The daily tribune., 1908-05-04
JACK FROST'S WORK
CURIOUS ACCIDENTS CAUSED ~
lcR AND sNoW.
sudds1 Thaw Responsible for Tras.
sdles In All Parts Of the Garth
Remarkable Disaster on the
Zuider Zee.

AltnOu8n scores Oh uvee are loSt
yearly A. . result of rash skaters ven.
turing on Ice too thin to bear their
weight, yet the worst tragedies OF
erost ars-by curious contradiction
those caused by thaw. says Pear.
sons Weekly.
In February, four years ago. there
was . tremendous frost on the conti
mont. The Vistula, among other
rivers, WAS covered with ice OF i'm
mense thickness. and when the thaw
came and the bonds OF frost were
loosened the roaring river became
choked with gigantic dams of Ice.
In Gslicia, near Sxcuezin, the floes
grounded in shallow part OF the
stream and instantly a vast barrier Of
ice began to rear itself; while behind
1t the choked river swelled into a
mighty lake, and. pouring over its
banks, inundated the fiat country fol
. width OF 10 miles.
A regiment OF sappers armed with
dynamite. arrived by special train
but their efforts were of little use
Within "a hours no fewer than ter
villages were under water. 500 fam
iliss were homeless, and nearly 70 peo
pie were drowned.
A dreadful disaster was that which
happened couple of winters ago al
Wieringen, on the Zuider Zee. This
great shallow inland sea of brackisf
water usually freezes every winter fol
. long distance out One January
evening q number Of people were
amusing themselves skating off the
village, some at considerable dis
tance from shore. when suddenly G
great foe. acres in extent, cracked
away from the rest of the Ice, and 1
rapidly widening lane of water di
vided 4 dozen skaters from tn,
shore.
Some plunged in and swan back
but seven were carried out to sea OF
the floating Ice. Those on shore
rushed for boats, but here the fros
completed its deadly work. The
boats were too tightly frozen into tbs
sand OF the beach to be moved, and by
tho time one was loosened 1t was
d0f n. ANcAl uug thc unhappy
we're found frozen to death.
On the low, sandy shores of Lake
Michigan stands the village of Sand
point little place of wooden-buil
houses, which is-oddly enough-in
habited only In winter. Its people arr
fishermen who catch their prey b,
cutting holes in the ice when tn,
lake freezes. One night In February
1907, q tremendous gale arose, and
before the sleeping inhabitants OF fiv'
Of these little boxlike dwellings knew
what had happened. their homes
which were built without foundations
were blown on to the ice, and wen
sliding out at great speed across
the frozen surface. One hous,
dropped into a water hole and It's In
habitants were drowned. but thu
others, fortunately. brought up SAT-
against the edge Of long cape whicl
runs out crescent fashion almost or
posite the village.
One OF the most amazing tragedie
Of frost occurred In Colorado on
February day IL years ago. The TEN
peraturs WAS far below zero, but tn
air dry and clear and the sun shin
ing with amazing brilliancy. Ffv,
people. who were driving togethe
Across the tract Of forest reserv
known as North park. did not reall
feel the cold.
Suddenly the distant mountains dis
appeared In white mist and tn
sun lost It's brillianoy. Presently on
Of the women put her hand up to he
cheek, crying out that somethinl
had stung her. A breeze began [,
blow and the air became charge,
with = mist OF nne particles whicl
Elistened like diamond dust. They sa,
q settler. his face covered In shaw
signaling to them furiously. The.
drove to his house and he hurrie'
them In. Before morning all tn
party WAS dreadfully I'll and one won
an WAS dead. This fog IL OF fine ic
particles. 30 intensely cold that the
reach the lungs without melting. Tn
Indians Justly call this strange phe
nomenon the white death.