The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-11-20
COLD SNAP BEYOND MEMORY OF
OLDEST SETTLER.
EARLIER THAN EVER BEFORE
Past Weeks Weather Remarkable for
Severity So Early in the
Season.

FvEver since last Monday the old resi-
dents of these parts have been cudgel-
| ing their think boxes in vain endeavor
to recall another November which was
as cold so early in the month as the
present one. Some of them have
vague recollection of such a thing,
| but none can give positive testimony
on that score. Plenty of them can
remember the tail ends of Novembers
that were about as cold as it usually
gets in this altitude and latitude, but
that is about as much as they can do.
twenty-five below zero for Novem-
ber IL was something that had never
been heard of in this part of the Vel
lowstone valley and in consequence
when the thermometer began to de-
scend to that abysmal depth last Tues
day night it caught many a person
unprepared and some trouble was the
result. To add to the general incon-
venience caused by the freakish turn
taken by the elements, there was
scarcity of coal in the city. Several
dealers were out entirely, while the
others had merely enough to dole out
to their regular customers and keep
them from freezing Lack of help at
the mines and difficulty in securing
transportation was given by some OF
the agents as the cause. In
the case of the Rocky Fork
company it was the fault of
wheezy old locomotive that refused to
work and stalled the train containing
its precious load. Wednesday morn
ing, however, this company had sup
ply and was taking care of all in the
order in which they applied.
1t Deceived People.
Wednesday might most people
thought it had become "real warm"
The wind had died out and the air was
as calm as on May day. But it was
only a trick that nature played, for
It was anything but warm, taking a.;
absolutely reliable and truthful the
instruments that the weather man
has placed in the little lattice >dovecot
on the vacant lot west OF the fire
station. Yesterday morning the self
registering thermometer there showed
that during the night the temperature
had fallen until it recorded II below.
Some of the nighthawks prowling
about the city declared that the in
struments philanthropic persons have
hung in front of their respective prem
ises for the information and enlighten-
ment of their fellows actually beat
that Of the government in the matter
of attaining depth,' as the mining
editor would put it. They got into the
twenties and seemed to do it without
an effort. They did the same Tuesday !
night and some of them only ceased
to record when they had reached the
bottom of the tubes and could go no
further without an extension to the.
tube.
Will Remember Long.
Walter Clifton is one of those who !
have occasion to remember the night !
and the experience he had Wednesday
morning was such as to convince him
that the government thermometer
should have a guardian appointed, as
he regards it as thoroughly unreliable
and incapacitated. When he went
to bed Tuesday night he allowed
that lit was some cold and as matter
of precaution shut off his water supply,
taking care to open the various spig-
OTIS and cocks SO that the pipes might |
drain properly. Unfortunately, how
evet he forgot that the water in the
contraption of his range that heats the
supply in the tank cannot be drained
in that manner. To this forgetfulness
he is indebted for the unpleasant lit
tie incident that transpired in his
kitchen Wednesday morning few
minutes after he had started the fire
and was weiting for his better half
to make her appearance. After he
had recovered from the resultant sur
prise and fright of the explosion he
managed to pick up some parts of the
stove fit for use
Made Plumbers Happy.
The only persons who had no COM