Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-09
Sudden Drop in Thermometers
 Causes Much Suffering.
TERRYvILLE HOLDS RECORD.

It Was 16 Below at That Station This
 Morning -Torrington Held It's Own
 Pretty Well, Going Down to Is
 Waterbury Suffered Also,
 and Reports Vary, Although from 4
 to 10 Seemed to Be the Average.
 New Haven. Dec 9.-The mercury at 8 o'clock this morning registered be low zero, the lowest point reached hefe since February Il, 1899, according to local weather bureau records. On the latter date the thermometers recorded a temperature of 9 below zero.
 Terryville, Dec 9.-It was 16 below zero at Terryyille station this morn ing, while in the village, mile distant, 12 below was the greatest drop record ed.
 Torrington, Dec 9-The low temper ature records for years back were smashed by the drop in the mercury last night and early this morning. The theromemters in various parts of the borough registered from 12 to 13 de- = RTOPS DOlOW= zero U ClOChs DSdlldS the record for any December weather within memory. Goshen reported H below at the same hour, while Harwin- tons figures were from 12 to 14.
 Hartford, Dec 9.-At 8 a. m. the thcr- mometer registered below zero.
 Holland. Dec 9.-The mercury drop ped 20 degrees below zero this morn ing.
 Last night was one of the co1dest Waterbury has experienced for some time so early in December. Probab-- " nobody knows this better than the man who neglected to shut off his wa ter pipes in the cellar and is about town to-day looking for a plumber to help him out of his troubles. People who were about the streets got home or sought cosy corners elsewhere so that before 10 o'clock there were very few people about the center and when anybody happened along he was tray- cling as fast as his heels could carry him The mercury kept dropping and by 3 o'clock this morning it was three degrees below zero. That was bad enough, but when it got travelling " where to stop. It was degrees be- low the freezing point when Chief Egan called at his office and when Mr Pierpont of the bureau of water drop ped into the city hall annex he said it was 9 below zero up Chestnut avenue way. D. B. F. McMahon, business manager of the Democrat, who lives in Waterville. hustling village of 1,500 inhabitants which threatens to cut loose from Waterbury and take care of itself unless it gets police pro- tection. beat the whole of them. When he called at the office this morn ing he declared that the mercury was 15 degrees below zero according to the thermometer on his front yeranda and that it appeared to be moving down. ward when he left.
 But no matter how far the mercury dropped below the freezing point it is certain that it was severe night and everybody felt it There was an abundance of evidence about town to- day that Hack Frost stole a march on great many people. Plumbers were wreathed in smiles while owners of tenement blocks appeared out of sorts and when you notice this con- dition of affairs you can always tell that there is something wrong The cold weather continued all the fore noon and it is likely to stay for some time. Nearly all out door operations have been suspended laborers claiming that they could not stand the assaults of the frost. The lack of sufficient fuel in many homes. especially among the poor, is to be depIored and it is hoped that Waterbury will never again find itself in the position it occu- pies at the present time with refer ence to coal and wood. If the fac tories had not come to the rescue and given small amounts of coal to their help the city would be face to face with coal and wood famine. As it is many are suffering and if the real cold weather which has just set in con- tinues any great length of time some thing will have to be done to provide fuel for people who are able to pay reasonable prices for it, to say nothing of those who have no means.