Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-03
LOWER TEMPERATURE
SNOW AND COLDER WEATHER
PREDICTED FOR TOMORROW.

The cold wave Of today will be followed
tomorrow by flying snow and a lowering of
the temperature, according to the official
prophet of Uncles Sans weather bureau.
The snowfall will also begin the vertical
ton of the traditional prophecy of the
ground hog for forty days more of wintry
weather, which followed the action of the
little animal yesterday in scurrying back
into its hole after 1t had seen It's shadow
reflected on the snow-covered ground.
The minimum temperature in the past
twenty-four hours was five degrees above
zero between and I clock this morning.
BY o'clock the temperature had risen one
degree. Professor Garriott says the wealth
er will begin to moderate tomorrow with
snow.
the west, it was believed this would be the
coolest day of the season, but such was not
the case. The lowest temperature thus far
recorded was at o'clock am of January
81, when the official thermometer here reg
istered two degrees below zero.
Reports received by the weather bureau
today show that the temperature is gen
;erally moderating, with rain In the south
and snow in the west and middle west. The
precipitation, either as rain or snow, Is
following in the wake of the cold wave
A query concerning the ground hog and
his prophecy was propounded today by
service man.
II could understand" said the citizen,
why the ground hog would retreat into its
hole If 1t came out after its winter 8 sleep
and found the weatheE showing, raining or
cloudy, when his shadow could not be seen.
But to scamper back when the day Is clear
and sunshiny, as was the case yesterday, Is
beyond my ken"
1.-THE answer is easy" replied the old
weather man. 1T is not the weather the
animal is afraid Of but it's shadow. After
being in dark burrow for months, when II
timidly leaves the hole on February 2 and
Is suddenly confronted by the shadow, 1t
darts back to cover in the belief. no doubt,
that the shadow is either a hobgoblin or an
animal of prey
Conditions on the River.
The conditions on the river were worse
this morning than they have been at any
time during the winter. the intensely cold
weather adding several inches of ice during
the past forty-eight hours to the already
heavy formation.
From the Little Falls to the mouth Of
the river an immovable sheet Of ice varying
in thickness from six inches to ten inches,
covers the surface and where the cakes
have run together and frozen 1t Is two and
three feet thick, and through this the tugs
and steamers are forcing their way with
much difficulty.
A barge laden with material for the naval
pOWuer factory at indian HEAD, Mo, was
started down the river this morning from
this city conveyed by the three powerful
naval tugs Triton, Tecumseh and Choctaw.
Two of the tugs had tow lines to the
barge and the third went ahead to
break a passage through the ice They
left the navy yard, it is stated, about 8
O'Clock, but at II o'clock they were fighting
the ice off Alexandria, and the tugs had
parted several big hawsers in pulling the
barg after them.
1t is but seldom the naval tugs have trou-
Bile in travelling through heavy ice and
some idea of the extent of the freeze can be
formed from the stoppage of the three big
steamers. Capt. Posy in command of the
Norfolk line steamer which arrived here
at 11:3O o'clock this morning, reports ice
down to Point Lookout off Ragged Point,
and up to this city 1t was solid.
The steamer Estelle Randall left here this
morning with the mail for Glymont. At
noon she, was about Fort Foote forcing
her way down the river.