Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-01-18
Coolest Weather on Record.

me C0lQeSt Wcdtnef reCOrQeQ In tnfS
section, so far as we know, is that which
has prevailed in this community the past
week. Following The snow That pre-
vailed for a couple of days last week
came the very remarkable fall in temper
AZURE. Thursday was cold and Friday
was colder, but not more so than fire.
quently occurs during our winters. But
when folks awoke Saturday morning they
realized that the weather was bitter
Windows were coated with ice, water in
the houses was frozen, and the chill that
everywhere prevailed indicated an unu-
sual condition. A glance at the Their
mometer caused shock, for in various
parts of the town the mercury ranged
from 10 to IA degrees below zero, the
coolest hour being between seven and
eight o'clock. The cold caused ageneral
sensation, for in this section il is only
occasionally that the zero mark is reach
ed. The weather continued intensely
cold all day Saturday and Saturday night,
and it was hard work to keep comforta-
BILE, as few homes are provided with
heating apparatus to meet such condl-
tons. But worse was to come. Early
Sunday morning the temperature went
still lower, and the thermometers in town
registered q degrees below zero. The
oldest inhabltanI doesn't remember any
thing like this, nor do we recall a spell
even approaching il in intensity. A Pc
culiar thing about the cold was that there
was little or no wind with it. The air
was still, but keen and penetrating. The
weather moderated a Bit Sunday and Mon
day, but Monday night another cold wave
came, with a high wind, and made atem-
perature too low for comfort. Yesterday
it grew warmer, and today the mercury
is above 40 degrees and folks have stop
ped shlvering.
There was more or less suffering on
the part,of man and beast. Horses that
came to town on Sunday were in some
cases white with frost. Chickens troze
to death in their coop at Rev. E. Trip
let's. 1t is believed that many birds
persisted in the cold. Persons who had
to expose themselves any length OF time
were made extremely uncomfortable.
The Norfolk and Western Railroad ran
its passenger trains pretty nearly on
schedule time. The most delay was
Sunday morning, when the SOUTH bound
mail train was nearly two hours late. AS
the engines stood on the track at Hagers-
town, with full head OF steam on, they
froze up and couldn't be moved. II took
two hours to thaw them ont. Monday
morning the southbound mail train on the
N. & w. froze up at Charles Town sta
ton. The two engines tried to move the
cars, but they wouldn't bulge, and in
the effort a draw-head was pulled out OF
one of the day coaches. The coach was
placed on side track, and Car to take
its place was borrowed from train No. Is.
The great cold was general through
this and adjoining States, and our people
realized what the low temperatures re-
ported from the West meant. In the
mountain regions the cold was even more
intense, and at Oakland and Terra Alta ii
was about 40 degrees below zero.
The Potomac riveri is frozen over solldly
for almost its entire length. The ice is
from six to twelve inches thick, and
would have been much heavier but for
the fact that il was covered with snow,
that in way protected it. At Point OF
Rocks the ice is so thick that teams are
crossing upon it.
The air-brakeS on a B. & o. freight
train froze between Cumberland and Han
cock, and the train could not be moved
for several hours. A number OF cattle that
were in the cars froZe to death in the
bitter cold.
Some persons assert that the intense
cold has frozen the tender branches of
peach trees and other stone fruits to such
an extent that there will be no crop the
coming season. This, no "ever, remains
TO be seen.
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