The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-04
WEATHER MANLOST GRIP ON MERCURY;
 DROPPED ID ELEVEN
Six Inches of Snow Covers Ground, Street Cars Are Halted, Jitneys Stopped
 and FOrds Stalled
Have heart. Mir. Horton.

Have heart, Mir. Horton. This is not the north pole, but Is
 supposed to be the sunny south.
 You promised us 22 above and we prepared for that, but you turned
 n very unkind trick during Thurs
 day night and we woke up yester-
 day morning feeling that we were
 living in a cline more suited to
 polar bears than human beings.
 You evidently lost your grip on
 the mercury and let it slip down to
 II.
 Please don't do it again.
 Eleven above was the lowest official registration of the temperature, ac' cording to the local weather bureau that point being reached at o'clock yesterday morning, but the six inches of snow covered with coating Of tee, made 1t feel more like the bottom had dropped out of the thermometers. 1es- terday was the coldest of the winter, but not the coldest ever recorded hero On January 1s, 1917, zero was missed by one point. but the very coldest day in Birmingham since the government began keeping records here was Feb ruary IA. 1899. when official thermoia' eters registered 10 below.
 CAR SERVICE HAMPERED
 The snow and ice and cold put street cars out of commission, stopped jitneys, flivvers and other horseless vehicles, made late arrivals at places of business the rule, spoiled the good tempers of hundreds of persons, introduced many heads and faces to the slippery sido- walks, bursted water pipes. froze heat ing systems and played the mischief generally.
 Street cars scheduled to leave the ends of their routes at 1 o'clock got away on time, but never reached the other end until hours afterwards. The greatest delay occurred between and 8 o'clock. during which time many cars were hopelessly stuck along their lines. Hundreds of people walked from their homes to their places of business, tired and sore and not in very good humor for business.
 The few sleighs stored away from other snows in years past were brought out. dusted off and put into commission. There are very few of these, however, in Birmin gham, so the snow was a blessing to only a limited number of people.
 SUN COMES OUT
 The sun came out about o'clock and for time gave promise of soon melt ing the snow and ice, but 1t didn't stay out very long. The job apparently was too much for him, so he hid his face Ial,i nr;, hra tayi In 1ntt Ic for the balance of the day. and by l o'clock the mercury started downward again. Weather Observer E. c. Horton stated during the afternoon that this morning would not be quite so cold as yesterday morning, about four degrees less cold. that's all he would promise.
 About II o'clock the long, heavy icicles that had formed at the caves of the Brown Marx building began to thaw out. and breaking loose. fell to the street with a resounding crash. startling hundreds of people in that vicinity and endangering lives, too, Employes of the building stretched ropes along the curbs while other em- ployes went up on the roof and broke loose those that had not already fall len.
 During the performance large crowds congregated on opposite cor ners and watched for developments, Fortunately no casualties were re- ported.
 GOOD FOR FARMERS
 It is an i'll wind that blows no good is an old saying, and old timers arc pointing to the alleged fact that hard freezes are good for the farm lands. killing off destructive plant germs and insects, enriching the soil and making for better crops. That's consolation. but not cure for frost bites, frozen ears, bursted pipes. plumbers bills and discomforts of homes built to pro- tect against cool breeZes of temperate zones.
 The weather forecast for today is cold and fair. with indications of a rising temperature.
 WALDROP SUBMITS
 REPORT OF CASES