The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-12
IT STRUCK HARD.
Grim Winter Reaches for Us
Last Night
And Took Us Within His Icy
Fingers.
THE MERCURY BULBS
Mark All the Way from Two TO
Ten Below.
The Official Record is Seven
Degrees Below.
The River Now SOlidly Frozen
Over.

It struck Us yesterday and it wasn't
welcome. 1t is with us today, and we
wish it would go away.
1t is the first cold snap of the winter
and has put its chilly feet in the small of
our back with a swish and howl and
pinched our ears with the nipper of Jack
Frost until we are tired of it already.
All the clothes have been taken off the
spare bed to reinforce the regular sleep
ing furniture, and if visitor comes he
will have to sleep under his overcoat
The water pipe is bursted and some of
US are carrying water from neighbor's
well to make tea with.
Along in the middle of yesterday after
noon leak was discovered in the bottom
of the thermometer and the mercury
began to disappear behind the little
brass band that holds the glass in.
1t has not yet disappeared entirely
and the weather is not quite out of sight.
A freezing gale blew from the north
and west nearly all day and kept it up
till late at night 1t was not until along
in the latter half of the night that it be-
gan to get very cold, however, and the
coolest point was not reached till after
daylight this morning, when so many
thermometers had SO many different
opinions that they reminded one OF the
late agricultural meetings. discussion of
the tax question.
The range was enormous, and one gen.
tlemar who had examined three Their
mometers on his trip south on Kansas
avenue found that they registered in
turn eight, four and two degrees below.
If he had wandered on to Usage county
he thinks he would probably have found
the springtime there and the birds twit-
tering their melodious ffty-degrees-
above zero twltters in the green ieaved
branches of the wa6ening vegetation.
Probabv the coldest story out, comes
from the stables of the trolley road at
! Twelfth and jackson, where it Is said to
have been eleven below. At the post
office it was six One North Topeka
man swears it was ten while another
North Topeka man who is probably near
! sighted says it was only four at his
house. The Kansas avenue thermome-
ter says it was two below at eight o'clock.
The wind wasn't blowing though and it
was good thing.
| At the Rock Island depot it was eight
below There we're open channels in
! the river yesterday but there are none
today and the skaters who don't care if
/ their feet do get frozen are having a
good ti9e.
There are lots of housewifely tears be-
| ing shed today over plants that have gone
before and the plumbers are having 4
rushing business at the cost of the peo-
pie VINO were forgetful enough to not let
their hydrants run last night. Most OF
this sort OF thing is in the residence por-
tion, however.
The cold weather of yesterday and to-
day has been noticed at the headquarters
of the Associated Charities, where the
number of applications of aid have been
greatly increased by it. People are
applying to those who had been toe
proud before, and some of the investiga-
tions of today nave revealed most pitifu
cases of destitution.
The number of laborers on the rcch
pile is increasing rapidly and the mum
Der now employed has reached nearly
| forty. These. must represent nearly Al
other men who are suffering in silence
Forty-eight persons were given sOuL
dinners at the headquarters yesterday
and the number was much larger today
Weather Observer Jennings says thi
storm today covsrs the lake regions
Cold northwest winds and u rapidly fall
ing temperature are sweeping across the
country from Central Kansas eastward
to the Mississippi river.
AT O'Clock Ibis m0rping the temper
ature was IA above at Little Rock, be
low at St. Louis, II below at Omaha, 2
below at Huron. S D., "A below at Bis
mark, n. D., and 80 above at Hell ena
Mont.
It was official degrees below at To
peka this morning and was II above at
o'clock this afternoon.
SUFFERING IN WESTERN KANSAS
What Western Representatives Say Abou
the Cold Snap In Their Counties.