280 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The following certainly is applicable to our present cold spell; in fact, 

 change the date to January 16, 1888, and the same words will apply to 

 Sacramento now: 



Friday, January 20, 1S54.— This season is one of most extraordinary severity. From all 

 we can learn never has its equal been known, even to that antiquated individual the oldest 

 inhabitant. The ground yesterday morning (19th) was frozen at least two inches in 

 depth, and ice was formed from one half to one and one half inches in thickness. Even 

 the sun scarcely melted the ice, and the moment it ceased to shine upon any one spot 

 freezing commenced. The air was clear, and the mountains loomed up covered to an 

 immense height with snow. Indeed everything looked and felt like winter. We hope 

 such unpleasant weather will not continue long. 



Boys were skating yesterday (January 15, 1888) , back of the roundhouse. 

 Read the following, dated Saturday, January 21, 1854: 



Skating in Sacramento. — The frost of night before last was by far the heaviest we have 

 seen in this valley; the unplanked levee became as firm as the planked streets. Crystal 

 formations were everywhere that damp had of late been, and to cap the climax, we beheld, 

 when we arose yesterday morning, numerous little boys disporting themselves on a pond 

 in Second Street, by cutting their names with their skates on the ice. How the ice got 

 there we could account for, and where the boys came from we could imagine, but when 

 we thought of the skates we came to a full stop. Whose speculative spirit thought of 

 bringing skates to Sacramento? 



Monday, January 23, 1854. — After a succession of most extraordinary cold days the 

 weather moderated yesterday afternoon. 



From the same paper and the same date I clip the following: 



Feozen Over. — Sutter Lake was frozen over Saturday night and remained so all day 

 yesterday ; the ice was from one half to one inch thick. This never happened before — at 

 least to the knowledge of any person now living in this region. 



Tuesday, January 24, 1854. — The Stockton Slough was frozen over on Saturday night 

 (21st) so that the steamer Clay had to beat her way through the ice. The like was never 

 before known in that vicinity. 



Wednesday, January 25, 1854. — The suspension of heavy and hard frost for the past two 

 weeks have enabled our waterworks contractor to proceed with the reservoir. 



Wednesday, January 25, 1854. — The recent cold weather caused quite a rise in the price 

 of ducks, geese, etc., owing to ponds being frozen over so as to prevent them getting their 

 accustomed food. 



The following notes must mean Nevada County and not the State of 

 Nevada, for much colder weather than that is experienced in the Sagebrush 

 State: 



Wednesday, January 25, 1854. — The people of Nevada may well complain of the cold, as 

 the following from "Young America" will £how: On Friday last the thermometer stood 

 at 2:30 o'clock a. m., 4° below zero ; 5 o'clock A. m., 8.5° below zero; 9:30 o'clock a. m., 7° below 

 zero. This, we believe, is the coldest weather yet recorded in California. Ice formed four 

 inches thick. 



The above numerous though brief notes from the "Daily Democratic 

 State Journal," show that the cold spell of January, 1854, lasted upwards 

 of two weeks. Although the paper did not give any temperature figures, 

 we find, by referring to the record of Dr. Logan for that month, that he 

 records a minimum temperature of 19°, which is our minimum for Satur- 

 day and yesterday. It can be safely said that we are liable to an extremely 

 cold wave along the entire Pacific Coast of the United States, every thirty 

 or forty years. 



The average temperature on Saturday and yesterday, was 28°; Saturday 

 being 18° colder than the normal for that day, and yesterday 17° colder 

 than the normal. The highest and lowest temperature was, for Saturday, 

 38° and 19°, and yesterday, 37° and 19°, with high northerly winds on Sat- 

 urday, and brisk to gentle northerly winds yesterday. 



An abstract from Dr. Logan's meteorological table for the month of Jan- 

 uary, 1854 (taken from the "Daily Union" of January thirtieth), shows 



