Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-25
KEEPS THOUSANDS MOVING
Cold Weather Brings Employment for Many
Out Of Work.
CUTTING OF ICE TO BEGIN IN EARNEST
Lakes and Reservoirs Arc Frozen to
the Depth of Ten md Twelve
Inches, and the Ice of
Superior Quality.

There are two classes of individuals who
are in high glee on account of the cold
wavo which has been and is still sweeping
in from the Manitoba country. The ice
dealers are in high glee for the reason
that the cold snap assures them a bountiful
supply of ice. and the laborers who work
on the ice are in high glee for the reason
that the same cold snap means steady en-
ployment at fair wages for some days at
least.
The cold spell which set in last Friday
night is still on. and promise comes from
the weather bureau that it will continue for
some time. and while it is on, the ice men
propose to make hay, so to speak. There
is no one who is very certain at just what
time the mercury will begin to crawl up
the tube, and no one seems to care to any
great extent IL it continues cold for month.
Business men say that cold weather is just
what they want, while the coal dealers say
that it could not be better for their busi-
ness than right now. Even the plumbers
are not filing any protests on account of
the antics of the weather clerk, for while
he is allowing the mercury to flirt around
the zero point they are busily engaged in
soldering up water pipes which have frozen
up and yielded to the expansive powers of
the ice
MINIMUM TWELVE BELOW.
So far as the cold is concerned, the mini
mum point was reached at 430 O'Clock
yesterday morning, when the signal sta
tion thermometer indicated - degrees be-
low zero, the coolest of the present season.
| Around that point the mercury lowered for
a couple of hours, when 1t commenced its
upward movement, reaching 10 below zero
at O'Clock yesterday morning. During the
| day ii warmed up to some extent. but at
no time did it get above zero. Shortly after
| noon the temperature commenced to fall,
| and during the remainder Of the day and
last night it continued TO do business in the
| vicinity of degrees below.
There was little wind stirring yesterday,
| it being simply clear, quiet and piercing
cold, that crept into the houses, and
| through the clothing of people who hap
| pened to be upon the streets. And of this
latter class there were not many. The
| churches were practically deserted, and
I these who came down town did not stay
out of doors long, preferring warm fire
! side to the street corner.
All OF the roads centering in Omaha re-
| ported cold weather along their lines, but
| in no instance was there snow, except along
the Omaha rood above Sioux City where a
| blizzard was blowing. This road reported
| 20 degrees below in Minnesota, with 10 at
Emerson, 20 at Newcastle, and 10 at Sioux
| City.
| ing from degrees to IS degrees between
! Long Pine and Fremont, with ~ degree;
| below In the Black Hills, and a brisk wint
blowing
The Unicn Pacific reports indicated TEN
peratuIe of from 10 degrees to 10 degree
along its Nebraska lines, with clear at
mcsphere and little snow.
Reports frcm the Burlington were to tn
effect that the cold wave extended entrel.
over Nebraska and down into Kansas, rang
ing from degrees to 10 degrees below.
| All Of the Iowa lines reported Zer
weather. with but little snow. The trains o.
all Of the roads were running close to sched
ule time, not being delayed to any eXten
by the cold
ICE MEN READY FOR BUSINESS.
Here in the city few OF the ice cumpanie
worked their men yesterday but most o
them continued the preparations for making
| a concentrated onslaught upon the lakes
rose volts and river today when from 700 t
,O0J men will be put to work hustling il
the crop.
At this time the ice on the lakes and res
| ervoirs is from ten to twelve inches in thick
ness, and is getting thicker at the rate o
two inches every twenty-four hours Dealer
estimate that with good weather they vii
be able to gather the crop in from two {
three weeks. Should there be signs of
thaw the force will be doubled ard the GRO
viii be gathered much sooner.
|
city is placed at 10000 tons. This, how
ever. does not include the ice packed for tn
South Omaha packing houses, which is nearl
as much more and which is also being gath
cred at this time.
Dealers say that the ice Is of fine qual
ity. being clear, solid and free from dirt
They also say the ice that runs from te
to fourteen inches in thickness is the bea
suited for their use, and also for the us
Of their customers, as it is easier to handl
and cutters less waste in housing and deliv
ering. The men who are working on the ic
are being paid from 10 to 171a cents pc
hour, and are being worked ten hours pc
day.
One of the prominent dealers said yester
day that next summer he expected to sc
ice delivered to private families at unusuall
low prices much lower than last year, whe
most of the ice had to be shipped in fror
Minnesota, the freight alone being $2.25 pc
ten.