The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1948-01-29
Record Breaking
Snow Blizzard
Hits This Section
Caldwell Has Official
Low Reading Of Is
Degrees Below Zero


Wednesday morning, the mer-
curry tumbled to 25 below zero
for the record breaker over
Monday morning. Very little, if
any, relief, has been promised.
Twenty Eight and one-half
inches of snow have fallen in
Noble county during the past 27
days of this month-the great
est amount of snow in any one
month for the past Is years. The
following official figures were
released by Frank Burlingame,
of Sharon: Jan. 2, one inch;
Jan 4, one inch; Jan. 6, two
inches; Jan. II, two inches; Jan.
Jan. %, two inches; Jan. "a, IL
inches and Jan. 26, five inches.
Noble countians were still stag
gering Wednesday from a record
snowfall of II inches, with very
little relief in sight according to the
Weatherman, who is predicting an
other cold wave.
Saturdays snowfall of II inches,
| which at times assumed blizzard
conditions, shot the mercury down
but it remained for Monday morn
ing to establish the new low.
Official reading in Caldwell show
ed Fl degrees below zero-the cold
est weather this winter and for the
past two years. The official reading
at Sharon stood at degrees below
zero, according to Frank Burlin-
! game.
| Monday morning, the temperature
throughout the county varied many
degrees and it is believed that East
Union was the coldest spot with an
unofficial reading of "a degrees be-
low zero. This reading was reported
by several different farmers.
Burlingame pointed out that Cald-
we'll is situated $50 feet above sea
level, which would easily account
for the variance in temperatures
here and at Sharon.
Mercury readings were reported
at this office, Monday, ranging from
18 to "a degrees, all below zero.
| Burlingame said that II inches of
snow fell in the county, Saturday,
from 7 a. m. to p. m, resulting in
j huge drifts of some 20 feet on the
secondary roads and in the rural
| sections.
Monday evening, another five
inches of snow fell, but the mercury
stood at II degrees above zero. This
resulted in the blanket of II inches
! now covering the county.
! According to Superintendent H. G..
Secrest, Mt. Ephraim was believed
to be the only county school open
Monday, due to the heavy snow and
impossible condition of school bus
routes.
School was held as usual at Cald-
well but the attendance was low.
Very little, if any, social activity
was held in the county the past
weekend and in most instances, all
planned meetings were cancelled.
Burlingame said that in 1886, the
mercury stood at 19 degrees below
zero, which was likewise accompan-
led by heavy snow storm.
At the state highway garage,
where another government thermo-
meter is located, an official reading
was taken at 6 a. m, with the mer-
curry at 18 degrees below. It had
fallen exactly three degrees when
another reading was taken at 7:30
! a. m.
The state highway department
and county employees cooperated
over the weekend and most of the
highways were soon cleared for
through traffic
Numerous instances were report
ed in Caldwell where pipes, as well
as automobiles, were frozen up by
the sudden sub-zero weather.
Only two accidents were report
ed, due to the hazardous conditions
of the highways, Saturday evening,
both on u S. Route 81. One occur
red at Macksburg and the other
near the Guernsey county line. Both
were investigated by the state pa
troll.
According to State Highway Sup
erintendent Harley G. Wheeler,
state routes 513 from Summerfield
to Batesville and 339 from Dexter
City to Beverly were drifted so
badly that traffic could not be
maintained Sunday. The situation
was remedied on Monday.
During the heavy blizzard, Satur-
day, emergency crews kept the
main routes open and traffic was
maintained at all times. Every
available piece of machinery was
used in this emergency.
Under the direction of Engineer
Homer Weldon, the county crews
were also busy with their drift bust
er plow, mounted on a motor grader.
This was used on the county system
of roads.