The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-26

CHICAGO. Jan. 8.-with a minimum OF
y degrees below zero and q maximum OF
ls degrees below. today was the coolest
day IA the history OF Chsesgo. Tie mer-
cary anng at the q mark rom O'Clock 20
5 O'Clock 4lth a perslsteucy werthy OF a
better cause. Not - O o'clock 2. n.
vers the hearts of the crowd that how
cred over the thermometers ia front os
ths i@weirY stores gladdeneG BY the sigar
o. tfe mercury ascending and touching
the FIRST turn mark. But II touched Il
slightly ard hang there trembling fer
three hours. snG then Al o'ciock started
on itS DOWNWARD career again. At
O'Clock tae thermometers showed I5 besow
and continued failing through tbe night.
The mean temperature today was Il de-
grees below Zero, whfeh is quite the low
est Chicago ever experienced. While
there have been DAYS when the tempera-
turs IN Chicago was . below OF lower.
the minimum temperature upon those
occasions have been 50 much higher than
The maximum temperature that the dubi-
Gus distinction of being The c1ldest day
IN the history of the city viii remsln with
January =. 1856
only one time do the records OF the
weather bureau show thag the shermom-
etcr reached a lower point taan today.
That vas on December p. lSz2 when IL
reached = below. But il lasted enly fer
the briefest time. Then the temperature
rose 70 4 above zero, making the average
for the dag much warmer than today,
when the change from n 10 10 was slow. II
took nine hours for the mercury TO climb
up 10 points
Realizing that during this severe wealth
er delay in Offering relief 70 the destitute
might be fatal In many cases, Mayer
swift called upon the police force Of the
city to aid IN the work Of gathering infoT-
nation concerning the urgent needs of the
thousands Of suffering poor OF Chicago.
Through the complete organization Of the
force. covering the entire city by pre-
cibcts and an elaborate telsphOnic system
by which each precinct may be in ready
communication with the headquarters. the
mayor hopes to prevent the loss Of i.fe
which might ensue through a more tardy
means OF dealing with urgent cases.
II Is the mayors purpose. pending the
time when the work Of relief through in
tsIIizence gathered By the police can be
put in organized form. 20 be personally
respcn sffsle FOR whatever Sums X may be
necessary to expcnd to relieve extreme
cases Of need and save the poor from
freezing or starving. Nearly 100 home
less men partooiS Of the hospitality OF
the city last niCht and slept under the
roofs 81 the police stations. Flfty-three
persons were listed as overcome By the
terrible colo IN AhicaEo yesterday. ana
were rescued In a partly frozen condition
One death occurred witch was due 10 the
cold. and a number OF people are likely 70
de as a result Of frozen limbs or expos
ure
TAis afternoon the mayor issued an ap-
peal TO the big packers. coal dealers and
merchants for contributions and support
20 relieve the suffering Heavy contri-
buttons kept coming in ail afternoon. On
the RnsrA ~ Trade saFa~af ~
lars was subscribed IN a few minutes
Big department stores and dry goods
merchants sent IN checks for $500 and
81 90.