The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-10
TIE WEATHER RECORD.
AT 4 o'clock this morning, the schnept
thermometer registered u degrees, below

'below zero.
At 4 o'clock this morning. the Schnepf
thermometer registered 10 degrees. below
zero.
And the mercury Is stlll descending!
This is the coolest weather ever
known in Wheeling.
Over twenty gears ago, Druggist
Christian Schnepf began to observe
weather as side line. 1t Isn't very pro-
fltable. perhaps. but the public certain
~ appreciates his efforts even though
this appreciation can be rolled up into
very small compass when 1t comes to
counting It in dollars and cents. But
this isn't telling OF the very Zeroic ex-
perience this community Is passing
through just now. Mr.. Schnepf says
Wheeling is now having colder weather
than he has ever before chronicled. JAM
uary 3. 1879, little over twenty years
ago. 10 degrees below zero was recorded,
and eight below was had on December
80. 1850. The hourly temperature for
lsICSI l"o SOluCsl VI Sulu tls 10 uSSlo@
eddy apropos this morning. Here 1t is:
"a: m. ga. m. Up. m. Up. m:
Jan. 3. lSI9...si 20 o
Dec. %, 1850. IS :
'Below zero.
Early yesterday morning the ther-
mometer at Schnepfs registered be-,
low, which was within two degrees of
the record. At q. m. 1t was below;
at noon it was at the zero mark, (the
warmest weather of the day; just think
of itD; at 3 p. m. the mercury had drop
ped to below; 1T p. nj. 1t had reached
4 below: at 10 p. nj. 1t was at the s mark
and the same temperature was recorded
at II p. M; at midnight 1t was 10 below;
at . a. m, 13 below, and at q. M, "A
below.
Yesterday was the first dayonrecord in
Wheeling during which the thermome-
ter did not at one time show tempera-
ture higher than zero. On the two pre-
viously coolest days mentioned above,
temperature higher than zero was eX-
pcrlenced, but the highest temperature
yesterday was zero at noon, and the
mercury had dropped I degree an hour
later SO taking 1t from all points OF
view, yesterdays was by far the cold
est weather ever experienced here.
At 10 p. m, the thermometer register
d s degrees below. and an hour later
there was no change. Apparently the
temperature was at its lowest point, but
at midnight the hour had shown fall
OF two degrees. The failure to show q
drop from 10 to II p. m. Is caused by
the people who were continuously
around the instrument and prevented
the true temperature from being re-
corded.
The midnight temperature at the sus-
pension bridge was 10 degrees below &c
70. five degrees lower than shown by the
Schnepf thermometer. This ratio OF diff
ference holds good generally between
the two locations. At . a. m. II was 16
below at the bridge.
The public had become partially ac-
customed to the remarkably cold wea-
ther yesterday, and people stayed IN
doors unless compelled TO be out-of-
doors. All outside avocations were pur-
sued under difficulties throughout the
day. Again there was little or no wind.
and this in measure alleviated the
suffering caused by the low tempera-
ture. The street cars ran throughout
the day, but the electric heaters had an
off-day. and as @ result the cars were
decidedly uncomfortable. The street car
traffic was very heavy. few people car
ing to risk an experience with FROST
nippcd ears, noses and feet by extended
perambulations. lacks, too. were in
brisk demand. especially late last night,
after the street cars had stopped
so far as could he learned there were
no cases OF serious injury caused by the
cold weather. The tramp vas con-
sp!cuously absent from the streets last
night; Il was entirely too frigid for his
particular kind OF business.
The Natural Gas Company Of West
Virginia kept up its good record of the
dag before by maintaining an excellen,
supply Of natural gas for domestic con-
sumC:s.
\ break in the mains of the Wheeling
Natural Gas Company below Bellairc on
Wednesday, caused n shortage at man.
ufac.uring plants in that city. but the
break was speedily repaired. and yes
tcrday the gas supply for manufactor-
les was all that could be desired.