Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-15
THE ANCIENT CAPITAL"
Experience During the snow->'or"-
Personals and Briefs.


WILLIAMSBURG. VA. February H.
| Cspecial)-It commenced showing here
last Saturday evening about o'clock
and continued until about 9 last night
The snow was accompanied by high,
north wind and intensely cold weather.
| The thermometer registered from above
| TO zero. Our oldest citizens state that
| during the famous spell OF 1851 II was
colder. but the snow not so deep. Yes
! tefday III was almost impossible for q pc
destrian or a vehicle Of any kind to move
on the streets although a few vcntured
| out after fuel. In one case n cart with
ten or twelve sticks of wood had to be
| abandoned, IL being impossible with a
| horse and -four men 10 move II. Mayor
| Mercer has had out all the morning snow
plows. with four horses attached. open
Ing passageway on the sidewalks and
In the middle of the streets for vehicles
The college suspended lectures yester-
day, and all the public schools have
closed. and will not open for several days,
as II Is impossible for the children TO at
tend. The college started up again to-
day Taken altogether. this is pronounced
the worst spell Of weather ever expert
enced I'm this section. and II caught our
people totally unprepared, and many of
them are burning fences. Old houses and
several old trees at the upper end of the
town were cut down Yesterday for fuel.
The wood and coal-dealers are nearly
out Of stock and what little they have is
selling far above the means of the aver
age buyer. In many places the snow
has drifted to depth Of II TO - feet and
there Is no communication. except on
horseback, with the neighborng counties
The York and James rivers are frozen
over from shore TO shore
Yesterday was COunty-Court-Day, but
owing to the weather no one was pres
ent except the officers who reside here.
To-day Judge Smith opened court. but lit
tie business was transacted. as the-grand
jury was absent. as well as the venire,
clients. and witnesses.
There was a slim Attendance at the Phi
Beta Kappa banquet which was held at
the Inn last night. Besides the local
members present. Professor Charles f.
Richardson. Of Dartmouth College Han
over y. H.. was the only visiting mem
Der. lie delivered the annual address
yesterday evening in the college chapel
To fair audience considering the biz
zard which was then raging.
Judy Merryweather and William Hud-
son. prisoners confined i'm Jail under a
sentence pronounced Ey Justice II. Il.
Cowles, sued out writ of habeas corpus
to-day. The court considering the case
came to the conclusion that the Justice
had exceeded his jurisdiction, and dis
the prisoners from custody.
Mr. Frank l.. Howard has gotten home
fIom pleasant visit 10 his daughter i'm
Norfolk.
Mr.. and Mrs. II. y. Phillips have as
their guest Miss Alma Elam a most at
tractive young lady from Suffolk.
Mr.. Floyd Powell one Of the most sue
cessful huntsmen in this section, recently
killed three canvas-back ducks, which
were shipped TO New York. one. not
being in as good condition as the others.
sold for $3.50, the other two bringing s.
each.
Mr.. Edmund W. Warburton. who has
been down with the grip for a week or
ten days, IS out to-day for the first time. !