The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-29
MERCURY CLOSE TO ZERO.
The Coolest Weather That Savannah
has Ever Known.

The Temperature Fifteen Degrees
Above Zero at Midnight at the
weather Bureau and Falling a De-
gree an Hour-It VIII GO to Twelve
Degrees This Morning, and From Six
TO Ten Degrees Lower in Exposed
Piaees-A Probability That the Record
Of Eight Years ago viii Be Broken.
veEetation Killed-sheets Of Ice on
the Lowlands-The Freeze Severe in
Florida and Great Apprehension Felt
for the Orange Crop-Sufering Among
the Poor.
II the weather bureaus predictions are
fulfilled to-day VIII he the coolest day
Savannah has ever known. The indica-
tons at midnight were that in exposed
places mercury wifi so close 10 zero this
morning
The cold wave which is sweeping over
the country is not more severe in the
north ana west than it is in the south.
Yesterday and last night were the cold
est day and night that Savannahians
have ever experienced In December. and
probably the coolest on record. At 10
O'Clock last night Observer Smyth re-
ported a temperature Of 16 degrees above
zero. Mercury was then falling a de-
gree an hour.
The temperature on the farms around
the city is from to 10 degrees lower than
il is at the weather bureau. There was
every prospect at midnight that mer-
h..
exposed places.
The lowest temperature known at Sa-
vannah in December is IS degrees. Dec.
Is. 1880 and the lowest temperature ever
recorded at the weather bureau is u de-
grees. Jan. Z, 1856. during the severe
cold which swept over the south eight
years ago At that time the Ogeechee
canal was frozen over, and was turned
into skating ground. If the cold con-
tinues there is a probability that the
experiences Of that year Will be re-
peated.
The weather bureau forecast at mid
night indicated a slight moderation In
the temperature this afternoon, but II
will continue below freezing until to-
morrow. When the first observation was
taken at the weather bureau at o'clock
yesterday morning the thermometer
marked % degrees. At o'clock mercury
had dropped "a degree, but at had crept
back TO the starting point. At 10 O'Clock
it stood at 80 degrees. At noon the max
imum, IS degrees, was reached At 4
o'clock IL had dropped to 20 degrees, and
from then on IL kept falling up to mid
night when it reached Is degrees.
Severe freezing weather extends as far
south as Central Northern Florida, or
little south of Jacksonville. At s O'Clock
last night Jacksonville reported a temper
allure Of rs degrees. At 10 O'Clock the mer-
curry had dropped to 10 degrees. 1t is OK
pected that the freeze win reach as far
south as Tampa. Great apprehension is
felt for the orange crop. Three-eighths
Of the crop, IL is estimated, is yet on the
trees The fruit will stand a tempera-
tuTe of q to 30 degrees. Below that, and
even IL the weather continues long at that
temperature. great damage will result.
Some few reports were received last night
by the Savannah Florida and Western
railway from the orange growing sections,
but II will be several days before any reli-
able estimate of the damage can be OBJ
tanned.
The reports from the west ana north
show that severe cold weather prevails
over the entire country. Huron, South
Dakota and North Platte reported 10 de-
grees below zero yesterday morning. ST.
Paul, Mimi, and Bismarck, n. D., re-
ported 6 degrees below. At Chicago it was
4, degrees below. The weather is severer
in Texas than ever known. Abilene re-
ported 6 degrees above zero last night
Further east there is a little let up. At
lanta and New York had the same temper
allure yesterday morning, - degrees above
zero.
The sweep of the cold wave has been
rapid. 1t made it's appearance in the mid
Of ha cot,
mas. The next morning it had reached
Colorado Wednesday night a second
cold wave showed up in the extreme north
west and Joined the first, and the two
combined and swept down toward the
southeast into Texas, and from there into
the South Atlantic states.
People who were not compelled to be
out of doors last night staid close to their
hresides. The change coming so rapidly it
was more severely felt than If it had been
gradual. Since Wednesday there has been
drop in temperature Of nearly 60 degrees.
There was ice in exposed places all of yes
terday, and last night water froze into
a glass Of ice as soon as it was thrown
on the ground Hundreds of bronze pipes
were frozen solid. The freeze is a bonanza
for the plumbers. Flower gardens are
ruined and all vegetation that will not
stand freeze has been killed. There is
not much on the truck farms at this sea-
as heavily as they would a little later,
when the early crops are up. Observer
Smyth said last night that he had had an
inquiry from but one farmer since the
cold wave was predicted.
People who had anything to protect
from the cold looked after it early last
night. The cold will cause great suffering
among the poor whose homes are not COM
Portable in mild winter weather even, and
hundreds of families were shvering last
night around cheerless fireplaees. In the
country the suffering is greater even than
II is in the city, The loosely built houses
afford little projection against the raw
winds and the penetrating cold. The fuel
committee will have plenty of work be-
fore it to-day.
The police and the street railway mo-
tormen and conductors had the hardest of
IT last night. The cars were run regularly,
however, and the motormen made the
best of it with their heads muffied up,
and with heavily mittened hands. The po-
lice sought the warm side of the streets,
and Rugged the sheltered corners when
they could find them. After o'clock there
were few people on the streets.
Only those who were COM
palled IN la a1f Of doarc