The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-06
LAST EDITION
BITTER COLD.
Jack fr0st's Fr0Iic all Over
the Country.
Best Ice Weather in the City for
Many Years.
Reports from Many Places Shows the
Cold Wave Was Widespread.

Old King Boreas and retinue arrived on
schedule time last night, the way having
been prepared by the advance courier,
Mr.. Jack Frost, who spent the day yes
| terday decorating the windows and serv-
ing personal notifications OF The prox-
unity of the anticipated carnival
OF ice and northwesterly zephyrs,
especially arranged for our delectation.
Everybody expected "cold wave," con-
sequently, but nobody realized the mag
unanimous extent TO which it was TO be
served up, not excepting the weather
| man.
The latest reports show that the cold
wave in this vicinity was unusually
| severe. Old-timers say that 1t Is many
| years since the Providence River has been
frozen over for any great distance. Last
| night the river was frozen from Rocky
| Point, 16 miles below here. In
| the heart of the city, where the river Is
most protected, a mans weight could
! have been borne on the ice at $50 this
morning. The thermometer in some
| parts OF Providence registered 10 degrees
below at z o'clock, and the general aver
| age was degrees below zero. At Paw
| tuxet it was degrees below.
| Exchange PLACE was not desirable
| place for man or beast yesterday afternoon
| or evening. Tops Of express wagons and
| blankets from the seats OF all sorts OF
| vehicles were blown in every direction.
| The heavy cover OF one of Barney's offal
| wagons was carried some distance by the
| "awiuP' wind and hats with wings on
| them were the prevailing fashion.
| The lowest point reached by the ther-
mometer on the New York boat bound
| for this port, last evening, was three
below. and this was in the vicinity of
| Sabin's Point.
| Nm ha Ind In
all night, and in spite of double windows,
furnaces run on the steamboat plan and
extra fires all over the houses, it was uni
versally agreed that the residences were as
"cold as barns"
The plumbers are rubbing their palms
with glee to think of the harvest to be
reaped because of frozen and bursted
water pipes.
| Fortunately there were few fires in con-
sequence of overheating. and those which
were discovered were quickly extin-
| guished.
| from the club rooms OF the Wanskuck
| Athletic Club on Charles street, had one
| of his ears badly FROST bitten last mig ht.
| Boyle is the well-known pugilist of the
| North End, but he never received blow
that hurt his ear as much as the frost did
| last night.
Richard Denton, who is employed in
| the Silver Spring Bleachery, while on his
way home up Charles street, found the
weather so cold that he threw his dinner
pail away, so he could put his hands in
his pockets.
! At the office OF the commissioners OF
| public works it was stated that an un-
usual number of complaints of frozen
water pipes had been received all day, and
the inspectors were kept busy disconnect-
| ing meters that toe thawing process
might proceed. About It per
cent of the residences are
| supplied with meters and official per-
mission must he received before water
| pipes can be thawed. The city's pipes are
| SO far below the surface that the frost has
not reached them, and no damage has re-
| suited.
In the Metropolis.
NEW YORK, Feb. 6.-The local weather
forecaster said this morning that this
was the coldest day since December
| 81, 1880, when the thermometer registered
| g degrees below zero and the third
coldest day on record since the weather
bureau was established in 1870. The
ether two days colder Than this
were February "a, 1873, when
the mercury dropped TO de-
| grees below zero, and on January
| 10, 1875, when il registered 6 below. To-
day at a. m. the thermometer outside
the weather bureau registered below,
/ which establishes this, so far, as the most
! frigid day of the season.
Since midnight when the thermometer
| read degrees above 1t fell steadily. AT
a. m. it was above; at 2 a. m. above;
at a. IN. 2 above; at a. m. the mercury
marked zero; at 8 a. m. below; at 6 a. m.
! below; and at a. m. touched below
the lowest point.
Breezy at the Club"
BosToN, Feb. 6-Seven degrees below
zero this morning has broken the seasons
record and made the best business OF the
year for plumbers and fuel mer-
chants. The presence OF the northeast
gale which has besn blowing since yester-
day at an average OF 70 miles an hour has
| added TO the discomfort. Suburban car
lines are badly blocked by drifting
snow and incoming trains from North
| anu East are hours late. In the harbor
shipping is practically at standstill, no
vessels sailing and but few arriving. All
report heavy weather outside.
New England Record.
At New Bedford, Mass, at 6 o'clock II
| was below zero, and the wind blowing
| % miles an hour.
At Portland, Me-, 10 degrees below and
a stiff east wind blowing.
At Eastport, 10 degrees below zero,
with a heavy wind blowing. Snow drifts
on the highways make havoc with travel.
AT Northfeld, VT, 16 below zero.
At Hudson, Mass. II is II and 10 de-
grees below zero.
Al Brockton, Mass, degrees below
zero, coldcst day in several years.
At Amesbury, Mass, the coolest for 80
years: 20 degrees below zero. At South
ampton 22 degrees below; Salisbury, 20
below; East Kingston, % below; Seabrook
\ - 20 below.
The Haverhill & Amesbury Electric
| Railway IL running no cars from Merri-
mac on account OF the huge snow drifts.
1 The schools are closed.
| At Concord. n. H., 26 degrees below
at Elmwood, II below; Petcrsborough, 2i
Contocook, 20; Claremont, %; Newport,
/ Is: Br1dford 25. Canaan 20: Salishnr