Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-06
DOWN CLOSE TO ZERO
Cold Weather Felt in This Locality This
Morning.
Liable to Snow Tonight and Then
Get Warmer-Hnrd on Pipes
River Blockade.

This has been cold day, though the low
est point touched by the official mercury
at the weather bureau was 2 degrees above
zero. This low notch was reached at 6
o'clock this morning. and the temperature
remained very nearly stationary for four
hours. when it began to move upward
The day thawed out considerably toward
noon. Washington was more favored than
the cities to the east. At Baltimore the
mercury stood at zero, at Philadelphia and
New York it was degrees below, and at
Buffalo u below.
1t it prophesied by the weather people
that the cold snap is about over, and will
be wound up this evening with snow,
which is approaching from the west.
Although the mercury reached lower
figure on Sunday last than at any other
time this winter, it was lower be-
tween and 10 o'clock this morning than
during similar period of any other day.
Storm Developing.
A storm is developing in the middle gulf
region. and as the three preceding snow
storms have come from this section it is
quite probable that the storm now on there
will travel up along the coast and strike
Washington within few days.
The storm has remained nearly station
airy over Newfoundland
The ridge of high pressure, extending
from the north of Montana to the upper
nitude pressure Of :'1.3S inches-the high
est ever observed-being reported from Cal
gary.
Rain has fallen in the middle and west
gulf states, and snow in the Missouri, the
middle and upper Mississippi valleys and
the upper lake region.
The temperature has fallen in the lower
lake region and the Atlantic states, except
Georgia and Florida, and in the northwest,
and has generally risen elsewhere.
Throughout New England and the middle
Atlantic states, including North Carolina
and West Virginia, the temperature last
night was as low as, or lower, than ever
before recorded during the first ten days of
February.
The following heavy precipitation Tin
inches) was reported Galveston, Its
Pipes Frozen.
Last night was a bad one on gas meters
and service pipes. Complaints at the gas
Office We're coming in lively when the re-
porter for The Star called, and many more
are certain to come in tomorrow, as very
many householders will not know that any
thing is wrong until they try to light up to-
night The trouble is that the diaphram of
the meters is af leather well oiled, and this
is what in most instances has frozen. Then
often there is some condensation in the
meter, and there is always a probability
that this may freeze. Service pipes, eS-
pecially those which run across areas and
are thus badly exposed, have suffered from
becoming choked with frost.
The River Blockade.
This is rough weather on the river. The
Pot )mac in the vicinity of Washington
made, as the river people put it, two and
half inches of ice last right and is still
making it. Below Alexandria, there is
thickness ranging from four to six inches,
and around the city it is perhaps a little
thicker than four. Navigation is suspended
excepting so far the great Norfolk and
Washington propeIJers are concerned They
come and go though nothing had hap
pened to mar the even tenor of the way.
All the sidewheelerS have stopped.
The ferry boats shut down today, the
Mattano is tied up, the Wakefield is frozen
in at her dock, the Arrowsmith is out of
commission and the Harry Randall is down
stream, due today but is probably iced in.
A number of oyster PUNCHES and bugeyes
and scnooners are tied up at Riley'S dock,
though three tows, pulled by the Templar,
Minerva and ID. NJ. Key, broke through
early today. The price of oysters has
arisen considerably, the rate ranging today
at the wharf from GO cents to 81 per
bushel.
The question of an ice gorge is being
talked of along the river front 1t is the
opinion that there is immediate danger.
but if the ice continues to thicken and the
break up comes, the usual danger will con-
front the city.