Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-12
GOLD WAVE COMM G
Every Reason to Believe It Will Material
ize This Time.
The Mercury Will Go Down to About
the Zero POfnt-Its Effects
Widespread.

Urless all signs fail the heaviest Of win
ter overcoats will be needed by the citi-
Zens of Washington between now and Mon
day. A cold wave is on its way from the
west that promises to give the capital the
severest nip of the winter. The cold wave
flags have been ordered up at every sta
tion and in every large city from Maine to
and including the northern half of Florida,
ard thence along the gulf coast as far west
as the Mississippi river. This indicates an
exceptional area for the wave, this extent
seldom being equaled by any temperature
storm. The intensity of the wave Of cold
may be imagined from the single fact that
there was at o'clock this morning a diff
ference Of forty-six degrees between Park-
ersburg. w. Va, and Indianapolis, which
are in about the same latitude and only a
few hundred miles apart.
The minimum temperature last night
here was twenty-eight degrees above zero.
This was four degrees below the freezing
point and the ground was covered this
morning with the most severe frost OF the
season. Should the general average of the
cold wave strike Washington it is probable
that the thermometer will go below zero,
perhaps two or three degrees. The coIdes:
weather of the season SO far has been six
degrees above zero, and there Is every
prospect tfat this will be exceeded in tho
next forty-eight hours. There is no sign
OF snow In the wave except on the eastern
edge, and 1T Is barely possible that Wash
fngton may get d light snowfall before the
most intense cold has come.
Ihe weather bureau prediction, however,
Is for generally clear weather, and if there
Is snow 1t will only be slight fall.
Will Check Floods.
The weather map this morning calls at
tention to the influence of this cold wave
on the flooded rivers Of the Ohio valley
These rivers have been rising for some
days and inundations have been threat
ened. This morning at Cincinnati the Ohio
was some feet above the danger line. 1t
had fallen slightly at. Parkersburg but
was rising further down the river and
rapidly approaching the danger point. The
cold snap will have the effect of checking
this tendency to flood. and probably these
rivers will all be frozen within a few
hours.
The cold wave signals were hoisted today
In this city. The great weather maps at
the Capitol, which are consulted daily by
the members OF both houses, were early
furnished with the black rings that indi-
cate the approach of the cold wave, and
there was great interest among the states
men over the weather conditions.
1t is estimated that the fall of tempera-
ture will begin to be felt here tonight, but
it Is probable that the extreme cold will
not be experienced for twenty-four hours
beyond that. The weather experts are
looking to see the seasons record smashed
by Monday noon The lowest temperature
in the country last night was 26 degrees
below zero, recorded at Bismarck, Dakota.
st. Louis Cincinnati, Indianapolis Louis
vile. Nashville, Chicago. and, in fact, all
of the cities of the Ohio and Mississippi
valleys. were this morning shivering below
the zero point.
Cold Wave.
The following bulletin has been sent out
from the office of the chief of the weather
bureau:
Hoist cold wave flag; temperature will
fall about twenty degrees by am. Sunday