The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-13
Temperature Never So Low In Houston as
al Present.
MUCH SUFFERING CAUSED AMONG THE POOR
Eject on the Bitter Cold
Prevailing. 81
Official record for Houston:


Inc oluest innabitant has thrown up the
sponge and has admitted that he Is out
classed at all points. During all the years
he has lived In Houston he has never
experienced such weather as has prevailed
during the past two days and nights. The
defeat IL a crushing one for him but he re-
Allies that some sort Of a chance must be
given TO posterity and he is consols cd no
little thereby The big snowfall OF Feb
ruary IA, 1895. Just four years ago, lack
ing day, Is us fresh and veriaut in his
memory as is a mint julep In June, and the
terri fic weather OF yeirs gone by is by NO
means forgotten. He even remembers
away back In the sos, when Buffalo bayou
was covered with a sheet of Ice sufficiently
strong 10 bear the weight OF pedestrians
but that was when the stream was very low
and at a time when there was no current
and no tide to fight against King Boreas
of the North and TO prevent his icy clutches
from gaining control of the future deep
water channel TO the sea. Even when
the oldest inhabitant was n very small
boy, having Just been brought by his
parents from the old States to the village
Of huts perehed on the banks of the slug
Sish bayou, and nesting there in a way
that gave no Indication that Ii would be-
come, as IL has become, the metropolis of
the South-the nimble mercury never for
got its good manners TO such an extent
that IL tumbied down the tube as far as it
has within the last few hours. The old est
inhabitant Is utterly crushed in conse-
quence. When q younger friend approach
es him now and suggests to him. with a.
degree of profanity based on the length
OF time he has been exposed to the chilling,
biting, tipping North wind, that tits pref
ty colG.n the oldest inhabitant can not
yawp, draw closer to the welcome fire, and
say, with an air Of conscious superiority.
Yes, but away back in "a there was u
norther that" He has no recourse but
TO moodily assent, put few more Goals
In the blazing CRATE and reflect on what has
been, what might have been and what may
be- And all this makes him sad. very very
sad.
The weather which has prevailed here
since Saturday Is, in short. unprecedented.
Tho official record of the temperature, as
furnished by United States Weather OBJ
server j. A. McNabb and printed above,
shows what was probably the lowest tenn
perature yet reached: but the Thermometer
from which Mr.. McNabbs figures are taken
Is protected to a certain extent aud then,
too, II is possible that the weather was
than it was at Z. Thermometers all over
the city which are thoroughly exposed TO
the chilling blasts which sweep down from
the North surprised the people who looked
AT them Very late Saturday night or very
early Sunday morning, An instrument at
the Grand Central depot registered l de-
gree below zero at one time yesterday ana
there are numerous instances on record OF
the mercury having lowered uncertainty
n a. nj, al r.
ing the early hours OF Sunday. The ther-
mometer which broke the record, and Incl
dentnlly came near breaking itself, was
one which was attached to the 'front.' end OF
a street car yesterday anq, AFTER "TRIP
around one of the belt lines, showed 10
degrees below.
The bitter cold Is. naturally, causing a
great DEAL of Inconvenience In many ways
and no little suffering. The street car ser
vice was somewhat impaired Yesterday,
/ but In Justice to the patient men who oper'
ate the cars Il should be said that the
! fnult was not theirs With but few eXcap-
| tions they reported at the station on time
I Yesterday hut IL was found impossible to
! ret the cars out of the sheds Immediately
on account OF the fact that the brakes and
! other mechanism necessary 10 ihelr op-
| cration were frozen up hard and tight.
| I'm view of the instance OF low tempera-
| lure recorded above the motormen and oou-
| ductors and especially the former deserve
no end OF credit for the faithful perform
nnce OF their duties particularly on the
open cars.
! Naturally, every ono who had no busi-
ness ont of doors yesterday stayed at home
| But there were many, IN addition TO the
/ street ear operatives. who were not so for
tunato The members Of the night force on
| The Post were made fully aware OF the
| rigcr OF the weather on the Journey to
! their respective homes yesterday morn
I i,o par NJ A.
peIlcd to leave their warm beds AZ an TN
| inentionable hour in order to deliver their
papers on time wished that they were rich
| and were not compelled 10 work for their
daily bread
There were many others who were made
| to feel the effects OF the cold in the per-
| formance of their duties, but TO all of
them came q thought which made the chill
| wind less severe and the hard frozen
! streets less hinty. That tn 'ught was Of the
i huudreds OF poor unfortun1tes who hal
no work to DO. scanty clothing TO protect
them frcm tho cold, little to eat aud less
! TO make them warm, To Tho floating pop;i-
/ lation OF The city, aud 20 the poverty
Istriepen families birth white aud Col md,
] IA the tumble down shanties on the out
skirts Of the town. the relentless cold must
J have been terrible: Iii view of The auf-
ferings endured by them those VIII have
/ plenty To cat and plenty 70 wear, BIZ they
I
value II the II BILE work dADe by th9 HoNs-
| ton Charity and Relief association. and the
! force rl the Biblical injunction The poor
We have with We alwnys"
| CHIEF Of Police Blackburn helped many
OF the unfortunate idle men in the city bg
| giving them sholter and warmth al the
station during the night Some Of these
would not work II they had the chance,
white Others arc deserving in every WY,
OF three DISCHARGED volunteer soldiers who
applied 10 Clerk Forrest for q 1iglug yes.
terdny afternoon. enc had nathine around
the upper portion af his bady save blue
flannel shirt. Another We're blouse over
worry light cotton shirt.
The Salvation Army, tno. did It's share
in tho good work, and entertained num-
erous and moro Or less grateful guests at
its establishment IN the Fifth ward. al
which place one may pay fnr ones enter
tainmrnt By labor in the wood yard con-
nected Herewith.
~
Unwary householders all over tho city
awoke yesterday morning TO find their
water pipes frozen and bursted. in conse-
quence OF which the plumber viii reap
harvest during the week The feat OF get
ting OUT OF warm aud cosy led ana
lighting the morning Ere was not rendered
.uaw ... -.