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The Cold Spell

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California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Feb 25, 1875

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 1, No. 16.

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The Cold Spell.

FEBRUARY has been marked by extreme cold weather throughout the eastern States, commencing the 3d. A few of the many items given in the papers we quote.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 10.—The immense quantities of ice in the rivers have considerably diminished; the weather to-day being mild there is now no serious impediment to travel. Several persons crossed the North River this morning from Eighteenth street to Hoboken. This is the first ice bridge which has occurred on North River since 1835. The ice was soon rendered impassable by foot passengers and boats resumed their regular trips.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 14.—The weather in this section, which throughout the day was remarkably mild and pleasant, changed to-night to intense cold, accompanied with a violent gale. The thermometer at 7 o'clock to-night was eight degrees above zero, with indications of going still lower. The cold weather appears to have placed a check upon the commission of crime and the occurrence of accidents, fires, etc. Everything is dull, items of newspaper interest scarce, and the city generally devoid of life.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 15.—The weather to-day has been intensely cold, with the thermometer ranging about 10 degrees above zero. The East and North Rivers are filled with floating ice, and the ferry boats made trips at irregular intervals. The sound and bay are also blocked with large cakes of ice, and navigation is greatly interrupted. Pilots all testify to the unprecedented severity of the weather, and say that in all their experience they have not been called on to withstand so bitter and trying a siege as that they have endured for the past fortnight. On Thursday last the ice packed along the shore at Keyport, New Jersey, became broken and drifted to sea. Several vessels were blown out to sea on the ice floats in which they were frozen. One of these, a sloop, had on board the Captain, Charles Woodward, and a sailor; the vessel had just returned from a voyage and was short of provisions and fuel. When last seen, at night, they were still drifting with the ice. Another vessel, a schooner, had on board the navigator, Captain Collins, and two sailors, named Wilson and Ludlow. Four days have elapsed since she was seen, and it is feared that all have been lost.
BOSTON, FEBRUARY 13.—The Boston market fishermen, ice-bound on the inside of Cape Cod bay, are worse off shore than they were yesterday. The revenue cutter Gallitar lies at anchor under Long Point locked in with a dozen vessels, and many fishermen in sight of home have hoisted signals of distress. There is no clear water in Cape Cod Bay. A cold wave passed over New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine last night, the thermometer showing from 22 to 36 degrees below zero, being the coldest weather this season.
CONCORD (N. H.), FEBRUARY 14.—A dispatch from Franklin, in this State, says the unusually cold weather yesterday continues. To-day the thermometer stood as low as 40 degrees below zero. Much suffering has been caused by the severity of the weather. The workmen engaged in cutting ice in the Merrimac river report it to be four feet thick, an event that has never occurred before.
This is the first year in the memory of man that Great Salt Lake has been frozen, and the mercury has not been below zero this winter.
In Chicago, Feb. 3, the streets were covered with ice, and the wind so strong that it was dangerous to travel in wagons. Trains were blocked in every direction. And so things continued for some time.
A letter from Walla Walla says the cold there has been intense; the thermometer down to 39° below zero, and one day it did not rise higher at any time than 31° below zero!
Battle Creek, Mich., editor of Review under date of Feb. 8, says :—
"We are having winter here in good earnest; thermometer 24 degrees below zero."
LATER.—Report from Battle Creek gives 33 degrees below zero.
Feb. 17. The Gloucester (Mass.) harbor is effectually closed, preventing the fishermen from getting out unless by cutting the ice.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 17.—The thermometer shows fifteen degrees above zero; ice in the rivers is undiminished in quantity; over 3,000 street hydrants are frozen, and great inconvenience is felt over the larger portion of the city for want of water. The ice in the Sound is still frozen fast. Hudson River is bridged with ice opposite Fort Washington.
There has been much suffering in some parts of the country, especially in that part of the West devastated by the grasshoppers. Many cattle have died there; also in Washington Territory.
In contrast with the above we give the following from the San Francisco Chronicle of Feb. 14 :—

SAN FRANCISCO WEATHER.

The following record since February 7th is compiled from the books of Thomas J. Tennant, meteorologist and mathematical instrument maker :
Feb. Lowest 9 A. M. 12 M. 3 P. M. 6 P. M.
7......48° 53° 61° 63° 58°
8......42 48 57 61 55
9......44 50 58 62 54
10......44 52 57 56 51
11......47 52 56 56 50
12......47 50 55 55 51
13......46 54 58 58 52
Coldest night, 8th inst., 42°; warmest night, 7th, 48°; coldest day, 8th, at 9 A. M., 42°;
warmest day, 7th, at 3 P. M., 63°. The Lowest reading of the thermometer occurs between 4 to 6 A. M.
The coldest at San Francisco is 75 degrees above that of Battle Creek, and 81 above that of Walla Walla!