Evening star., 1899-02-11
Point to Which the Mercury Dropped
This Morning.
UNPARALLELED In RECENT HISTORY
Prospect of Brief Respite, Be-
ginning With Tomorrow
SPECIAL BULLETIN ISSUED

| registered at the weather bureau is
| morning. Never before since the establish
! ment of the institution in this city has the
| mercury fallen so low in the thermometers.
| In 1881, the first day of January, a mimi
| mum of IA degrees was recorded. That
record stood until today, when it was
| knocked completely out and Washington
! given the coldest weather in its history.
| After hanging practically 10 degrees be-
| low the zero point for one hour and half,
| from Z to $50 o'clock this morning, the
mercury began to climb again and at noon
| had reached degrees above, a rise of 81
degrees. The indications are favorable for
warmer weather this afternoon. The mod
GRAFTON, however, will be of short durct ton,
for a second cold wave has appeared in the
extreme west, headed in this direction.
The prophets of the NJ street bureau cal
culate upon this second attack of frigidity
striking Washington during the early days
of next week, probably Monday afternoon.
This is rather far ahead to predict, though,
and there may be a change in conditions
tending to sidetrack the wave and send it
to another section which has not been SO
favored by Jack Frost.
Should Show Pity.
Since the accomplishment of its purpose.
the breaking of all known records for this
section of the country, it is to be hoped the
mercury will take some pity on suffering
humanity and come from it's hiding place in
the bottom of the bulb. The novelty of the
coldness has passed. now that new figures
have been made fer the old inhabitants to
recall, and there is no more interest at
tached to the antics of the thermometers.
Washington, for the past three days, has
been the coolest place in the east. The
thermometer readings here have shown
from 9 to 10 degrees colder than in the New
England states even. The capital city has
been in a pocket of colder air. This is best
illustrated by the fact that, wnile the mer-
curry in Washington was hoVerlnS 10 de-
grees below Zero in Baltimore the lowest
reading was 4 degrees below, difference
of eleven points. In Philadelphia at the
same time the lowest was below, in New
York, below; Boston, below; Portland.
Maine, 4 below. The nearest approach TO
the record made in this city was in Bing-
hamton, n. Y, where the minimum was
IA degrees below. Warmer weather has set
in throughout the middle west and in the
gulf states, rise in the temperature pre-
eeding the cold wave which has set In over
the Rocky mountain region, from north
western Texas to Montana. In this terri
tory there has been a fail since yesterday
of from 20 to 80 degrees, the lowest ther-
mometric reading in the United States to-
day being at Havre, Mont, where mini
mum of 40 below was reached.
The Averages.
Todav's mean temperature will not be as
low as that of yesterday, which was record
breaking in many ways Previous to yes
terday the lowest mean temperature on
record was Zero this occurring December
81 1880 when the mercury ranged from
13 below to 13 above. Yesterday the lowest
maximum ever known here was recorded.
the highest reading being but degrees
above The lowest was below, giving
mean of below. The Thermometer this
afternoon will probably go as high as 10
above if not higher. The weather bureau
officials are in high glee over the records
made during the last two days, believing
the new figures will never be reached again
during the present generation.
With the moderation promised for tonight
and tomorrow, cloudy weather, followed by
snow, is forecasted, although it would seem
all the snow in this vicinity had already
been showered upon the earth.
The cold today has not been so intense as
yesterday, owing to the absence of the bit
ing blasts which had blown from out the
west The 10, of the pedestrian has not
been SO hard to bear and all along the line
there has been a general Improvement in
conditions. Untold suffering has resulted
and that class of laborers whose duty COM
PEELED them to remain out-of-doors any
length of time. There have been many
serious aspects to the period of low tenn
peratureS. Many persons have been frost
bitten or had portions of their anatomy
frozen so badly to necessitate amputa-
ton. Ears, hands and feet have suffered
in this respect in many cases, and the hos
pital surgeons have devoted their time al
most exclusively to the treatment OF this
class of patients
Hosea Lee. small boy twelve years of
age whose guardian lives at 1919 New
Hampshire avenue, was taken to Freed
mans Hospital day before yesterday with
both Of his feet frozen. The injury was SO
serious that amputation of both members
was necessary. Back Of the boys sad
plight is story of suffering which, if true,
is hardly paralleled in this day Of civilza-
ton and enlightenment. He was living
with a family named Hill, at Oak Grove, 1t
Is said, and a few days ago was sent out to
chop some wood. 1t was bitter cold and
the snow covered the ground to depth of
ten or more inches Hosea could not do the
work and was unceremoniously turned out
of doors. He ran about the country for
three davs, sleeping in barns, finally max
ing his way into the city in the pitiable
condition stated.
There are eight cases at Freedman's Hos
pital, and as many more at the other medi-
cal institutions of the city, of persons with
hands or feet frozen.
Mr.. Phil Wagner, brother of Earl Wag-
ner, was overcome at the base ball park
He was found prostrated and taken to
Freedmans, where he was finally resusci-
tated.
Navigation Suspended.
Navigation on the river is practically sus-
pended. The ice is very heavy, and at
present the only boats able to force their
way through are the heavy steel steamers
or the NOrfolK ana washington line. The
steamer from Norfolk arrived today at
noon, being more than five hours late. The
ferry to Alexandria has stopped, and so
have the smaller river boats. There is
danger from flood when the ice thaws in
the upper tributaries, another serious fea-
ture of the freeze. In many places the ice
is eight inches in thickness.
Decreases Crime.
The cold weather has the effect Of de-
creasing the number of violations of the
law on the streets. and very little work In
this direction is being done by the police.
Most of the confirmed vagrants who belong
here, 1t is stated. ara in the workhouse.
There are also many strangers there and
the weather IS too severe for others to
come to the city. 1t is impossible for them
to rids on the blind end of baggage cars. or
even in box cars. and the only persons of
this class who are coming are the few
that are able to beat their way on pas
senger trains.
Although there is not so much work to
do. the police have to remain on ths streets
and brave the weather. In all the pre-
cincts the officers are being worked only
three hours between midnight and o'clock
4