The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-18
COLD IN THE YUKON.
Some of the Effects Experienced by
DweIIers In Dawson City.

remlfka Die stories OF EdppenlHGS nj
Dawson City when the thermometer
drops many degrees below zero He
says:
strange manifesto lions appear as
a result of the extreme cold. one is
the way a fire burns in the stove. 1t
roars and crackIes like a great forge.
and wood in the stove seems 10 dis
solve in the flames like Il chunk of ice
The wood is gone and We wonder
where the heat went. At 60 sdegroes
below every stoyepipe throws out Il
great white cloud Of smoke and yapor
resembling that from a steamboat
stack in IFS wilderness, and this cloud
streams away for fifty to hundred
feet. mingling with the other white
gray mist OF haze that remains per
fuancnt i'm the atmosphere of the town
like a dense fog whenever it is 40 or
more degrees below zero. The white
gray fJ- IS not Il fog a s you know il,
but frozen mist. and every man, wo-
man. child. animal and even the fire
that burns is throwing out moisture
into the mir which is Immediately turn
ca iilLp al 'ictil VI IAbStlt NhlOI W men
floats away and remains visibly sus-
pended 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 a mild
jet of steam. while clipper of boiling
water thrown out into the air emits Il
y,nrh1iar ct hiSS
through the frosty air.
"Prospectors in attempting to boil a
dish of rice or beans upon a 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 ex-
posed to the weather will freeze Edg-
ed tools subjected to this tcmpera ture
become as hard and as brittle as glass
and will break as readily under strain,
I have seen a safety valve blowing off
steam. with the temperature 80 be
low zero. with icicles hanging to the
valve. having formed from condensa-
ton. the icicles not melting with the
outruShng steam. but remaining there
for days. All vegetables. apples.
fruit. eggs. etc. can be allowed 70
freeze until they become like bullets.
To make ready for use place them in
cold water for half a day before US
ing. and the frost will slowly with
draw without injury to the article. TO
attempt to thaw them out by more
rapid process, with fire or hot water,
spoiIs them for use.
at 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 n man from
our camp was found several years ago.
after he had been out all night, with
the thermometer 50 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 the frost came out
of hip hands without his even losing a
finger tip. The doctors We're amazed,
as they thought amputation would
have To be resOrted to. His hands
We're As white and as hard as marble.
and when placed in the oil they snap
ped and cracked as the oil began to
act upon the ice crystals. The temper
allure 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-
Tnonia can be contracted in q 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 60 degrees be-
low or thereabouts with the unprotect-
cd hands, unless You are careful'to re-
lease your hand instantly, for il you
do not it will freeze your inner palm
in five seconds. be very painful there
after and the result he the same as
from touching n redhot stove. Canned
goods undergo frightful contraction in
extreme cold and suck in air, and in
summer. with a temperature OF 90 de-
-rees. the reverse condition occurs,
causing leakage and loss. Winnipeg
Cor New York Tribune