The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-28
COLD WAVE MAY
BREAK HERE TODAY
Continued from Page One)

Few Crops Growing
The only crops growing nov are
spinach, collards and beets.
Mayor Thomas E. Cooper and 70
lice Chief J. C. Rourk issued a re-
quest that drivers exercise all pos
sible precaution to prevent accidents
on the icy streets.
The hospitals reported last night
no wrecks or injuries due TO II
weather have been treated during
the last two days.
One of the smallest shopping
crowds ever seen downtown on Sat
urday struggled around the :-'eets
Yesterday while merchants reported
one Of the smallest business days =:
the past several years. Adding TO
the discomfort of shoppers was the
condition of Front street, which is
closed for several blocks during a
repaving program.
Wilbur Dosher, postmaster, SAD
mail service was interrupted several
days ago but Is now returning 10
normal. Only a few trains have been
late in the past two days, ne said.
Not A Record
A check through old records at
the weather bureau here yesterday
showed that the current cold wave
is not quite as frigid and is not OF
the same duration as during the win.
tiers of 1917 and 1918. Nevertheless,
the mercury climbed lower in n
past few days than in recent year
Four SHOWS this winter a in
the Wilmington section equal the
records for February Of 1886 and De
cember OF 1917, weathermen said,
but. are exceeded by the record It
snow for January of 1927 and Febru-
airy of 1895.
The longest cold wave on record at
the local weather bureau occurred
from December rs, 1917, to January
g.. 1918, when it was below freezing
for II consecutive days.
Minimum temperatures at that
time were six degrees recorded for
two consecutive days or December
30 and 81, 1917.
The present cold wave, through
last night had lasted for nine con-
secutive days, with below freezing
temperatures prevailing, with the
exception of January %, when the
mercury registered above the freez-
ing mark.
Not Quiet So Low
Temperatures of the current cold
wave in the Wilmington section
have not been quite SO low as those
recorded during the winter of 1917
and 1918 and have not lasted as long.
-Four SHOWS this winter season
here have totaled about one and a
half inches in depth, local weather
bureau records show.
The record Of SHOWS, four days,
this season equals the record Of
SHOWS for February Of 1886 and De-
cember Of 1917.
There have been more than four
days Of snow here on two previous
occasions, weathermen reported.
There were six days of snow Febru.
airy ct 1895 and five days Of snow
in January Of 1927.
(By the Associated Press)
North Carolina kept on %shivering
last night.
The coolest spell Of the winter,
which swept snow and sleet before
1t, introduced record low readings
in some towns, brought additional
suffering and even death.
Relief agencies gave out cloth
ing, plumbers worked day and
night and road forces kept contin.
uous watch for slippery spots. A
Rutherford county youth died after
his a overturned. A Catawba
county man was frozen to death.
The weather bureaus prediction
for slowly rising temperatures to-
day brought some cheer but some
hardy natives peeled eyes toward
thermometers and wondered.
The lowest temperature reported
in the state yesterday was 20 at
Aquone, near Andrews in Cherokee
county.
Some choice lows were racked
UP early yesterday. In the Pied.
mont section, Greensboro had a Z,
Salisbury, -3, Charlotte, 3. In the
mountains, Franklin saw the mer-
curry drop to -13, and Mt. Mitchell,
-16. Asheville reported three above
and for the first time since 1918
the French Broad river was frozen
pver at Brevard.
16.Year Low
Raleigh had its coolest night in
Is years with a low Of seven
above. Durham was one bove.
On the coast, Wilmington had a
reading of IA above and Cape
Hatteras, 10.
Other North Carlina readings:
Rocky Mount 5, Fayetteville 8,
Tryon 3, Canton /. Hendersonville
IN, huntsville IS, Henderson l.,
Brevard 10. Concord 6, Statesville
2. Weldon 2, Sylvia 10, and Mt.
Mitchell -16.
ATLANTA, Jan. 27.-UP-South-
erners today took courage from
forecasts Of easing temperatures as
they fought to resume routine ex-
istence interrupted earlier in the
week by the most severe cold wave
In many years.
Sub-zero readings were reported
IN some sections again today-Tu.
pelo. Miss, setting a new record
for that state with IA below-but
for the so1th an q whole tho