Passaic City record., 1893-01-21
THE COUNTRY SHIVERED.
A Cold Snap Which Broke All
Previous Records.
The Entire South Seriously Af-
fected by the Severe Weather.

For good many years to come all COLI
s-laps will be compared with the one of
1898. 1t has broken all previous records.
While it lasted one could hardly place his
finger on the map of the United
States or Canada and fin place where
water would not frsez, if it was left
put Of doors. The temperature reached tne
freezing point clear to the middle OF Florida.
And that is mighty cold weather for Florida.
The mercury registered fifty-six degrees in
Key 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 or MexFc, they were worse off. At
Mobile and Pensacola it was eight degrees
below the freezing point on the same day,
and it was only six degrees warmer at New
Orleans.
The centre of ths coid 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 z.ro which means that
business was practically suspended. Nor
folk tVa.1 Thermometers showed four de-
grees below zero.
1t would seem chat the Northwest had
parted with all its cold weather. But it
hadn't. At st. Vincent, which is usually one
IT the coolest places in the United States. it
was thirty-two degrees below zero. At Du-
nth it was ten degrees below Chicago has
been catching it, too. Il was eight de-
grees below faro there, and there
ire probably few places on earth as cold as
Chicago is when the mercury is below zero
50 it will be seen that the whole country
lnited with New York in one grand shiver.
There was no place one can go to escape the
sold
IN Long Island Sound been so completely
rozen over. The waters OF Oyster Bay
we're practically saaiei up, and there was
feld OF ice as tar as the eye could reach
FOR ths first time in the history Of the bay.
Fhat is known as the ssGut," narrow neck
shsrs the water coursed through Like a mill
ace. was frczon solid.
rom Tarrytown, N. Y. to NYack, dis
anca of 81 miles. Numerous men and
,oys made tine trip safely across the river,
10Th walking and Skating.
All mails were late In arriving az New
York City. for, though it was cold in New
York. it was colder and the storms were
uore severe outside the city. From north,
| outh, east and west came reports of railroad
,lockades TIE Chicago mad was four hours
ate. The mail from the west via the PENN
| vlvania Railroad was fva hours late. The
nails from the south were in an almost
uually delayed state, being later than they
sad been before in years
The effect of the severe weather was felt
n every channel of Communication at PhiIa-
| ielphia River navigation was almost at q
,tandstill No boats were moving in the
| Delaware except the ferry boats, iceboats
| md tugs. Vessels ready to put to sea were
ce-bound, and in some cases the crews have
| peen discharged.
Never in the history of the Central South
| aad there been so much suffering from cold
| weather az during this sssnapv All rivers
nave been blocked with ics and snow, ron
| aering 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 suspende.
| 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 poor The Cumberland River was froz N
| from bank to bank. More than dozen
| persons were frozen to death.
After three winters that scarcely deserve
/ the name. the Northwest is now ex xperiencing
| one OF the old-fashionsd 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 zero
| Dispatches from all parts OF Wisconsin re-
| port the coldest weather for years. In Mil
waukee it was fourteen degrees below. At
| Sparta the mercury froze solid at forty be
| low: at whitehall it was forty-five below;
| Lacrosse, thirty-six; Medford. forty-two;
| Neenah, twenty -sight, Watertown, thirty;
| Kaukaun, thirry-fve. The Winnebago In
| dians on the reservation near Black River
| Falls are suffering terribly.
| Senator Brice's representatives at Lima,
| Ohio. received q telegram telling them to
| distribute to the destitute AMI suffering
poor 100 tons Of coal and 100 barrels OF
| dour
| In Florida, where, even at this season.
| the luxurious warmth OF the tropics and the
| fragrance OF orange groves are usually en-
| loved. il was below the freezing point. ex-
| cent 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 ana the extreme southern
| coast OF the Pacific Ocean.