The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-21
WINTER DIES TO-DAY
HAVING SET RECORD
Only Two Inches of Snow and
Little Ice That Could Be
Harvested.
SPRING HERE AT 11:19 AN.
Weather Forecasters, After
40 Years Of Trying, Ad-
nit They're Stumped.

II tho coal man oOeb HOt Bet you tho
iceman will. The mildest winter in the
forty elght years since Uncle Sam began
making an effort to regulate the eccen-
tricitles OF this climate will open the
door at 10 minutes past IL o'clock this
morning to the vernal knocks. not to say
equinox. of the supernal debutante Spring,
who may be recognised by her gauxy at
tire, and mighty little Of II, with few
buds and flowers artistically mingled
with her filmy drapery.
There were no freezeups in the alleged
winter that has died without icicles cling
ing to the beard. contrary to all tradi-
ton, and that Is why the coal man did
not get you. For the Same reason there
will not be any ice to cut, and likewise
no price of ice to cut next summer. 30
the weather is bad for us II It is mild
and bad for us IL 1t is not, and makes
many wish there were no weather.
James II. Scarr, boss Of the local skies,
and his assistants were unanimous yes
terday in proclaiming the unlamented
winter to be the most unassuming and
puzzling bit of weather that they ever
failed to prophesy. II was an exasperat-
ing winter for the spirit OF prophecy.
Winters Of the past had been accommo'
dating to some extent at least. What
can humble and studious prophet do
when, after D. careful survey of the map
and local conditions and all the 'ometers.
he says we are going to have a mighty
cold spell and It turns out next day to
be balmy with the mercury loafing around
co? Amt that treating a confiding fore
caster like sixty?
When Language Il Inadequate.
Heretofore the local prophets had great
success promising winter weather in win
ter. and Just naturally they expected the
luck would keep up. But how can you
have winter when winter insists or
| sticking in its polar caves or caromins
Off the northerly edge of New York State
and letting itself loose at sea?
Somebody suggested to Mr.. Scarf yes
terday that the winter might be called
phenomenal, and he minated that he
could call It worse than that X he
were not subject to the censorship. He
might have been thinking of super
phenomenal. or he might have beer
| thinking of plain monosylable. He
admitted that language was bit made
| quate, as the political orators SAID
down in Kansas where Mr.. Scarr was
farmer and editor many years ago, &c
| express the emotions he felt on winter
that knocked the everlasting reliability
out OF weather prophecy.
Just think of winter with apologize:
to the season. that had no sleighing, OF
| even shedding. except hard shedding for
prophets. and practically no snow anc
| no ice At TO skate on and no winter
, gales worth while. Take that wei
known winter month of January. which
did not Jan at all this year, being Just
IA degrees on the average above The
preceding January The month of Feb
ruary, ardently emulous Of her sister
went degrees higher than the mos
| altitudinous Feb. that ever strove e
reach a tropical rung on the thermome
| trio ladder.
| Only Two Inches of Snow.
| And here is March, the leonino. with
out a roar in her, 6 degrees above nor
NAL on Tuesday last the temperature
hereabout did tho lofty. summerik'
stunt OF pulling off SO degrees. while
Mr.. Scarf dreamed in his tower OF Palm
Beach or tropical isles where the womei
know how to dress for the weather with
| out changing their clothes. Even yes
| terday had much of the temperature tina
should be springs, the mercury gettnl
| to so In the afternoon and phllan
! thropically sticking there two gorgeous
| hours.
Yes. We did have some snow, II 20,
can so call two inches distributed owe
several months Mr.. Scarr will call you
attention to an April snowfall OF tel
| inches in 1915. and will hint that per
| haps although winter may be dead tn
! spirit of winter sometimes comes bacl
| TO blight tho orange crop and the peacl
crop and other crops 80 that the seller
II oranges and things may have an ex
cuse for hiking the price.
Perhaps winter Is going to perform
one of his old time stunts OF lingering
| in tho lap of spring. and we will ge
some frosty winter samples next mont
or before the end of this. Two inche
OF snow! Say. there were os.5 inches o
snow In March 1895! II will take to-
many years for the most sCientih
prophet to compute how much snow thi
, dead winter owes To the winters of tn
past and those of tho future. When tn
| forecastcr assisting Mr.. Scarr attempte
last night to tell over the phone how
much accumulated frlgidity the wlnte
| owed tho average winter his voice vi
hrated with the chill and the words cam
out on the telephone booth desk in tn
! Sun office In hieroglyphic icicles tina
| busted before they could i've interpreted
We are going to have fair and spring
| like weather on the opening day of tn
vernal time, according to the local fore
caster. Maybe the temperature will &c
to so deg. and perhaps the second da
OF spring Gsx be cold.