Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-04-04
Cold In the Yukon.

remarkable stories of happenings at
Dawson City when the thermom eter
drops many degrees below 2 'ro. He
says:
Strange manifestations appear as
a result of the extreme cold. One is
the way FIRE burns in the stove. 1t
roars and crackles like great forge,
and wood in the stove seems to dis
solve in the flames like chunk of ice.
The wood is gone, and we wonder
where the heat went. At 60 degrees
below every stovepipe throws out a
great white cloud of smoke and vapor
resembling that from steamboat stack
in it's whiteness, and this cloud streams
away for fifty to hundred feet, ming
ling with the other white-gray mist or
haze that remains permanent in the
atmosphere OF the town Ike densh
fog whenever it is 40 or more degrees
below zero. The white-gray fog is
not fog as you know it, but frozen
mist, and every man, woman, child,
animal and even the FIRE that burns
is throwing out moisture into the air
which is Immediately turned into
cloud of frozen vapor which floats
away and remains visibly suspended
in the air.
Exposed hands, ears and noses
freeze in this temperature while going
few yards unless they are we'll pro-
tected. The breath roars like mild
Jet of steam, while dipper Of boiling
water thrown out into the air emits
peculiar whistling hiss as it drops
through the frosty air.
"Prospectors in attempting to boil a
dish of rice or beans upon campfire
unprotected from the weather find that
the side OF the dish which is in the fire
will boil, while the part of the dish
exposed to the weather will freeze.
Edged tools subjected to this tempera-
ture become as hard and as brittle as
glass and will break as readily under
strain. l have seen a safety valve
blowing off steam, with the tempera-
ture 60 below zero, with icicles hang
ing to the valve, having formed from
condensation, the icicles not melting
with the outrushing steam, but remain
ing there for days. All vegetables,ap-
pies, fruit, eggs, etc., can be allowed to
freeze until they become like bullets.
To make ready for use place them in
cold water for half day before u.s.
ing, and the frost will slowly with
draw without injury to the article.
To attempt to thaw them out by a
more rapid process, with fire or hot
water, spoils them for use.
1T is possible to thaw out frozen
foot, ear or hand by immerSing the
member in coal oil for several hours.
This is an absolutely safe remedy, and
a person thus escapes the surgeons
knife, as no bad results follow. This
is not mere hearsay, for man from
our camp was found several years ago,
after he had been out all night, with
the thermometer SO degrees below
zero, and both his hands were frozen
to the wrists. He was taken into
camp and his hands were soaked in
coal oil for FIVE hours, and all Of the
frost came out of his hands without
his even losing finger tip. The
doctors were amazed, as they thought
amputation would have to be resorted
to. His hands were as white and as
hard as marble, and when placed in
the oil they snapped and cracked as
the oil began to act upon the ice crys-
tails. The temperature of the oil should
be about the same temperature as that
of the living room.
"Great caution must be exercised in
the extremely cold weather not to
freeze the lungs, which one will quick
ly do if he hustles about at the or
binary pace. Quick and fatal pneu-
monia can be contracted in few mo-
ments. One has to be careful about
touching things with unprotected
hands. 1t is dangerous to take hold
of doorknob when it is 90 degrees
below or thereabouts with the unpro.
tected hands, unless you are careful
to release your hand instantly, for if
you do not it will freeze your inner
palm in FIVE seconds, be very painful
thereafter, and the result be the came
as from touching a redhot stove.
Canned goods undergo frightful con-
traction in extreme cold and suck in
air, and in summer, with tempera-
ture of 80 degrees, the revere condi-
ton occurs, causing leakage and loss.
Winnipeg Cor NelO York Tribune