The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Sudden Plunge as Recorded at
Midnight Due to Blast
From Alberta.
WHITE SUNDAY LIKELY
Flurries in Streets Reported,
but Are Not Observed by
Weather Bureau.

The arrival of an alberta high" in
the language of the weather sharps,
or, in common language, a cold wave
from the Canadian Northwest, sent
the thermometer scurrying down from
A degrees at 1 o'clock yesterday to 8
degrees at midnight. 1t will be all
over tomorrow, but probably will
wind up in a snowstorm that may
give a white Christmas" The cold
arrived a day ahead of the calendar
winter, which begins to-day.
Accompanying the drop in tempera-
ture was wind that blew steadily
fifty miles an hour or better. It
reached sixty y-eight miles at a quarter
after 5, and dropped back to fifty a
clip all evening. The Weather Bu-
reau says it will probably be with us
also until tomorrow and storm warn
ings have been displayed along the
Atlantic coast from Eastport, Me-, to
Cape Hatteras. This wind whipped
up whitecaps in the upper bay, and
made travelling on the Staten Island
ferries somewhat uncomfortable.
Some passengers were seasick.
Snow fiurries were reported In the
carly evening from various parts of the
city, but none were observed at the
Weather Bureau offices on the roof of
the Whitehall Building.
The Alberta high" covered the whole
northeast portion Of the United States
and much OF Canada, 1t was said at the
Weather Bureau. It's lower limit, or the
freezing liae, coincided roughly with the
we'll known boundary surveyed by
Messrs. Mason & Dixon some years ago.
The coldest spot in the United States
lass night was Duluth. Mimi, where a
was recorded at S O'Clock.
The temperature dropped rapidly and
fairly steadily from its high point Be-
tween 1 and 5 drop of IS degrees was
recorded. and between and 10 the
mercury shot down another Is degrees.
1t was predicted at the Weather Bu-
reau it would not go much lower in the
night, though 1t might drop a degree
or so.
The Alberta, high" chased along
ahead of 1t a disturbance that developed
over the lake region Tuesday and In
less than twenty-four hours had chased
II down the st. Lawrence valley and out
over Nova Scotia. There was light rain
and light snow in the lake region before
the cold blast. There was reaction to
higher temperatures In the Northwest,
while there were local SHOWS In the
northern plain States and rains In CAL
ifornia, Utah and Nevada.
The keepers Of the Ambrose Channel
lightship reported to the Naval Com
municatlon Office at 80 O'Clock In
the evening that three small boats were
drifting out to sea past the lightship.
unable to make headway against the
high seas.
The crew OF the lightship launched a
boat after several attempts had failed
owing to the high wind and the big
seas. Later II was reported to the
Independent Radio Station that the
boats had been taken in tow by a pilot
boat and that all aboard were safe.
The police boat John F. Hylan went
out from the Battery shortly before
midnight. brt reported at midnight that
it had not been able to locate either of
the four boats.
The bitter cold began driving the
homeless from alleyways and halls,
where they usually sleep. TO the lodging
houses early In the evening. The Rescue
Mission at 5 and Z Doyers street served
hot coffee and found lodging room for
moro than 500 unfortunates, most OF
them shabbily dressed and without
overcoatS.
At the Municipal Lodging House. 43s
East Twenty-fifth street, 525 men, "a
women and children applied and re.
ceived shelter, with capacity for 150
more. This was 1875 more than sought
shelter Tuesday night. The Salvation
Army settlement house at 507 West
Twenty-sixth street sheltered 500. It's
full capacity. and sent about 100 to the
Municipal Lodging House.
The cheap lodging houses along the
Powery were iammed as they had not
been before this winter.