The sun., 1918-02-06
Weather Man Offers Slight
Hope To-day Will Be
Warmer.
MERCURY SEVEN BELOW
Commuters Hard Hit by
Knocking Out of Train
Schedules.
ERIE ENGINES GO DRY
Hampcrcd Again by Jersey
City Water ShOrtaec--Zcro
Weather Widespread.

One OF the worst phases of yesterdays
weather was that It gave promise Of be-
having but little better to-day. Perhaps
BY the time the newspapers reach break
fast tables the thermometer will still be
almost as low as il was at the same
time yesterday.
But as the day progresses the mer-
cury--so Chief Weather Gucsser- jim,
Scsrr promised last night-wili proba bly,
climb bit, owing to a shift to east and
south OF northwest wind which yester-
day unexpectedly brought Thermometers
In Atlantic and adjacent States, from
North Carolina to Canada and beyond.
down almost to the record OF a record
winter.
The record OF yesterday morning,
Z below at ! A. N. showed the coolest
February in the annals Of the local
Weather Bureau---if that's any comfort
TO the folks who like to be around when
records are being hung up to shoot at.
Only the last two days Of 1917 had any
thing on yesterday in the way OF tenn
perature. and the below zero Of yester-
6ay equalled the lowest mark OF De-
esvnber 81 last. but was somewhat more
saimy than the local record OF I3 below
On December 80.
Winds that ripped out Of the general
aeisheorhood of the Orange Mountains
and hit Manhattan at a fifty mile gait
on Heatless Monday had continued to
blow yesterday at the same rate for part
o: the time and dropped to thirty miles
when In gentler mood. And the wind,
plus the ebS tide. piled the Hudson, the
upper bay and fringes Of tine waters be-
yond the Narrows With ice foes which
',Isyed 80 much hob with shipping that
Brooklyn insisted the ice tleup was even
worse than during the gone but not for
gotten Christmas holidays. .a.
knockost tor Railroads. ~
THE Attn blow we've been UP against
this winter" was the way railroad Of.
ficialS trying to clear up local freight.
Characterised yesterdays unexpected
drop In the weather bulb. 4 speeding UP
or freight movements, which had got 40
big an impetus on Saturday that the rail-
readers had become almost CHEEKY over
the prospect of bringing the freight situ-
alton almost back to normal, received
another knockout wallop as the mercury
began to skcdaddle downward after mid.
Ngnt Yesterday morning.
The Tuesday morning commuters.
pouring into town in the volume Of a
Monday morning Of normality. found
local train schedules knocked all out Of
Ritter IN the morning hours and still
sadly awry when the hour arrived in
ne evening that indicated 1t was time
to begin to try to head back toward the
wooden lace mansion and stucco garage
out Westchester or Jersey way.
The river ice foes carly went far
toward bringing freight activities to a
'tandstill. The all impending total alb.
cence OF coal took big Jump nearer.
There was only one thing, moaned the
ruel expeditors. which possibly could
make matters worse. and that would be
= snowstorm. Along came Jim Scarr
then with prognosis that TODAY would
oe cloudy. whereupon the fuel men went
rom mere moans TO sharp cries Of an
suish. But. mo snowstorm in sight,
gentlemen" was Jim Scarr's reassurinr
promise early in the day. and the fuel
mems hopes began to rise ever no
slightly.
Regional Director Peeved.
The ffty-seventh day of the rail.
soads' battle with this cussed winter.
aarn IT," groaned A. II. Smith, regional
director OF railroads. or words to that
enect and besides the piles OF snow still
impeding progress through many a rail-
road cut the big drop of yesterday added
.eshiy frozen switches everywhere the
Semi-chronic water shortage around the
Jersey tidewater terminals and many
sno'ner brand new snaE to the work
VI the railroadcrs. Nevertheless the
railway men were out In force in. the
early below zero morning weather. and
Ing point
About all the committing and other
uain schedules on the Erie fell down
ana out with the thermometer, and the
same was true In somewhat lesser de-
ss ssee WIN the I.ackawanna. The Erie's
Sh'ef trouble was tho water shortage In
Jersey City. which suffers arterio- sclero-
s.s OF the pipe lines every time the mer-
tufy fails on the bottom rung, 10 fire.
qiently OF late ihat ii was said yester-
Gay that Jersey City some day may be.
e,n TO think about calling In a doctor
OF plumbing who'll do something about
a. Erie was from half an hour to several
hours late In the matter OF incoming
committing trains in the morning, and
a. night was taking the crowds back
'hto turthest New Jersey "as the water
supply permits" Jersey City, fearing
water shortage at possible fires, would
sve little or no water to the thirsty
locomotives
Most Critical Shortage.
chairman Harry Peters OF the New
10TH State Conservation Commission
thought that yesterdays wea<sler catss-
uophe put the local fuel situation face
10 face with "the gravest and most
rrlucal shortage Of the entire winter" !"
Shairman Peters added that he made
.t'e statement after a careful study of
'Wi conditions at the mines and OF re-
vo'S from many fuel experts. A mod
era,'on In the weather. which is prom
ea' would however. probably enable
The fuel men to null Themselves out of
'"e,r hole. Mr.. Peters concluded.
throughout the Eastern States tho
weather Yesterday ranged all tho way
"om o6 above zero al Key West, which