Evening star., 1912-01-13
COOLEST DAY HERE
IN THIRTEEN YEARS
Zero, the Low Mark, Is Touch.
ed at 8 O'Clock This
Morning.
ABSENCE OF THE WIND
TEMPERS NIPPING AIR
But Another clustering Snow Is
Said to Be Coming From West.
POOR OF THE CAPITAL SUFFER
Charity Associations and Salvation
Army Active in Affording Re-
ief-Contributions Made
Through The Star.
Weather Bureau Records.

AS the frosty hand of Father Time
pointed to o'clock this morning the Ice
bound city of Washington experienced
the coolest hour since that Well remem-
bered day in February. 1899. when ears
we're frostbitten to the stinging tune of
ID degrees below zero. At this ordinarily
comfortable breakfast hour Of am the
official Thermometer at the weather bu-
reau was at zero. and the mercury SEEM
ed to be arranging to stay there all day.
unoficial thermometers at drug store
corners were at points varying from one
to three or four degrees below the goose
egg, and the old timers who eompla n
that I'VE don't have any more o.d-fash-
ioned winters were sitting behind the
furnace waiting for a January thaw to
set in.
That gentle snowstorm Of yesterday and
last night laid It's white blanket upon the
other blanket OF the same sort which
fell a few days ago. Au1 the city missed
the fierce no. Invest winds which threat
ened to make the sleet sting worse than
ever.
Gas Meters and Lamps Freeze.
For the first time in ten years gas
meters and gas street lamps are begin
ming to freeze generally. The slight
moisture In the gas cannot Withstand the
present zero weather and forms q fine
breath would dissolve 1t, and the. gas
men are having no trouble In starting
the pipes working right again.
Another Snowstorm Is loahng about IN
t>a
maybe tomorrow. and maybe not at all.
That's about as definite as the weather
sharIs can be on that particular SUD-
ject. 1t will be cold again tonight, as
city will have for this evening. The
increasing cioudiness seems to back up
the near-predlctiOn Of snow. but unless
all sisns fail there will be no heavy
win0S.
The Poor Continue to Suffer.
Meantime the poor continue to suffer.
except in the instances where charity
.ntervenes. The working force of the
Associated Charities has been doubled to
cope with the situation.
Many volunteers have offered their
services TO the organization. One of
them was a man who had found II neces-
sary to go to the Associated Charities
for aid himself They put him on his
feet and since then ne has been working
for his benefactors. A charitable woman
offered all her time 10 Walter Ufford,
secretary. and is now investigating the
appeals for charity.
I'VE are letting no one suffer" said Mr.
ford today. I'VE are getting great
many appeals for aid. and today we will
probably receive urgent calls for help.
They need food and fuel and we are try
ing TO see that every one who needs
something gets 1t.
Contributed Through The Star.
day. the contribution OF fourteen clerks
bureau OF the census. The donors re-
quested that this amount ''be placed
where il will do the greatest practical
sood among the deserving and needy"
The Salvation Army has established
relief stations at 3273 VI street north.
west. at lOS AZ street and at the main
office. go Pennsylvania avenue. Baskets
of food for immediate relief are dstrfb-
lted from these stations, and the ar1ny's
bread line is fed with bread and coffee
every evening between and o'clock
Every hungry man who drops In at that
hour is fed, and in addition the Salvation
Army has several families on its rolls
all of which are being supported entirely
by the armys charity.
The Gospel Mission. 21i John Marshall
place. has a bread line which Is in opera
ton at o'clock in the morning.
The bread line for the birds and squir-
rels In the parks is attracting attention.
III IL were not for the thoughtfulness of
men and women these little warm
weather friends would die by hundreds.
AS il is the animals are getting q little
something to eat now and then from
people who carry bread crumbs, grain,
suet nuts and other such stun into the
snow-covcred parks. The nuts which the
squirrels buried in the ground against
the scant winter days are so far under
meath the glacial surface OF the parks
that the furry things are all but starved
The quail of the suburbs have been sup
piled with grain by the policemen and by
residents.
Skaters Don't Mind It.
The skaters committee. which appealed
TO the public yesterday for funds tG
clean off the tidal basin. received a tidy
little sum as the result Of their labor
and paid men are at work today. BY to-
morrow morning II is expected that hall
or three-quarters Of the basin will be In
lit condition for skating. and the present
outlook points toward fine skating fol
ten days. 1t is probable that the skaters
committee will form an organization
which will include many of the mosi
prominent people in Washington.
Accidents Due to the Cold.
\ northbound Capital Traction car and