The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-18
ICE KING
NOW HOLDS
full SWAY
The Frigid Wave EnVel-
ops Whole Country
LOW FIGURE is
REGISTERED HERE
Tendency Of the Mercury
Downward All Last Night.
HEAVY RAINS ABOVE
PUT RIVER ON a BOOM
A Rise of from Twelve to Fourteen Feet
Is Looked for--Tho Telegraph
Service lnterfered with BY the
Wind and sleet-The In
dications for To-Day
and To- Morrow.
Tendency Of the Mercury
!. Downward All Last Night.
HEAVY RAINS ABOVE
PUT RIVER ON a BOOM

ana uiO.MOrroW.
From end to end the country lies In tf1a ],
fierce grip of the winters coolest wave.
and from ocean to ocean Ice and snow
glisten In a sun that warns not while
the chill blast of the whistling wind
freezes men, as 1t has already frozen the
soil upon which men tread.
It was surely no ordinary fluctuations
of the weather which exerted that sud-
der change, whereby the mild and balmY
piercing as 1t is to-day The Weather Bli-s
reau declares ito be simply an upsetting
OF existing conditions, though an extraordi-
nary upsetting In Its extent For 1t is not q
merely q local change; the entire country
Is affected From the snow-capped hills
of the West to tho coast line on. tho East
n paralSzlng cold prevails. To the ex-
treme North snow is falling in the mfdst
of a temperature llovering near zero; In
the far South killing frosts are i1ss7 ding
tho orange groves of Florida and sd z..ng
the warm-veined folk Of Galveston and
Corpus Christi on the Gulf. Everywhere
the wave Is making its heavy hand felt.
and from, every section come forth rcparts6
OF cold ard suffering s5sa
THE SITUATION HERE,
Such weather as falls to the lot Of
Richmond in this widespread affection
has not been experienced here before
since the winter set In. The thermometer
has dwindled down to "a more nothing.
and, to make matters worse, James River
about It in a conservative spirit as be-e
coming tl1e-muddysJ lanes.
The bad spell began Saturday evening.
when an goncomlng cold wave chased
away that summer warmth which hung
over Richmond last week. Sunday 1t be-
poured down In torrents and showed be-
tween the showers. The thermometer
continued on its downward career, and
when people awaked yesterday morning
1t had skunk down to 24 degrees and evi-&
dently wished to go further. and would
have done so but for the restraining hand
OF the sun. The rain had departed and the
skies were gradually clearing, but the
cold grew worse.
During the day the temperature kept
pretty much as 1T began In the morning.
Tho heat OF the sun was hardly felt. Tbs {
mercury did manage to climb UP two
points and for time rest at 26 degreess
but Old Sol could do no more. HIS ex-
pended heat was worth no more than two
degrees, and finally he retired In confusg
sion. When the sun went down in the
evening the mercury went down with It.
and from 6 o'clock on a gradual but steady
fall was noticeable. Down, down 1t went.
until "a degrees looked from the distance
like blood heat. Somewhere in the early
hours of the morning it was expected by
the weather office that the Thermometer
would halt in the neighborhood Of IL de-
grees-a blinding. singing cold, fercer
than any the people OF Richmond have
known yet this year Up 70 yesterday
the coolest temperature was II degrees
When the town comes to life again to<
day. the bitter cold which means 12 on
Is degrees, will be prevailing still. "a
brisk and cutting. but diminishing north
west wind will knock the starch out Of
the stiffest. The day will be fair. with
no more hurries of snow such as dtsttn+
gulshed yesterday. but it will be intensely
cold throughout. There Is no hope OF
moderation until nishtfall, when 1t will
probably be slightly warmer. but not
much.
All the lakes and ponds around the city
will be frozen sultic!ently for good
skating. Happily. therc Will be no more
rain. and but for the remains of snow OF
Monday, the streets will be clear and
safe for walking. Water pipes Will be I
frozen, but there will be no other, damage.
except to people who nre suffering Bit
terly from the cold. Telegraph wires
are already considerably balled UP with
slect Much confusion resulted yeSter.
doy to tho two local Offices as a result
Of this state OF affairs. On Monday
night during tho rain and the snow the
electric wires seemed alao 10 be more or
less affected
RISE IN THE RIVER. II
Az was expected, the heavy rainfall OF
Sunday and Monday has had It's effect
upon the roads and likewise upon the s
streams, and particularly James River.
rhe roads are almost impossible. The
experiences OF some Of those who travel
ed over them Nonday night are given
elsewhere. The creeks were swollen be-
yond recognition
James River expanded into n sheet of
ice-cold water. spreading afar. 1t grad
ually broke over its banks until some
time between midnight and this morn
ing 1t reached n height of about thirteen
or fourteen feet, sufficiently to hood all
tho wharves and lap Its way into thA
lower streets Of Fulton, 1t was not
flood proper, and 1t did no damage. bnt
1t gave indication OF the fact that the
James Is still III the business. and knows
when to catch the town when Il Is all
ready parylized witt, cold,
BY 4 or s o'clock yesterday afternoon.
tho river at Columbia had reached It's
height, and there measured 2is-lo feet
From that noint onward II began te 4
sink back. No serious rise, therefore
need be feared here. The bulk OF tht
water Is already passed by and cannot
nut the river I'M ahOye fourteen fAnt.gA IA 4