Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-12-12
COLD WAVE CATCHES
OTTAWA PREPARED
FOR SUDDEN CHANGE
MERCURY DROPS TO ABOVE
ZERO IN PATH OF BITING
NORTHWEST GALE THAT
SWEPT DOWN ON CITY DURING
THE NIGHT.

The temperature dipped down to
2 above zero last night, according TO
the official thermometer of Prof. c. j.
Markhus, government weather obsery-
er. This is far colder than usual at
this season, records of past years
show.
Unofficial thermometers, in many
instances dropped as low as 6 and s
degrees below, but the silver fluid in
the government tube did not fall be.
low the 2 above mark.
Accompanied by fast gale of
great intensity, the cold caused a
great deal of suffering, and few
frozen water pipes. The wind whip
ped to gale early last evening, and
the thermometer started dropping
and continued sliding down gradually
throughout the night.
Moderation today was slow. At 10
a. III. the 20 above mark had been
reached and then began another drop
of mercury.
The sudden change in temperature
was forecasted yesterday afternoon
by the government weather bureau
which sounded warning of a bliz- |
zard forming in the northwest pre- /
paratory to sweeping down over the /
Mississippi valley and region of the |
Great Lakes. The prediction, how
ever, was that the cold wave would
not hit this district until later to-
day.
Early last night strong northwest
wind bore the first marks of a drop
ping mercury. By midnight the ther-
mometers began their plunge down.
ward and by morning the slipping
mercury reached its bottomost point.
From daylight until 10 o'clock there
was a slight upward climb followed
by steady lowering until at noon
the score stood dangerously close to
the lowest point reached during the
night
"Boes" Ask for Lodgings.
The sudden change was the cause
of many of the fioaters trotting down
to the police station last evening to
spend the night in a slightly warm
er place than the shelter of the jun
giles. EX-Soldiers who could prove
they We're such, found place in the
special quarters provided them by
the War Mothers and could secure a
meal ticket in the morning from the +,
desk officer.
The common bum who always float
ed and didn't help his country during
the war can find quarters in the
hoose-gow but they are not as com
Portable. as the nice ones afforded
the ex.service men
During the past few weeks business
at the city flop has been steadily in
creasing and the coming of zero
weather is expected to make it boom
Sweeps Whole Middle West
Chicago, Dec IA high wind
brought the first severely cold
weather to the states of the middle
west today, while the northwest for
the second time this winter was in
the grip Of sub-zero temperatures. Cold
wave warnings were issued for the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys, end fore
casters predicted the cold weather in
the northwest would spread eastward /
today, preceded, however, by rising
The coldeSt weather recorded this
winter prevailed in the northern part
of the Rocky Mountain region. Tenn
peratures ranged from IL to q below
in Wyoming and Montana. The south
ern portion of the region, it was pre-
dicted, would be greeted by the cold
wave today. Apparently the center
of the cold wave continued to hold in
Montana, as Miles City, Mont, record
ed the lowest temperature last night,
reaching q degrees below zero. Other
Montana points were also only two or
three degrees under that record.
Galesburg, Elgin, Rockford and |
Dixon reported zero temperatures.
while the following above zero read |
ings were reported: Moline and Rock |
Island. / Peoria, 3; Joliet, 4; Spring !
field, Z; Decatur and Danville. 10. |
Alton, II.
Milwaukee reported zero weather |
and Madison below. Below zero |
prevailed in all parts of Iowa except |
in the extreme southeastern corner
Mason City reported below.
Harve, Mont was the coolest city
in the country, with minimum of "a
degrees below zero. At Rhinelander,
Wis, the mercury dropped to IL below.
Thirty Degree Drop at Quincy.
Quincy, Ill. Dee. PA drop of more
than - degrees was recorded here
since last night at s O'Clock. with the
thermometer lowering only few de-
grees above zero at / o'clock this
morning.