The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-14

city had been forced to suspend opera.
tions. Nearly all the retail business
houses closed down and dismissed their
clerks. Delivery wagons which ven
tured out on their routes were in nu-
merous instances abandoned in the
streets, the drivers unhitching their
horses and making for Shelter from the
biting blasts. --~..-
At the Capitol neither house of Con-
gress had quorum, and only a handful
of clerks put in an appearance at the
various executive departments all of
which closed early dismissing their
forces. At the City Hall the same con-
dftions prevailed, and no courts We're
held, While public schools made no at 4
tempt to hold sessions; the few pupils
who reached the buildings being
promptly sent home The schools will
remain closed tomorrow. Toward aft
ernoon, when the railroad companies
We're forced to admit that their traffic
was practically abandoned, the city
was forced TO a: realization that a fam.
Inc of coal and provisions: was impend-
ing. The price of everything in the eat
44Ao lAl4C ANCAll- SOelk1Al6 " d -r
was forced to the realization of famine
of coal and provisions was imepnding
The price Of everything in the eating
line went soaring skyward. s. ...
At the markets prices were. advanced
from % to 1O0. per cent, when the: seam.
tiness OF. the supply and immensely of
the demand became manifest. Orders
from near by towns. poured in and gave
a fresh inpetuS~to the advance; The
same conditions apply to the coal SUP
ply, which is pertoUslY scarce. The
article is being sold by the bushel,
and dealers say the stock: on hand is.
exceedingly limited, while railway: con
ditions make the outlook for shipments
into the. city very: gloomy. 1t was an
nuunced this afternoon that the gas
supply was being rapidly exhausted
from the reserve tanks and the gas
T. companY's supply of coal was so. slen-:
5 der that it would. have to. be. husband
ed most carefully. Consequently the
pressure was reduced. Many of the
street lamps We're not lighted. r. The
electric lighting companies, however,.
are as vet maintaining a service. -. p
The police report that the condition
of the really poor particularly the:
large oolored population, is pitifu1 in
the extreme. Every effort T.: is. being
made by the authorities and charitable.
associations to alleviate the suffering.
but owing to the terrible weather condi-
tions but. little can be accomplished.
There has not been during the day a
=. moments cessation. of the snowfall,
and with the prevailing tonight it
is dangerous for any one but a strong
man to venture out. Many persons
have. been overcome. by the cold, but no
fatalities have been reported within the
city limits. It is feared, however, that
there has been loss of life in. the ada
cent country.
nightfaIl the streets were deserted
by both pedestrians and teams. The
drifting snow has rendered most of the
Wide avenues and uptown streets i'm
. passable and four horses to single
wagons endeavOring to break through
with supplies is a common sight. In
many instances packhorses have been
resorted to and all day. they could be
seen struggling under double burdens
Of provisions or sacks of coal. To-
night all entertainments have practical
. " been given UP or postponed. Two of
the largest theaters did not open their
doors One of the most serious phases
is the danger from fires. The fire de-
partment is rendered practically use
less by reason of the deep snow and
the low water pressure which. in higher
points of the city, has failed entirely.
The Potomac is frozen from its south.
side to Point Lookout, where It empties
into the Chesapeake. The ice varies,
from ten to five inches in. thickness and
navigation has been suspended. The
Alexandria ferries were forced to aban-;
don their trips some days ago, and to-.
night the Norfolk boats did not at
tempt the passa ge. ..... 4 ..-...:;: !.
The railway mail service is; paralyzed.
by the storm and mails are at a stand.
still throughout the Atlantic region.
No through trains arrived here from
the West over the Pennsylvania road
and only one. over the Baltimore and
Ohio. The only outbound train started
on the Pennsylvania was an. extra pull.
ing out at 4:S0 this. afternoon for the.
East. ..::.+: -: /. 80 r. L.
On the Baltimore and Ohio only two
through trains arrived from the East.
All Chesapeake and Ohio trains were
abandoned and there We're no. trains
either sent out or arriving over the
Southern and Atlantic coast line