The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-26
SUFFERING AT CHICAGO.
Appeal Issued by the Mayor for Funds
tn Aid the Freezing.

CHICAGO, Jan. 25.-With a minimum of
20 degrees below zero and a maximum of
10 degrees bslow. to-day was the coldest day
in the history of Chicago. The mercury
hung at the 90 mark from 6 clock to s
with persistency worthy better cause.
Not until O'Clock p. m. were the hearts of
the crowd that hovered over the thermom-
eters in front of the jewery stores glad
dened by the sight of the mercury ascend
ing and touhcing the first turn mark. But
it touched it slightly and hung trembling
there or three hours and then at o'clock
started on its downward career again. AT
8 o'clock the thermometers showed II de-
greeS below and continued falling through
the night. The mean temperature yester-
day was 10 degrees below zero, which is
quite the lowest Chicago ever experienced.
There is so much suffering among the
poor that Mayor Swift to-day issued an ap-
peal for aid, calling on the big packers,
coal dealers and merchants for contribu-
tions and supplies to. relieve the suffering
In many instances the proclamation was
forestalled, and heaYxs. contributions kept
coming in all day. On the floor of the
Board of Trade a subscription paper was
started and several thousand dollars SUBJ
scribed in few minutes. The big depart
lnent stores ana Ory SOOuS sent
in checks for $500 and 81, 600.
The police department has been turned
into a vast relief corps. One pitiful case of
suffering was reported TO the Hyde Park
station to-day. Al the home of Edwin Mar
tin, at PSI West Fifty-first street, was a
child that had died Saturday from starva-
ton. and lay unburied in the house. The
family was without food. fuel or money,
and had been for several days.
t1fty-three persons were listed as over
come by the terrible cold yesterday and
rescued
One death occurred which was due TO the
cold and number of people are likely to
die, the result OF frozen limbs or eX-
posure. Most of the sufferers succuLbed
10 the cold while about their usual tasks.
but a number of the victims were homeless
wanderers Another death was reported to-
day. that of Fred A. Busch five years old,
who succumbed as the result of exposure.
The ambulances were kept busy conveying
people TO the hospitals with their feet and
hands frozen. George Grant was found in
a freight car. near North street almost
dead and with his feet so badly frozen that
they will have to be annputated.
The intense cold has moderated little in
the lower lake region. but not TO an extent
TO be appreciated by anything except a
West and Northwest the cold wave con-
! tinues in full force. In Minnesota the low
| est temperature reported is at Virginia.
! Duluth II was 2S Moorhead Is and Fari-
| bault 81 In Wisconsin the temperature
ranged anywhere from 20 below-which is
TeDOTIeu IIDIl StHtieA4 IOiAilS lAlO
| part of the State--to IS and 20 below. the
| latter being at Milwaukee. Throughout
! Michigan it was IS and 30 the latter being
| from Marquette and its vicinity. Rockford
! registered the lowest in IllinOis-26 degrees
! below-and Chicago came next with 20 and
| clear down to the Ohio river not town
| reported ANYTHING higher than 10 below
| In Missouri some curious streaks of cold
were observed. At S.. Joseph il was 10 de-
! miles away. IL was degrees above. The
! lows were in the majority. however. and
! had things pretty much their own way.
/ South Dakota reported anywhere from z
! to 40 degrees below zero and North Dakota
! am average OF degrees lower than that
! The only place in the West that showed
! any signs of warming up was Nebraska
| In many places, however, the mercury was
| so low that ups were the direction 1t could
| easily take, but the fact remains that II
| is growing warm in Nebraska and nowhere
| else