The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-13
CoLDEsT DAY OF THE SEASON.
Thermometer Drops to Nearly Four
teen Degrees Below Zero.


teen Degrees Below Zero.
The thermometer which furnishes infor-
nation for the United States Weather
Bureau registered thirteen and two-fifths
degrees below zero early yesterday morn
ing. Plebian instruments, with less regard
for the truth, registered all the way from
fifteen to twenty-five degrees below. A
man who lives in West Indianapolis swears
that he has machine which quoted the
mercury at fifty degrees below, but this
report is not believed at the weather shop.
A weak gas supply is proDably what af-
fected the West Indianapolis instrument,
for that suburb shivered all day yesterday.
Families with a supply of coal on hand
were the envy of the whole town. Those
who had no coal huddled together in a vain
effort to keep warm. Yesterday was the
coolest day indianapolis has seen this
season. The gas supply was taxed to its
limit and the fact developed that there
is not enough gas to answer the demands
during the cold weather Complaints from
all parts of the city We're received at the
gas offices, but it seems the suburbs and
the extreme southern part of the city suf-
fered the most People living near high
pressure mains had the least complaint
to offer The answer to all complaints and
inquiries at each Office was:
I'VE are doing the very best we can. The
and if the pressure is not sufficient it is
because there is not the necessary amount
Mr. Wappenhans, whom many blame for
the cold wave, promises warmer weather
He honestly says it was considerable
ing He also says that the snowfall of the
past few days was the heaviest, within SO
short a space of time for twenty-four
years. Between Thursday morning and
Friday afternoon 1913 inches fell.
erv nf ts e9a das for char ecre
tary Grout, of the Charity Organization,
said yesterday the snow has been God
RI yhn h0yy hn6r a QQ ~
money cleaning sidewalks and street cross
ings. The Friendly Inn was crowded last
night, and many requests were made at
police headquarters for shelter. Several
pitiful cases were discovered by the police
zion, ywhoes officers attended to the work
of relieving the suffering. The cold has
given the ice men =, Joy. for they can now nov,
give employment to several hundred men.
But while some are benefited by the cold,
others suffer The motormen on the cars with
out the vestibule fronts, are to
be greatly pitied d,,te Many Many OF Of then them
Mdis Madison-avenue line had to be carried
from his car and restoratives applied. The
the order ignored The conductor
went to see what was the matter, and
unconscious. The man had been at his
post of duty for several hours, but was
warm drinks had been given him he re-
viyed and was able to go home unassisted.
The factories worked short yesterday.
Many men temporarily laid off be-
cause there not sufficient gas to carry
on the work. Many of these men went
from cold factories to colder homes. But
The Oldest inhabitant says there are many
good things to be expected from this touch
of the genuine old-fashioned winter, the
kind he has been telling about for so long.
A farmer yesterday said that If the cold
would but last this State would have the
best crops next year within her history.
OF course this prophecy was conditonally
given with the understanding that the
cold does not last too long. This same
man said that fust such weather as this
has been needed for years. DR.. Joseph
Perry who knows something about fruit
and who has made some study of the in
sects and pests which blight the crops, said
the weather was promising for big fruit
crop. He said
"The apple crop well as the cherry and
pear crop have been poor for several reasons
now There is a small parisite which de-
stroys the vitality Of the, trees. With this
snow and few days OF this weather mill
ters have been SO mild that heretofore they
have but increased
OF course the liverystable men sare de-
lighted with the weather and they too, say
it is a great thing. One said yesterday if
the cold would but continue he felt sure the
country would enjoy season of prosperity
never known before. Perhaps his prediction
was prompted by nercenary motives. fer he
like all liverynen, has Cause TO congratu- ate
himself. Sleighs are renting for one and