The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-17
THE ICE BaockED SOUTH
Southern Cities Cut on by the Severf
StOrm-U nusua Experiences fqf
charleston. Savannah and Norfolk

found itself wrapped in a blanket OF
snow. 1t was bitterly cold all OF last
night, the Thermometers registering as
rain and sleet fell. The snow did not
come till towards morning. The fall is
variously Estimated at from two TO three
inches on a level. Business has prac-
tically been suspended all day. Mer-
chants, clerks, business men and pri-
vate citizens have paraded the streets
engaging in snow ball battles. The
street cars ave not been able to run
and no trains have entered or gone out
of the city today. The weather is the
coolest ever experienced here, the ther-
mometer registering 8 degrees at z
o'clock today. Five years ago there
was a small snow storm in the city,
but the conditions then were moi equal
to those prevailing here today. Charles
toms weather records show no parallel
to the storm which started yesterday
and which still continues.
The injury to vegetables cannot yet
be estimated; but it is enormous.
Savannah, Ga, February 13.-Today
has been the coolest or record in this
CITY. AL IL loCh, a. H. Tic IJC
stood at s degrees above zero, with h
| city under a Pinch snowfall and a
brisk wind blowing. Henry Lewis, col
| ored, died from cold in his home. Street
cars were for twelve hour stalled by
| snow all over the city. In several in
stances motormen and conductors who
waited on their stalled cars for orders
were so badly frost bitten they had to
be lifted off the cars and sent home
and to bed. The schools were dismissed
at noon on account of the cold. Bust
ness was suspended on the water front.
All of the shipping is covered with
ice and no loading was done. The tenn
perature did not rise above p degrees
during the day and Notwithstanding
bright sunshine there was no thaw.
All trains are delayed. The early veg
etables on truck farms are badly dam
aged.
Zero temperature is predicted tonight.
schooner has arrived or cleared at Nor
folk since Saturday. The harbor is
frozen, as is also Hampton Roads n
Chesapeake bay to a mile outside of
Capes Henry and Charles. Only one
steamer arrived today, the Merchants
and Miners Line ID. H. Miller" Cap
| tain Peters, from Boston, Saturday. She
came in the capes at 8 o'clock, a. M,
today under full speed, but stuck one
| and one-half hours off Craney island,
butted the ice and finally freed herself
and came up to her pier. The same
lines steamer Essex is frozen in the
ice somewhere between these capes and
Old Point. She passed in the capes at
2 o'clock, p. m, Sunday. All Transport
tatiOn lines are cut off; ferries running
only hourly and will be forced to stop
tonight. The snow is fourteen inches
deep and still falling, and growing
colder. Nothing since 1857 to equal it.
i PnofS oil nraIin11C v-nofhar h11rnoI1 roo
ords. Ice in the harbor is four inches
thick.
THE STORM AT COLUMBIA.
Columbia, S. c., February 13.-Co-
lumbia was just north of the center Of
the storm and is experiencing the cold
est weather since the bureau was eStab-
lished here eleven years ago.. The mer-
Jury got down to Z degrees, with a
mean of II. The snow though packed
by sleet is now lis inches, the deepest
recorded here heretofore being lis
inches in February 1894. The lowest
temperature ever recorded here was 8
4 degrees on February IA, 1895. The rec
ord tonight will probably be lower still.
North of Columbia conditions are worse.
Advices from all parts of South Caro-
lima tell the Columbia story over again.
Early fruit and vegetables will be in
jured.
PETERSBURG SNOW-BOUND.
Petersburg, Va, February 13.-Snow
has been falling here almost incessant-
ly for fifty hours and the ground is
covered on the level to a depth Of twen-
ty-twO inches, with drifts reaching a
depth of six feet. Railroad trains and
street car lines have ceased operations
and business is practically suspended.
The weight of snow crushed in the roof
of Roper & Co.'S wholesale grocery
store today, slightly injuring two
clerks. 1t is the heaviest storm known
here since 1857. A fuel famine prevails.
ARTIC WEATHER AT DANVILLE.
Danville, Va, February 13.-The rec
ord in the way of arctic weather was
broker in this vicinity last night and
today and the end is not yet. Snow
now lies on the ground to a depth of
ten inches and is drifted in many places
to several feet. The mercury for the
past forty-eight hours has lowered be-
tween zero and 10 above, falling to 3 Or
4 below during the night. Railway
traffic in every direction is blocked by
snow and all trains abandoned. The
Atlantic and Danville e%astbound train
left L~awrenceville, Va, this morning
with three locomotives, but had to be
abandoned. Southern railway trains
between here and Washington are dis
continued.
Three distinct shocks of earthquakes
were felt here at 4:3O o'clock, a. m, to-
day. Many persons were awakened.
Vibrations north to south.
EIGHTEEN INCHES OF SNOW AT
RALEIGH.
Raleigh, n. c., February 13.-The
snow which began falling on Saturday
at noon ceased this afternoon. 1t is the
largest snow storm that has visited
this city sinc 1857. That snow was said
to be twenty-four inches deep while the
present n is eighteen inchesA The
temperature is remarkably cold and the
wind is very brisk. That the mercury
will drop to zero or slightly below by
morning, is very probable. breaking all
previous records. Traffic on the rail-
road lines was practically suspended
today. but will be resumed tomorrow.
BELOW ZERO AT MOBILE.
Mobile, Ala, February 13.-The cold
est weather on record struck Mobile on
the opening day of the carnival n
forced a ~postponement of the first days
celebration TO tomorrow. The mercury