Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-06
Temperatures Of From II
Below at Burlington to %
at Waterloo Reported;
May Go Lower Tonight.
TEMPERATURE TODAY.

The above weather reports from the
city weather department show the
peculiar pranks being played by the
weather in Ottumwa today. This
afternoon is the coolest afternoon re-
corded at the fire station in the past
fifteen years. The weather records OF
the years previous to that have not
been preserved. It Is perhaps the
coolest day for many years. In the
past fifteen winters, the temperature
today has been surpassed by but two
days only, and this at o'clock In the
morning when the THERMOMETERS read
ing is taken. February 2, 1895 and
February 13, 1905 saw the mercury ,at
twenty.four degrees below zero at {
q. M, which is nine degrees lower
than the registration this morning at
the same hour. But on the first day
above mentioned. the mercury climbed
back to ten degrees and on February
i3 to only two degrees below. There
fore this afternoon is six degrees
colder than the record breaker OF 1905.
A most peculiar feature OF tho
weather today is the fact that the mer-
curyis moving backward and forward.
Increasing two and one-han degrees
higher than the temperature at I a.
m. 4 The temperature generally moder-
Rtes after the hour Of seven but today
1t is growing colder and warmer IN
spells. Until this afternoon the wind
has been driving from the cold corner.
the northwest, but 1t is now swinging
around to the south, which usually
means moderation. But the freaks
that are now being played may send
even colder weather from the south.
The weather man says tomorrow Will
find the weather continuing cold. This
prophecy is accepted without question
BY the people Of this vicinity. There
have now been six consecutive days
OF below zero weather, with the temp
eratures as follows: 4, 6, 8, 5. 6, and
IL below. This record cannot be found
duplicated on the weather books OF
the department. s<
Schools are Closed.
All public schools of the city were
closed at noon today because OF the
severe weather. Plumbers are being
kept busy taking care of the bursted
water pipes. The retail coal dealers
have smile from ear to ear today and
are bustling busily about dispatchtng
fuel The morning and noon street
cars were crowded by those who found
the cold too severe to walk, especially
the South Ottumwa lines where walk
Ing means the crossing of the Market
street bridge, the coolest spot In the
city
Traffic Affected.
The Burlington road is having its
troubles ON branch and main lines
since the bad weather set in. Today
the Ottumwa division is annulling all
slow freights because only fifty per
cent Of the tonnage can be hauled
owing to the strong wind that has pre-
vailed. The snow and wind on the
branch lines is great source OF trou-
BILE and nthe GAINESVILLE branch there
are no trains being run. "A number of
Bnow plows are at work trying to
clear the tracks but with little sue.
cess as the snow when turned away
from the tracks, blows back again after
the passage by the snow plows. Train
master N G. Allen OF the Ottumwa
division left for the branch yesterday
on No. 179. .@~
All Iowa Feels Storm.
Des Moines, Jan. 5-The coldest
wave Of the entire winter season grip.
ped Des Moines and Iowa today. Indi.
cations were that the thermometer
here would go from IL degrees at
O'Clock to 20 or more by night fall.
At Keokuk work on the big power
dam was suspended when the temper
ature showed 12 degrees below while
at Waterloo with the mercury at %
train service was demoralized. The
latter was the case throughout most Of
central and eastern Iowa. Oskaloosa
reported 20 below, Cedar Rapids 16
Marshalltown 1S, Burlington IL and
Davenport u.