Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-16
YESTERDAY THE COOLEST DAY OF THE
WINTER.
The Mercury at no Time Got Above 1-s De-
grses at Sehnepfs-BelOw Zero at
Many Points Before Dark
TIE RECORD At scHNErF's.

The twenty-four hours which ended
at midnight last night made up the cold
est day experienced in Wheeling since
January 6, 1884. At SchnepPS the
mercury at no time went higher than
81 degrees, and the average for the en-
tire twenty-four hours at this point was
but degrees above zero. This made
ice rapidly, and kept the streets almost
entirely clear of pedestrians DUR
ing the entire day. A few
yentured out during the afternoon, but
last night promenaders were rather In
frequently met with, the churches had
light congregations, and indoors there
was q marked disposition to get as close
to the fire as possible and work the
natural gas valve and the coal-scuttle
for all there was In them.
Many thermometers-inde almost
all-showed a temperature lower by
several degrees than the instrument at
the corner of Market and Fourteenth
streets. At o'clock, when Schnepfs
thermometer stood at ~ above, 1t was
zero at several other points on the Is
land, zero at the steel bridge toll house,
/ below at the suspension bridge, and 2
below at the Stamm House. An hour
latter it was below on the Island, be-
low at the steel bridge, 3 below at the
suspension bridge, ! above at McLaln'S
and below at the Stamm House, and
at seven o'clock a telephone message
from a suburban residence near Elm
Grove said the mercury stood II below.
There was a rapid fall in all these
thermometers between and o'clock,
but from until 10 the mercury was
about stationary everywhere, and at
that time the worst seemed to be
known. Later in the night, how
ever, there was further drop,
as will be seen by glance
at the tabulated statement, and
daylight this morning promises TO see
degree Of frost which is, fortunately,
not often reached here. Reports Of
from 10 to IS below zero may be looked
for to-day from such places as st.
Clairsville, CadiZ, West Alexander,
Cameron, and other breezy summer re-
sorts near this city.
OF course, this remarkable stretch OF
winter is having great effect on the
streams. The ice in the river is known
to be eleven inches thick where it
has been frozen without gorgipg, and
up,the creek, where the product OF the
previous cold snap did not run out
with the thaw of two weeks ago, there
is from Is to 90 inches of solid ice.
Many small streams are frozen solid,
and in some sections OF the country
surrounding this city, water Is very
scarce.
The river in front Of the city is solid
enough to drive the heaviest teams over
on the ice, and great many pedeStri-
ans take short cuts over the frozen sur
face instead of going around by the
bridges. One wellbeaten path extends
from the upper end of the wharf-boat
across under the steel bridge, and an
other commences at the foot of Twelfth
street, runs out to the centre OF the
river, thence runs north almost TO the
line Of Ohio street, and then cuts over
to the Island shore.
Thousands of tons of splendid ice
have been cut and some of the city deal
ers have as much as 1000 tons piled
away. Koehnleln, after filling his ice
houses on the Island, made big stack
of ice on the ground and then built
house around it. Probably 10000 tons
in all have been put away so far by local
dealers and more will be cut this week.
The ice in the river will be so solid in
few days more that when the final
breakup comes it will move down
stream with fearful energy, and owners
of river craft will play in great luck if
their boats are not wrecked between
the moving foes and the banks.