The times., 1898-11-27
UNEXPECTED COLD WAVE
Blizzard From Manitoba Sur
prised the EOrecasters.
SNOW. ICE AND DISCOMFORT
Fierce Night in WnshinGton-Storm
Came Recommendations Went
Around With Feet Wrapped in
Bag=ing-After Today the Weather
VIII Modernte-CoIder and Clear
for the Present.

cold wave struck Washington about
9 O'Clock last night Its arrival, though
anticipated by the weather bureau OFF,
cials. was unannounced, and at an early
hour the streets were practically de-
serted and free of Saturday evening shop
pers.
Snow began TO fall shortly after dark.
Ii was driven by fierce gale from the
northeast. and for time it looked as
though the fall would be heavy Those
who were on the streets hurried home,
believing that before long the town would
be buried beneath a mantle of white.
The wind from the northeast became
stronger, and within a half hour snow
had ceased falling. What little had
reached the ground froze. and with the
water in hollows and cutters was soon
converted into glistening coat of ice.
Hackmen and drivers of other vehicles
were compelled to unhitch and have their
horses's shoes removed Others wrapped
bagging around the feet of their horses.
Had they expected such a sudden bliz-
zard they might have taken time by the
forelock and had their horses rough shod
during the afternoon. AS it was the
storm found their horses shod with
smooth shoes.
In the vicinity of the theater cab stands
and in front of the hotels carriages and
hacks We're left standing in the street
while the horses were unhitched and
walked slowly to the stables, where their
shoes were pulled off.
Theater goers and late pedestrians
found difficulty in walking. The side
walks were as bad as the streets. The
freeze was so sudden that no opportunity
was afforded to remove the snow and
siush before II was transformed into ice.
Many falls were had, though few serious
accidents were reported to the police. The
change was almost as unexpected at the
weather bureau as 1t was to the public.
The weather prophets had expected a
cold wave, but not SO soon, and before
the chief forecaster had completed his
slate of the weather the town was shiv-
cring and shaking under the force of the
blizzardy blast. The forecast was COM
pleted at 10 O'Clock and the bureau mes
senger boy quaked as he carried the local
prediction to the compositor and read the
words, Colder and clear"
The forecaster explained TO the reporter
that drop OF fully 10 or Is degrees would
be experienced before sunrise today,
bringing the thermometer down 10 20.
The chances We're that the mercury
would shrink to even a much lower notch
on the instrument.
Rubbing his hands and casting a fur
tive glance at the strange blue and red
lines on the large weather charts which
he had been laboring over for an hour
and half, the weather man endeayored
TO explain.
The principal storm center, he said, was
along the south Atlantic coast early in
The day 1t moved up the coast to New
Jersey. where 1t was met by another rap
idly advancing storm coming down from
Manitoba. The bureau has no observation
station in that region, and the Manitoba
storm swooped down upon the New Eng.
land and lake regious before the observers
were aware of 1t. When the two storms
met. opposite the Summer resorts which
line the Jersey coast, an unusual and
rapid force was developed, attended by
strong gales and wind blowing at the rate
of sixty miles an hour.
Storm signals have been displayed to
warn coast shippers and traders ConsidI
cradle snow fell in New England and in
New York during the day, but none is
anticipated here. The storm is now GEN.