New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-26
THE MERCURY'S BIG DROP.
co1pEsr DAY OF THE WINTER SEASON
RECORDED YESTERDAY.

HIGH NORTH WIND PREVAILED AND PEDEs-
TRANS sHIvERED IN THE STREETS
CONTINUED COLD PREDICTED
FOR SEVERAL DAYS
The extreme cold that had been heralded from
chicago reached New-York In the early. sunless
hours Of yesterday morning. and when the city
began TO stir II found that the coolest day OF the
winter had arrived strictly time. 1t was not
. morning IN which TO loiter by the wayside 1t
ras morning in which to come as near running
ss YOUR several dignlties would permit. Jack
Frost had carved his autograph on nearly every
u,ndow IN town. The cable cars and the elevat-
% trains were full Of chattering and grumbling
humanity while those unfortunates who rode on
the platforms OF the Bridge improved the
opportunity for charging their vocabuaries.
I-p in the weather tower IN the Manhattan
Irs Building the officials were in high glee.
Al last after a considerable hiatus OF record
breaking days. they could promise something
In the way OF weather worth talking about.
Mr.. Dunn said that the record for the present
winter season was smashed beyond the posi-
hirv OF repair. At o'clock X touched the
mark standing a, that hour only degrees
above the zero mark. II rose one degree In tie
next hour. and continued TO rise all day until
o'clock in the afternoon. when II reached Its
highest point Of the day. standing at that hour
st the unlucky point OF IS degrees. Then It
hegan 10 fall slowly. At o'clock in the even
ing 1; had fallen TO 10 degrees above zero. and
81 II o'clock IT had gone degrees lower yet.
with a prospect according 10 the professional
PROPHETS Of reaching a still lower mark before
daylight to-day.
What accentuated the cold in this city was
the high north wind that prevailed all day and
whistled all sorts Of tunes around the corners
Of the high buildings. All day the wind blew
q; the rate Of about thirty miles an hour. and as
midnight approached It increased in velocity.
reaching a speed OF thirty-three miles for every
sixty minutes.
There was much suffering in this city yester
day especially In the tenement-house districts.
where thin walls did not afford adequate protec-
ton from such bitter blast as blew ell day and
oil night long. The officers of the various char
table institutions reported increased calls for
assistance, the majority OF the appeals coming
from families who were in want of fuel.
Among the sufferers from the cold Of yester-
day was the numerous oldes- inhabtant. who
has been lamenting the disappearance Of the
old-time bitter winter. He has been saying OF
late that this year was positively the poorest
imitation he ever knew Yesterday his multi
tudinous voice not heard in the land. He
stayed indoors and hugged the stove OF lne
radiator or the steam pipe. Work on many
buildings was SUSPENDED. and the sight OF Colo
mel Warnings angels gave the community
chill
The skaters Of the city rejoiced in the cold. for
T. opened 10 them the lakes in Van Cortlandt
and Bronx parks early in the day. and crowds
Of skaters enjoyed themselves there. Nobody
stayed there very long at time. however for
the north wind penetrated the warmest wraps
after while
Now-York all lonesome in the mat
ter Of low temperatures yesterday. The cold
wave was Of wide extent. and reached all over
The north OF the country. from the extreme
Northwest clear II the easternmost boundaries
- Maine Indeed this city was among the
warmest places in the North. Albany had zero
weather: Northfeld Vt. reported the mercury
al Is below zero: St. Paul. Duluth and Havre.
Mont. all reported the temperature as lower
than - degrees below zero. the last named place
revelling in go degrees below. AT points in
Minnesota the thermometer registered as low as
II degrees below Even balmy Kentucky
chartered its teeth 10 the tune of 10 degrees
below the zero point. The only points in the
country that did not report freezing weather lie
along the Gulf Of Mexico
Mr. Dunn said last night that there was not
q bit Of warm weather in sight. He predicted
continued cold for this city. although he did
rot think the mercury would fall much lower
II any than il fell Yesterday 1T was pretty
low down yesterday. said ne. gleefully. He
added that the skies would continue fair and
he thought IL probable that no warm weather
would be along hereabouts for several days