The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-31

On the third day of the most exacting
cold spell within the memory OF many
old men Barre shook and shiyered, fig
uratiyely slapped its arms bodyward and
wondered when ii all would end, anyway.
| Nothing that emanated from Mortified
( in the line of news that everybody is
weary of offered any ground Tor hoping
| that relief is in sight, for in the absence
Of news from other weather stations, an
absence due to impaired telegraph serv
ice, the Dog river forecaster was unable
to predict. Thermometers here in the
city heralded the upprecented cold by
registering sub-zero readings ranging
from ~ TO Gs degrees. So, in lieu of any
comforting assurances from the weather
bureau, Barre simply waited, And in
the meantime generations of weather
prophets, schooled in the sharp atmos
phere of the we'll known oldfashioned
winters, fguratively stood aghast, non |
plussed- and dofFed their hats.
Weather indicators that have long been
under suspicion came into their own
through the week end. Thermometers
that have been in the habit of proclaim
ing 80 below when most of the Others
were ibHH tiiE dIbtliiA ~ tNiI Aio itAirNi ~
the eclipse for their content receded TO
minus 40 and - and stood pat while
other indicators were racing through the
ffties and into the next dangerous deci
NAL.
On Elm street sunday morning the
spirit thermometer by which the late
1lr. O. H. Reed kept a minute record OF
the weather for years and which is now
as carefully watched by his daughters
Mrs. w. T. Perkins, registered is de-
prees below zero The lowest that ther !
ever registered before was 90
degrees many wears ago when DR. Reed
Was alive. There are only 10 degrees
marked on the thermometer t
Elsewhere in the city reports OF 90 and d
IS below were common, and the general t
,oncensus of opinion to-day had it that {
The frigidity of the atmosphere had abat :
n not one whit All day yesterday the 9
mercury firted around 20 and - below, r
md beat another hasty retreat when c
hight settled down. +
There are hundreds of frozen water b
,ipes in Barre. dozens of frost bitten ears I
md badly nipped noses. Through It all 9
he fire department was on toes in an y
icipation of mtoward happenings, but Il
lot a single alarm was received Sunday. u
Naturally folks are pushing their far =
,aces and stoves to the limit and the de- y
artment was primed for most any emer l
encv. To-day Chief c. b Gladding had 3
word Of warning to people who have
ipes to thaw out He cautions house II
olders about the use of gasoline and pa "
er torches and urges all to exercise eX- % %
RENE care in applying torches where !.
he woodwork may become ignIted, or i
here there is intiammabe material eN :
osed. In the water department the en- "
loves eoutended with no serious trou- "'
les Yesterday. although many frozen
letters were reported.
This forenoon a call came from New y
m street aud il was feared that the y
.ain in that section had been frozen. :
ntil then all water mains in the city !"
ere intact. Department employees set ~ ~
., with the electric thawing machine ..
lrlv to-day and planned 10 busy them i.
Ives over frozen connections tor seN-
al davs Plumbers worked overtime
,sterday aud were at it again to-day in
ieir effort, To restore water service. hot ?.
n cold. 30 far as could be learned to- ~
IN no yerv serious damage resulted
om bursting pipes, but many families
ere inconyenieuced "a
The cold weather has acccutuated the 81
el shortage, and while there seems 10 "a
little actual suffering in the city. itiCe
es without saving that wood piles ard "a
VI bins, already depleted hy BE eoldcst IN
,cember ever known, could not long
thstaui the present weather
The intense cold delayed train ~erNiee
d hampered the arrival of mails. lack Ns
tract iou due tp BE co.d s- the cause
,ributed hv railroad men. and M relief
promised until tie weather abatc~
y naEfhhaUrd rsf' duo t reach Barre rs
.lud m- did not arrive until mid ul
-euear and all e1tgoin2 trains were ne.
d uF iu-
Is tHe frssf - l-e-tfr. weirl 4a
.ls - TIE uHdaa anI new aspapgr arr