The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-06
OLD MAN WINTER
HITS HARD BLOW
Comes in With Vengeance on
Twenty Mile Gale and
Country Shlvers
COOLEST JANUARY DAY
EVER RECORDED HERE
Few Days Have Been Colder
and hese Only Few De-
grees--End IS Not
Yet in Sight

Riding the crest OF a twenty nile
wind that penetrated the thickest or
winter clothes as ii they were maze OF
10 much mosquito netting. the COLO :
est weather Richmond ever saw IN
January entered town under cover OF
darkness last night and unpacked Tor
nm Indefinite stay. The weather man
nAtlv refused to predict the length of
the visit and the weather Itself, To-
Gated without trouble. drove corps
OF reporters hack to red hot stove
when they boldly demanded an In
terview.
Mercury In the weather mans Their
fnometer. holding its ground bravely
ut twenty degrees at noon yesterday.
gave up the fight early la the after
noon and began a retreat. At hrst
moving slowly. 1t threw in the high
clutch, cut open the muf'ier, and at
midnight had reached five, four mile
post below the record of January ~,
1904. when Q degrees went on the
weather bureaus diary as the cold
est January weather ever known in
Richmond.
End Not in Sight.
After threats had failed 10 bully the
weather prophet into a statement re-
earning the duration OF tie cold spell,
results. Tel 'eT.' he said. tine BAR
Ofneier was stiil soaring when we shut
UP shop last night, ard We think II
has started out 10 make an aitituoe re-
cord. As for the mercury" and pau--
Ing q moment tc Whispered cunDdaat-
tally, you know that even the wise
ones can't always tell Just what II
will do. But believe me, before this
y over. many a Richmond lad VIII
buckle on his skates"
The coolest weather ever known In
Richmond was February 10. 1899, when
three degrees below zero WAS regis
tered. Next day il Was one degr e
warmer Several times ii has hover
"a ON the top side OF the divide with
out crossing. but never 10 close be-
xQre la january
Joys and cIoeus.
sitting Ia a local hotel last night,
Z fat cigar between his teeth. an sx-
pansive smile disappearing In little
Wrinkles under his ears SAT q happy
man. foc could almost see the lit
tie Joys chasing each other across his
knees, and upon his shoulders You
were ready to swear the little elts " ere
perched In rows. The cause. you ask
edy oh, Yes. he's been In thu esAai
business ten years.
W ho.- tha- man that Just aafoarfr,i a
paper napkin and ordered ham and
for one, with two sides UP. as he
stealthily wiped away a tear that
trfckled down his nose No. none
Of his family are Ill. That's Smith.
or maybe his names Jones, don't
remember, he runs the ice plant just
around the corner.
Gold Spctl General
Richmond was not alone last night.
nor will Richmond people be the only
ones today TO shiver in the grasp Of
grim old winter. The old man has
reached out in deadly earnest and
h showing them from east to west
and from north 10 south that he's a
live one yet. At Winnipeg ye~ter-
day II was 80 degrees below zero.
and the highest the thermom eter
crawled was up To 20. AT Jackson
willie water was at thc freezing point.
and In Georgia and Alabama the fig
ure 20 was touched.
.You mustn't blame me-" WIRE the
parting words OF the fSrecastcr last
might. but take II from me. youll
wish you had bought those blankets
your wife was asking about before
this is over"