New-York tribune., 1911-12-26
SANTA MAKES A FLIGHT
DiSCards Sleigh and Takes Ad-
vantage of Aviation Weather.
CHRISTMAS FURS NOT WORN
Only Once Since 1895 Has the
Thermometer Gone SO High
on December 25.

Even tho weather man keeps pace with
progress. II he didn't heaven only knows
what would have happened to all the
little heats. and big heats, too. which
had staked their happiness on visit from
Santa Claus yesterday. For Santa Claus >
gift 10 himself this Christmas was a
powerful new weight-csrrying aeroplane,
and If he couldn't have used II he mightn't
have como at all How could one expect
Santa TO ride the sky these days In
rickety, old-fashloned sleigh? But the
weather man knew about that acroplauc
and presented New York with a generous
slice Of real aviation weather. So Santa
used his new gift and came.
There were lots Of people, though, who
couldn't use their new gifts yesterday.
They were not nearly so well satisfied
with the weather as Santa was. Some
of them, in fact. even went 50 far as TO
crticise the weather man for giving the
old saint the kind OF weather ho wanted
forgetting for the moment II he had given
him anything else they might still be
Waitlng for their gifts. They we're the
people to whom Santa brought furs and
overcoats and warm things.
To walk along Fifth avenue yesterday
afternoon one might have thought that
Santa, imbucd With fanatic zeal for the
science Of the air, omitted to put any Of
these winter necessities in his pack for
New York distribution But the erun-
bling Of the disconnected ones soon dis
abused tho mind of this notion. Here
was one who had 4 perfectly beautiful
set OF fluffy white furs lying on the bed
at home, but how on earth could she wear
them on q day like this? Here was an
other one who had just received dream
Of fur lined coat, but, confound Il, he'd
have 10 let the boys wait another week
TO envy him.
This state OF affairs was not only q dlF-
appointment TO many whose dearest pleas
ure 1t is to put Christmas presents into
immediate use; il was also something of
surprise. The weather man, that Waggish
/ individual spent the whole Of last week
! thinking up non-committal rumors about
/ storms headed this way from thc West, due
I here with the dawn OF Christmas. santa
| himself admitted that The hour of his flight
almost caught him without SasOlene for
| his motor. he having neglected To obtain
! any because Of the uupromising weather.
/ Even the afternoon before. with its chilling
| rain. was hardly prophetic or the day that
came The Thermometer dropped persis-
/ tentlv. until $40 o'clock yesterday morning.
/ At that time il registered 80 degrees, and
| the sky was perfectly clear
Then the mercury went MP for altitude.
| At noon & had reached IS degrees. At 2iO
| il touched a.. only once since 1895 has the
mercury climbed so high on Christmas
Day That was I'm 1901, when # registered
% degrees. Last year the maximum tenn
perature was I degree lower than ycstcr-
| days minimum. Yesterdays minimum was
| IS degrees above the lowest Christmas tenn
perature which the local Weather Bureau
| records. That was . degrees. in 1872.
Not once during the day did anything
like a real cloud throw n shadow to scare
the thousands who. even If they couldn't
wear new wraps, thronged city streets and
country lanes TO make the most OF a holi-
day. on five Christmases out of The last
ten il has actually showed; several others
have been white. 1t was only two years
ago that 5ia inches of snow fell on Christ
mas Day. A few people thought that was
enough for the next two years at least so
they hope that Santa keeps his aeroplane.