Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-06
COLD WAVE BEATS FORECAST
Mercury Descends Lower Than Off
cial Prediction Prophesies.
WEATHER COLDEsT IN TWO YEARS
Government Thermometer Registers
10 at r. NJ. Last Night and Out
look In for Cold Day wednes-
day mt All Events.

After days and days of mild and pleas
ant weather, Nebraska and large part of
the United States are in the grip of the
coolest weather which this state, at least,
has experienced in two years. BY 9 o'clock
last night the mercury column had de-
scended to 10.
1t seems likely that the rising tempera-
ture predicted for Wednesday will start to
rise from a point so low that no one will
be complaining of the heat at noon today.
The decline in temperature yesterday
was a gracefully graduated affair. Save
for a little hesitation from to 0 a. m.
the mercury showed a downward determi-
nation of admirable consistency and rela-
bility. Beginning at a. m. with 5 above,
the government thermometer had dropped
to 3 by o'clock. At 8 it had risen to
and this was the only fight made against
the cold wave. The rest of the day and
for a part of the night the column con-
tinued to decline and decline until those
who looked at 1t every hour began to
fear lest it would never stop.
The cold snap pT'1sHJg considerable suf-
fering. There was GsIitue Temporary in
onvenlence for the well-fed and warmly
clad, but the real sufferers were the poor
In many an ill-heated shack between the
MlSSOull river anu lH6 WtStCIH Quasi luclS
was acute physical suffering last night and
may be again tonight. Many charity work
ers, however, rose to Their opportunity and
the City Mission did good work among the
destitute. The Associated Charities lent a
hand and so did the Salvation Army and
the Vo untesrs. Various refugees were eag
erly sought and the police station proved
haven for some weatherbeaten, FROST
nipped and homeless wayfarers
The weather produced one strange phe-
nomenon. 1t is in the vernal spring that
the poet is supposed to well forth in verse,
but the chill hours of Tuesday served to
bring out set of verses the wind and
weather which reached The Bee off ce dur
ing the night via the postoffice. The first
stanza of this effusion ran follows
Wild 1t whistles down old Sixteenth,
Coming from the long lost pole.
No need now to cope with conscience,
1t has frcZe our very soul
This was the only humorous episode OF
the cold wave. Other incidents had to do
too much with human suffering in greater
or less degree to be funny.
Cold Wave Covers State.
NORFOLK, Neb, Jan. 5.-(Special)-
The temperature dropped fifty degrees in
northern Nebraska and southern south
Dakota this morning, ranging from below
in northern Nebraska to 10 below at Chad
ron, Deadwood and Gregory, g. d. Seven
below was registered in Norfolk Light
snow flurries are reported in the Black
Hills.
BEATRICE, Neb., Jan. 5.-(Special Tele-
gram. )-The coolest weather of the season
prevails here this evening Temperature,
6 degrees below zero.
LOUISVILLE, Ky, Jan 6-Southern
Indiana and portions OF Kentucky and Ten
nessee were enveloped early today in
dense fog which interfered to some extent
with wire communication and rail trans
portation. The weather bureau promised
tonight the coolest wave OF the season.
VAN BUREN. Ark, Jan. 5.-The mild
winter has caused the peach buds to swell
and it is believed that the severe storm
which passed through this section last
night caused the loss of hupdreds OF
thousands OF dollars to the owners of com
mercial peach orchards.
Severely Cold in the North.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Jan. 5.-Twelve de-
grees below zero was the lowest record OF
the United States weather bureau ther-
mometer today. A biting northwest wind
is driving a fine snow about making almost
blizzard conditions. Street car traffic was
demoralized in this city during the rush
hours Of the morning.
LEAD, s. D., Jan. 5-The mercury
dropped to 20 degrees below zero here last
night, the coldest weather experienced here
in many years. Heavy SHOWS in the noun
tain districts make travel very difficult
and continuance OF the present cold snap
would cause suffering in the outlying dis
tricts. Points in the valleys adjacent re-
port the temperature IS below zero this
morning.
HURON, S. D., Jan. 5.-(SpeciaI Tele-
gram.)-This was the coldest day of the
| season, the temperature being 10 to 19 below
zero. -Four inches OF snow has fallen and
il is badly drifted. The storm covers the
northern and central parts OF the state and
| east from the Missouri river.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5.-The cold wave
which is headed for the east and south
has reached the western lake region and
the middle Mississippi river valley. accord
| ing TO the weather bureaus announcement
| today. The lowest temperatures OF the
winter are reported today in the Dakotas
Montana and the British northwest. There
is another storm blowing in the middle
|