Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-10
TT IS CLOSE TO ZERO.
coLDEsT WEATHER EXPERIENCED
IN RICHMOND FOR FIVE YEARS.
NO IMPROVEMENT PROMISED TO-DAY.
i'm the Vicinity of Rich
mond Frozen Hard-sknting nDd
Coasting Enioyed-Teicgrap and
Telephone Lines Being Repaired.

The weather I'm Richmond last night was
the coolest OF the winter-indeed, the
coolest that has been experienced here
since the winter Of 1894. when the zero
mark was reached.
Shortly after sunrise yesterday 1t grew
cloudy, and about 1880 o'clock light
snow began to fall. 1t was only short
time, however before the clouds had roll
ed away and again the skies were as
clear as Junes.
CLOSE TO ZERO.
From that time on the thermometer fell
steadily. At =. VI. IT registered % de-
grees above zero. At p. NJ. it showed a
fail Of degrees, and al midnight it read
6 degrees above zero, and the mercury
was still going down. The mean tempe
nature for the day was 10 - degrees.
In the places where the MONDAY sun
shOne on the sidewalks some Of the snow
and sleet which covered them was melted.
but IL froZe hard as the sun sank into the
west, and when darkness cast its gloom
over the earth everything in this vicinity
was frozen tight. Naturally, all OF the
ponds in and about the city were frozen
up, and a few Of the more warm-blooded
lovers Of skating ventured forth 10 skim
over the CONCEALED surfaces. On the hill
sides too, there was some cOasting, and
i'm the Capitol Square last night party
of young ladies and gentlemen enjoyed
themselves coasting down the icy paths.
MENDING THE WIRES.
The fair weather gave the telephone and
telegraph companies linesmen the oppor-
tunty Of mending the broken wires, and
they worked indefatigaby all day yester-
day. with the result that much Of the
derangement Of the system was relieved.
There are still number Of broken places.
however, and as a result the telephone
service Is stll quite poor. The Fire
Alarm Department is rapidly getting its
wires in shape. and hopes by this after
noon to have them in condition for prac-
tica! use
Manchester was almost entirely cut Off
from Richmond so far as telephone com
munication was concerned, many wires
and poles being down on Mayo's Bridge.
The street-cars were running on schedule
time Yesterday.
WARMER WEATHER TO-DAY.
The weather prophet promises no abate-
ment i'm the cold to-day. He sends out the
following bulletin:
The barometer pressure continues high
est in the Northwest. and is lowest on
the NOrth-Atlantic coast. The storm
centre has continued its nOrtheastWard
movement. and clear, decidedly colder
weather has moved into all the States OF
the central valleys In the Middle and
South Atlantic States. lake region, and
Jew England States. The zero line Of
temperature passes down the Atlantic
coast to Virginia, passing westward be-
tween Richmond and Washington. In the
extreme Northwest 1t continues TO hold
about % degrees below zero.
The weather is clear I'm all districts, eX-
cept the East Lake region and the South
west where it is cloudy. The precipita-
ton has been light and scattered.
Continued cold weather is indicated for
this vicinity tonight and Friday
EDWARD A. EVANS.
Section Director.
ZERO WAS PASSED.
The mercury went below the zero mark
at o'clock this morning. At $3.50 the
thermometer at Seventh and Broad regis
tered ID below. one at First and Broad
told the same story. At Twenty-hfth and
Broad at that hour the mercury was at
2 below The Dispatch thermometer at
3 80 o'clock registered above