Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-12-31
ICE TO POINT LOOKOUT
Only Iron Hull Screw Steamers Able
to Forge Their Way up and Down
the Potomac at Present

The arctic weather which has pre-
vailed throughout a large section OF
TIE country since last Friday night
= mas almost closed navigation on The
Potomac river. Steamers which US
Tally operate between Washington
and Alexandria and river landings
were tied Erp eeyera! days ago. but
.1e steamers on the Norfoll: !!ne,
which seldom miss trip, have KEPT
going, although they arrive at this
sort late on account Of the heavy
ice encountered, especially At The
bends in the river where it is gorgcd.
Government tugboats are still run
ring to Fort Washington and Indian
Head.
The steamer Nortklana, due at
Alexandria at 6 o'clock this morning
did not reach her wharf until $40.
Captain Posey said ha encountered lc:
sll the way from Point Ioakou: 70
this port.
The steamer Three Rivers. of the
Baltimore line, scheduled to leave this
port at 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon.
left two hours earlier on account. OF
the ice. II is announced that the
boats of this Inc will make but or"
tcip week during the remainder OF
the winter. A steamer will leave
.Alexandria every Monday afternoon.
The cold wave which struck tlit'
locality 4ast Friday night is still IL
evidence. The grip Of the Fros'
King is tenacious. and great ineon
venience has been experienced in this
city, although but little actual suf.
fering has been reported so far.
1t was impossible to heat cliurchcs
and other large h9:ldings Yesterday
and some manufactures were force
to close their doors this morning CT
account OF the severe weather.
The mercury fell below the zero
mark in Thermometers early yester-
day. At 8 o'clock yesterday morn
M. &c cfs S2oN;f: :, yaI stroco, tii
thermometer repisfeced six degrees
below zero. Col!1itions this morning
were nearly as frigid as those
Of yesterday. The mercury dur
inc the night was down t.
zero, ond at At early hour today.
although il had forged upward some
what, It shoH! = sluggish disnosi-
!ion TO move.
At Hendon, Foirfax county. tn"
ue,rery t''~pned TO IS below ger"
while at plucmon,. L"udom county,
It got down TO ii below.
A heavy gale vas sweeping the
coast las, night, !mperilling shipping.
The extreme cold has, brought IN
iuries t. many seaman. A big Nor
weeian vessel is ashore off an Attain
I'll. port. Coast life savers have re-
moved the crew. Several other yes
sells are reported in distress. Tugs
are m,rrying 10 their relief.
New York. suffered terribly yes
terday on the coolest day Of which
it has authentic record. The mercury
sank to Il below zero. 4 coal famlrs
made thousands Of homes nnhcated
The cold was SO intense that wo:kmcn
irving 10 hasten new coal supplies
were compelled 20 suspend labor. The
North River gave indications Of
freezing over, which would further
a,nbarrass the almost frantic attempt:
to furnish coal. Two deaths ffoiil tfe
cold were reported. The Temperature
shows no signs OF moderation for the
next day or two.
Intense suffering among the poor
marked tine second day of Central
New York's scverest December
weather. The temperature crept t.
thirty degrees below, lower than ii
eyer went before in the local wealth
rr bureaus history. A dozen firem2n
were sent to hospital in SFraeus"
Yesterday after their fingers and
noses were frozen at $4,000 n:t
IN Wilson and Green's lumber yard