The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-23
FROZEN and STARVED.
First Death From Cold in Charleston
For 200 Years.
ENORMOUS MORTALITY in BERLIN
FROM THE COLE.

| Thirty degrees Below Zero in West yir-
ginia--People Starving in the Streets of
Berlin-sixty Inches of Snow in the
south-sIeighing Long Island
| sound-Coa1 Takes tumble.
CHARLESTON, s. c., January 21.-
! The weather here has been below the
freezing point since Christmas-some-
thing never before known in this city.
This morning the frozen body of Chas.s
4 Laurence, an aged negro, was found in a
| sh anty in one Of the tenement districts;
he had spent his last SO cents for rent.
| This is the second death from cold this
week, and it is the first time in the 200
years of the city's existence that any one
has been known to perish from such
| cause. The first victim was a. white
street car driver named Lamb.
Women have been gathering blankets,
| clothing and provisions for the sufferers
| for the past week, and have organized
sewing and distributing centres in every
! ward. The merchants and business men
| are giving freely.
| Of the 10000 OF more negroes who
make up about one-half the local popu-
lation fully two-thirds are destitute; the
closing down of the fertilizer and phos-
| phate mills together with the cold has
| caused great suffering.
| The early vegetable crop which is
| raised for northern and western markets
| will probably have to be entirely re-
| planted. Very few of the present gener
| tioii have ever cen ice Or snow unit
now. Ice remains on the streets for
days.
WHEELING, w. ", January 21.-Even
| the .soldest inhabitant'' admits that there
has not been such ssspell of weather.
| in West Virginia and eastern Ohio in 40
years as that which has prevailed for the
past 40 days. Beginning about Decem-
ber 10snowstorms and thaws followed
each other till December 20, when four
inches of snow fell. From that day till
there have been only one or two days
when the temperature reached point
| where ice would melt.
The thermometer has recorded as low
as 500 below zero in West Virginia, which
| is surely low temperatur. for a state
reckoned as part of the South. Snow
has fallen on half the days since Decem-
Der TO- and it now lies from 10 to so
inches on the level according to the To-
,cality, while in places the drifts are 20
| feet deep.
The Ohio river is frozen from the
headwaters of its last tributary to the
mouth at Cairo, and the ice along that
| portion that forms thezbeundary of West
! Virginia is from 10 to 27 inches thick.
Throughout Monongahela county the
snow is waist deep, and there is severe
suffering among country people for want
Of supplies, which are procured from
towns. At Weston the thermometer has
shown as low as 25o below, and the snow
is the heaviest known in years.
Starvation in Berlin.
BERLIN, January 21.-The intensity of
the cold has enormously increased. the
mortality in Berlin. Reputable artisans
are suffering, d the guardians of the
poor arc utterly unable to meet the de-
| mands made upon them for fuel and
food. Many thousands of the residents
of Berlin are starving with the tempera-
| tnre at 17o below zero. Fair. Visitors to
the poorer districts declare that the fam
| inc there is equal to that prevailing in
Russia.
Delay and Disaster to Steamers.
NEW York, January 22.-The ice
| bound condition of Long Island Sound
continues cause of considerable trouble
| to steamboats, and other craft. Most of
| the big steamboats, from Connecticut
and Rhode Island ports came down sew
eral hours late today. The City of
| Worcester, from New London. passed
| around the Battery three hours late and
carrying tons of ice on her wood work.
For the first time in years the Sound
| is frozen beyond Bridgeport light BIZ
cyclists and owners of horses and
sleighs ride out to the light, distance
of more than mile.
FALL RIVER, Mass, January 22.-The
steamer City of Taunton, of the Fall
River line, punched a hole in her hull
this morning in trying to make her dock
through the ice-bound slip. Her freight
was removed as quickly as possible, and
workmen tonight are repairing the dam
age. Steamer Plymouth, of the same
line, smashed the buckets of her wheel
and went to Newport for epairs. Steam
er Pilgrim has badly smashed wheel
house, and is covered with tons of ice.
VINEYARD HAVEN, Mass, January 22.
The steamer Nantucket has succeeded
in landing the Nantucket mails and
small quantities of freight at point
near Sankary Head. This is the first
time landing has been effected on the
island for IL days. The inhabitants have
b. an without mails during the time.
Price of Coal Dropping.
PHILADELPHIA, January .21.-Retail
coal dealers think enough of the milder
weather 10 drop so cents on the price of
ton of coal, and consumers were able,
in some instances, to get coal for $3.50
instead of 81, which was the price since
the beginning of the week. With moder-
ate weather for few days there would
an ample supply of coal in the city.