The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-14
Mercury Drops to Low.
est Point Recorded
in Thirteen Years.
LITTLE HOPE OF
RELIEF TO-DAY
southsidc Water Supply, Which
Was Cut OFF by Frozen Pipes,
Re tored After All-Day
Thaw-Heroic Efforts Made
to Protect Many Farni- Z
lies in Distress.

with all of Richmond south Of tha
river cut off from the water supply as
inc result of frozen intake pipe at
the pump-house. and the Associated
Charities working frantlcally to keep
the death frost from tho doors Of the
destitute, the city shivered, slipped,
slid and Sasped yesterday through the
coolest twenty-four hours since 1899.
Not since the year that followed tho
Spanish American War registered its
extremely low record of three below
zero did Richmond experience colder
weather.
In point OF duration. the wave, which
reached It's climax yesterday, and. from
all accounts. will continue unbroken for
at least thirty-s!x hours, exceeds even
the extreme weather OF February, 1893,
II descended upon the city Friday, JAM
uary .. when the thermometer dropped
at SIX hours notice to 10 degrees above
zero, the lowest IN seven years. With
slsht amc!!ora'on on one or two days.
when the sun shene clear from an un-
clouded sky. the weather of the week
following remained we'll under ths
freezing point, attaining increas sing ss-
verify until yesterday morning. when
the official reading at the local station
OF the government Weather Bureau re-
vealed the indicator at 5.5 degrcea
| above zero The highest temperature
, reached during the day was IL degrees
above.
South Richmond Helpless.
The freezing of the intake pipe at
the pumping station left South Xich-
mond without water for household usa
and with only such fire protection as
could he supplied by two chemical en-
Gines, which were rushed across the
| river from fire headquarters 10 stand
ny IN case OF emergency. The only ac-
esssieie water was tho unfrozen cnan-
! mel OF the James, a source which could
DC utilized with effect only in case the
! lire were close TO the rivers edge
! At the South Richmond offices of tho
city Water Works the telephones rang
al day with complaints from resLuents
/ uhacquainted with the extent OF the
/ situation, lmploring the department.. 10
| urn on tue water Tho ice In all
| aVailab bic wells was broken In. and thu
scanty supply OF water they contained
! doied out 10 waiting nelghbots for tho
Immediate purposes OF the Kitchen Foe
lnundry and, In many cases, for drink.
Ing purposes. a number of the lnhab.
itants of Washington Ward melted
buckets OF snow and chunks OF Ice.
Water on Again Mt 1850.
Not until 1880 o'c.ock in the after.
noon was the water servicr restored.
lmihenlately after learning Of the sit
/ uatlon superintendent Davis placed a
large fo.ce at WORK thawlng out Tho
intake pipe with huge Lres Cn,iI late
III thc afternoon lac frozen tube re-
Sisted all EFFORTS AT O clock a small +
stream OF water h1gan nowlns, and
halt an hour later the normal now VAS
restored.
Ihe freezing OF the pipe was ascr,bed
ny superintendent Davis 10 an accumu-
iaiion OF Inc nctdIr-icc in the tube.
carried III i!om the river channel rhIa
produced congestion and rendered ina
| How or water SO slow that tre.zinc
| followed shortly aftcrward. AS soon az
| me pressure was restored guaru waa
| set at the intake, ana Will De kept on
! duty night ana day. To watcn against
IA recurrence OF the accident. While
! inc normal pressure OF clsnly was NOT
/ Tcachcd yesterday. the slXty.four
I! rounos when the gauge regia tered wa,
| Snihcient to meet the ordinary needs
| OF ine city.
rrniiic Seriously Delayed.
III the city proper conoilions wera
! but little better, There was no water
iamint. put business. especially that
part OF II concerned with heavy haul
ms. was comuUrted wtth extreme ult-
iouity. The snow that iclI Thursuav
! night was packed tiynt on the main
thvrougaiares by automobiles and
sleishs. rendering them dangerous and
| slippery. Heavily loaded wagons ana
The cross streets leading from Main
to Broad without attaching extra
teams or tightening their loads.
! ON all of the streets with heavy
traffic horses fell throughout tile day.
! collecting the usual crowds who stood Z
| by and advised while the driver made
hurried efforts 10 loose the struggling
animal. y number Of accidents due
to slipping on icy roadways and pave
tnents. were reported none OF them,
however, proving serious
The slipping was by no means con-
! fined 10 animals, the Surer-tooted hu-
man proving the victim quite as often.
sudden gusts OF wind, and patches OF
Ice on sidewalks with high gradient.
| brought u rch harvest Of sudden and
unccrcmonious falls Especially sin.
| Ming in this respect were the serpcn-
| tine walks leading through Capitol
Square 10 Bank street, which we're
| as trcachcrous as the trails that lead
across the klondike. None, however
suffered more than miner bruises. and
| no broken bones were reported. @
The Plumber Is kius.
! Plumbers re!gned Yesterday as I'M Il
crowned kings Of Richmond. Hun.
dreds OF families woke in the morn. q
ing to find the furnace out and every
bit OF exposed plumbing choked with
ice. In many cases the pipes had
burst during the night converting tho 2
floors into impromptu skating rinks$
I Hurry calls for plumbers, which be- J,
gan coming from Ice bound Residences,
early before breakfast, and eontiausd
| unrem'ttirgiy until late In the night. y
| brought little satisfaction. every
| plumbing establishment in town rssB
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