The sun., 1918-01-01
COLD WAVE BROKEN,
WEATHER SACES SAY

The frost giants have launched their
riined galleys and have taken to the
sea. but New York continues TO feel the
chill OF their breath. The cold was only
slightly less austere Yesterday than or
Sunday. tho coolest day ever marked
here upon the records oe the Weather
Man. but an aneliorat!ou Of this auster-
ity is promised for the FIRST day OF the
new year and for the days to come.
The weather sharps Of the Whitehall
Building-cautious ssages-predict a grad
ual coming Of warmth, or relative
warmth. saying that folks folks can ex-
pect to be plagued by zero weather or a
little better for a few hours, but they
hint that snow fiurrics will precede a
bull market in meteorology. Slow and
patient does It, says the Weather Msn.
but Farmer Dunn stakes his ancient rep
utation on more daring haza ards.
The eminent Farmer. who used to pre-
side over tho bureau OF these parts told
THE Sun yesterday that he had II
straight from hi. familars that tho
thermometer would register 90 degrees
above by this afternoon. The public will
await with shivering interest. doubtless.
tho decision in prophecy between III, old
regime and the new. Both. however, as
Sert that The back OF the cold snap Is
broken. and that the rest OF the week
will see an improvement IN situation
which brought death and distress. With
the coal situation what 1t Is, no prophecy
could come out of the tail tower which
would he more grateful to suffering
millions
Down TO Below Yesterday.
Pa Knckerbocker endured weather
~, 20, fttnt. tVh N
Medicine Hat and the Peace River coun-
try. but which is fairly scarce In these
supposedly mild lati;udes. After II
plunge downward on Sunday morning
which would have done credit to Beth
lehem Steel In the great December leak
the mercury one-stepped yesterday win
in fairly limited space. The coldest
hours of the last day OF 1917 were AZ
A. NJ . A. n. and A. NJ. when the
sacred tubes Of Whitehall marked =
weather down to below and could ma
no BUYERS That was Just o.S degrees
colder than sundays low mark 1he
bureau issued an important correction
Yesterday, It may bo said in passing
Tho mercury did not get down to l3 he :
low on SUNDAY. The lowest 1t reached
Was lo.S.
Folks all around the metropolitan dis
trict were not acutely aware or TINS very
slight Improvement which the thermome-
tors revealed yesterday. They continued
! 20 wurk-or tried TO work--with stthenins
! fingers with tho conveniences of tnc city
! out of gear and kilter and with stores or
grave suffering coming 10 them from all
| sides II was not until late in the morn
/ ing that the frost giants Indicated tha'
! they were being pushed pa"k ny 'ne
! solar enemy. The mercury hung around
| zero until noon, then II began to climb
! sluryishly, going TO above and staying
! thcrc for several hours, when II mounted
another step or two. But a. darkness
! came on it sagsed again. and IL bitlnS
wind out of the north. Herr Borcas HIM
! self. camo to tho aid OF the retiring
! rros, demons. This wicked blast was a
| bitter trial for sorely pressed harbor
mariners that labored TO force traffic
: through soldif,in rivers. II rushed
vast ice noes down the Hudson. broke a
detained Dutch steamship from her
/ moorings and drifted her a mile down
river. mussed up the tolinG. gruntnG
; fcrryboats. made cocktail shakers out OF
| the ferry slips AM played old Ned gem
orally.
Work to Keep Rivers Open.
, Liz. was hard enough on land. but
I probably the water and the waterside
. felt the declining severity Of yesterday =
/ and last nights weather most painfully,
So much depended Oh free waterways.
| Coal had to come by them, for Manhat-
tan Is actually an island, 80 far as coal
| supply Is concerned, and II was a sight
OF sights yesterday afternoon TO see the
tough little tuGboats sma ashtnr a way be-
tween Jersey and the Manhattan shore
SO that coal bargcs could move. The
North River was doing its best to imi-
tate tho 81. Lawrence. II was solid as
far south as 201th street, and only hard
work kept il from closing below. on
tho Battery was an ice spectacle that one
gets usual, IN polar pictures only, and
only the toughest Of hoatmcn cared tu
ply their honorable trade.
Phenomena new TO city familiar
| with tho unusual and seldom amazed by
any happening accompanied the down
! ward plunge Of tho mercury, pil stuS '.
! CoaiiHucd on SECOND Page,
ul> N, ON >tEN vuE VANISH
lNG LLkIu.ANy:-Ias.