1t was only six degrees warmer at New
Orleans.
The centre Of ths cold wave was over
Eastern Tennessee. At Knoxville it reached
ten degrees below zero. That simply
smashes all previous records into little bits.
Northern Georgia and Alabama had minus
weather. too. At Atlanta, Ga, it was
eight degrees above zero, which means that
business was practically suspended: Nor
folk Va.) thermometers showed four de-
grees below zero.
hadn't, At st. Vincent which Is usually one
of the coolest places in the United States, it
was thirty-two degrees below zero. At Du.
luth it was ten degrees below. Chicago has
been catching il, too. It was eight de-
grees below zsro there, and there
are probably few places on earth as cold as
Chicago IS when the mercury is below zero.
So it W.. be seen that the whole country
united with New York in one grand shiver.
There was no place one can go to escape the
cold.
Not since 1885 have the bays and harbors
on Long Island Sound been so completely
frozen over. The waters OF Oyster Bay
were practically sealed up, and there was
field of ice as lar as the eye could reach.
For the first time in the history Of the bay,
what is known as the "Gut" narrow neck
where the water coursed through like mill
race, was frozon solid.
The Hudson River was frozen over solid
from Tarrytown, N. Y, to NYack, q dis.
tance Of Sk miles Numerous men and
boys made the trip safely across the river,
both walking and skating.
All mails were late in arriving at New
York City, for, though it was cold in New
York, 1t was colder and the storms were
south, east and west came reports Of railroad
blockades. The Chicago mail was four hours
late. The mail from the west via the Penn
sylyauia Railroad was five hours late. The
mails from the south were in All almost
equally delayed state. being later than they
had been before in years.
The effect Of the severe weather was felt
In every channel Of Communication at Phila-
delphia. River navigation was almost at q
standstil. No boats were moving in the
Delaware except the ferryboats, iceboats
and tugs. Vessels ready to put to sea were
| ice bound, and in some cases che crews have
been discharged.
Never in the history Of the Central South
had there been so much suffering from cold
weather as during this "snap." All rivers
have been blocked with ice and snow. rem
| derine passage over them impossible.
Many trains were late, and some
were abandoned by their suffering
crews. The most intense suffering was prev
alent among mountain people. The snow
was from ten inches to three feet deep In
Eastsrn Tennessee, Western North Carolina
and Eastern Kentucky, and all kinds OF
labor were suspended. ... 5...
Not for thirty years had there been such
| severe weather as prevailed In Tennessee.
| The united efforts Of the Knoxville officials
| and church members were utilized to aid
| the Door. The Cumberland River was froz.n
| from bank to bank. Moro than q dozen
persons were Trojan to death. s
After three winters that scarcely deserve
| the name, the Northwest is now experiencing
one of the old-fashioned kind. January has
| beaten the record for intense and sustained
cold weather. For four years the new year
has found the ground clear Of snow and
every lake and stream open. The cold has.
| however, been entirely without the blizzard
| feature, although it has in many cases been
| forty degrees below zsro
DISPATCHES from all parts OF Wisconsin re-
| port the coolest weather for years. In Nil
waukee it was fourteen degrees below. Al
Sparta the mercury froze solid at forty be-
low; at Whitehall it was forty-fve below;
Lacrosse, thirty-six; Msdforj, forty-two;
Neenah, twenty eight: Watertown, thirty
Kaukaun, thirty-fve. The Winnebago In
dians on the reservation near Black River
Falls are suffering terribly.
Senator Brice's representatives at Lima,
Ohio, received telegram telling them tc
distribute to the destitute and suffering
moor 100 tons Of coal and 100 barrels OF
-four.
In Florida, where, even at this season,
the luxurious warmth OF the tropics and the
fragrance Of orange groves are usually en-
loved, it was below the freezing point, ex-
cept in the most southern part of the State.
The only other spots where anything like
warmth may be found are In Southwestern
Texas Key West and the extreme southern
coast Of the Pacific Ocean.
SENATORS ELECTED.