The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-13
TRAVELLING TOWARD ZERO.
MERCURY EXPECTED TO GO TO 10
DEGREES THIS MORNING.

street Car Traffic Abandoned and
All Trains behind Time-Mercury
~ Degrees at Midnight and Fall
ing 3 Degrees an HOur-Truck and
Fruit Crops May BE Wiped Out.
The Ground Covered with snow
and Many People Suffering.
Savannahians may have an approximate
rendition to-day of their experiences Of
four wears ago. when mercury dropped 10
u degrees above zero. and about every
thing freezable was frozen. Yesterday
from its ugliuess, may have been pre-
cursor of almost any degree of ugly
weather The day started in with colo
and sleet in the early morning, and it
wound UP with cold and sleet and snow
AT midnight the temperature at the
weather bureau was % degrees, and was
still falling.
Throughout the day traffic of every kind
was impeded, and after 10 O'Clock at night
Il was rendered almost impossible. Ice
had covered the trolley wires, and the
street cars could scarcely get sufficient
current TO move them. Sleet covered the
pavements aud froze to the horses feet
and the animals could with difficulty stand
UP. to say nothing of moving. Ice covered
house porches and sidewalks and the un-
wary pedestrian found himself sprawling
in the street, with a mixture of mud and
sleet coating his back, and compound
of cold chills and acute pangs disturbing
his spinal column.
Street car traffic was abandoned after
II O'Clock On the suburban lines few
cars were run In the afternoon and these
were brought into the city with difficulty
Nearly all trains were late. The Florida
special, south bound on the Plant System,
was six hours late. The south bound ex-
press. due in Savannah at 2:10 O'Clock this
morning, and the south bound fast mail,
due at S:35 O'Clock. were both held up in
North Carolina, and at midnight were
reported five hours late The f. c. and z.
trains were all behind time. The Central
OF Georgia and Alabama were also de-
layed. and there viii probably be a gem
eral hold up Of travel to-day on all lines
The indications a midnight pointed 10
to-day being the coolest known in recent
years mercury reaching possibly 10 de
on record at the weather bureau here is
u degrees February 8, 1895. The lowest
before that was in February, 1886, when the
Ogeechee canal was frozen over in its
widest places and was turned into a skat-
ing ground. TIE cold at that time con-
tinued for nearly week, end
the entire country was frozen up.
The present cold wave extends over the
entire country. Along the Gulf coast 1t
ut &c rscaffN int eft
the temperature being l5 degrees at Gal
weston and IA degrees at Pensacola. Heavy
winds are reported in Florida and are
moving North. In the interior of Geor-
gia the temperature ranges 10 degrees to
is degrees above zero.
The northwest storm signal was hoisted
over the weather bureau at $50 o'clock
The cold wave signal was also up during
the afternoon with a prediction of a fan
to 10 degrees by this morning. The tenn
perature did not get above freezing during
the day and the minimum was 10 degrees
below freezing.
The fruit trees will likely sustain serious
damage, their only hope of salvation being
in the ice that covered them and which
may protect the buds from the cold The
crop in Southern Georgia has probably
already been decreased one-half and the
continued cold Will do further injury to
Ii is impossible to tell the extent the
vegetables around Savannah have suffer-
ed, as the ground Is for the most part Gov
cred With water. Only day or two of
tair weather will reveal the loss
The local forecast of the weather bureau
for to-day indicates continuing cold and
probably snow.
some snow fell last night, mingled with
the sleet. but scarcely enough 10 be no.
ticed by many. The sleet. though, covered
the ground TO a depth of quarter no
three-eighths of an inch
The temperature is falling In Florida.
and the orange crop is again ia danger.
AdVices from Washington indicate a prob-
able decrease of temperature of from Is TO
20 degrees in that state
continuation of the cold and sleet win
cause great suffering among the poor peo-
PIE in the city and in the country. whose
homes are mere shanties unprotected from
the penetrating winds and cold.
Hutchinson's Island presented a novel
as wei as somewhat chilly ap-
pearance in the afternoon The en-
tire stretch of land was covered with a
sheet of ice. There are no distractions on
the island now. and as far as the eve
could reach the scene was beautiful. as
well as very unusual.
The rigging and decks of vessels along
the WnarNes were a mass of ice. Very
few sailors ventured out from the fore
castle or along the docks and there was
scarcely a pedestrian in the vicinity to en-
joy the scene and TO take chances of TAX
ing the grip.
Two vessels were towed to the city from
quarantine and locked at berths along
the wharves They were also covered
with ice. The masters OF the tugboats
reported heavy weather below. accom-
panied by a rain and sleet.
The steamships Gate City, from Boston
and William Lawrence were both due yes.
terday. but We're detained. the former
having been repairing, and the latter OF
account of the weather. There were nC
arrivals from sea, and only two vessel.
ventured out, the steamship Tallahassee
for New York, which had been detainet
over Saturday night. and the Clifton, fo
Beaufort.