Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-06
THE APRIL SNOW STORM.
Makes Il Even More Disagreeable To-
day Than the Inauguration Weather.

SAT ABOUT IT AT THE SIGNAL oFFIcE-A sroRN
WHICH GOT OFF ITS oorRsK-THE INDICATIONS.
No one was surprised on waking up this
morning to find il storming hard, raining,
blowing and cold: but there was considerable
sstonishment when, about $50 o'clock. the
rain turned to snow, and the air became dense
and thick with great fakes driven southwark
by strong north wind. So heavy and SO damp
was the snow that 1t penetrated the
thickest clothing. Umbrellas were Of
little avail, the swirling wind carried
the fakes down. up and in every direction, and
the umbrella tops became heavy laden. The
snow did not behave in the regulation manner,
and cover the ground with the customary white
mantel but slushed and became sloppy, to the
intense disgust of pedestrians, for whom rubber
overshoes were no protection. The air was
cold and the wind keen, and altogether 1t was
as desolste morning as could possibly be.
HOMELESS ROBINS OUT IN THE COLD.
The STAR yesterday announced the arrival OF
pair of robins in Lafayette park. and this
morning the old adage was brought forth that
zone swallow does not make spring" and
changed to read 1.-TWO robins come very far
from bringing good weather" The swallow
seems to be as big bird as two robins, as far
as weather representations are concerned
Poetry lent Its hand, too, to cheer the droop-
ing spirits of the dampened ones, and Mother
Goose furnished the following couplet to add
to the interest Of the occasion:
''For the north wind doth blow,
''And we shall have snow,
and what will poor robin do then, poor
thing?"
sw1TcHED-oFF BLIZZARD.
At the signal Office poetry and adsges were
cast to the uncertain winds that were bowling
outside, and very much puzzled predictions
officer sat studying a map when STAR reporter
called. The storm, said the officer, is merely
an ordinary sort of a storm, turned out of the
regular track into an abnormal path. Since
the LIST OF this month there have been four
storms come eastward across the lake region
from the northwest. This is the fourth, and
the fifth is In sight developing in Montana.
The other three, like the well-behaved storms
that they we're, acted very deceatly and turned
up the Atlantic coast, as storms ought to. But
this fourth low" made a big jump to the south
east, and this morning, to the great
SURPRISE OF THE PREDICTIONS OFFICER,
was conferred in North Carolina. There was no
special indication of snow or rain early this
morning, and, to adj to the problem, several
rolls of thunder came in :he forenoon Special
readings were called for. to be sent in from the
Atlantic coast stations shortly after noon. in
order to keep close watch over the progress
of the storm. There have been no very high
winds along the coast, the record here last
night being but about Is miles an hour.
THE ERRATIc COURSE OF THE STORM.
No danger is anticipated in the way of high
coast winds, but cautionarv signals have been
ordered up. The peculia. path taken by this
storm-trom the lakes to North Cardinals
thought TO be due to the presence of an area of
high barometer IN New England, which acts as
barrier to the free progress of the low in
the usual course. There is no way of deter
mining just what line the storm will take now
until the special indications have been received.
but 1t is thought that it will swing out into the
ocean and then follow up the coast. In case it
Is near the shore we may get
CONTINUATION OF THE BAD WEATHER
for several days, but if it is some distance oct,
as the chances are that it will Re, the sky will
probably clear some time tomorrow. The
storm has caused great disappointment among
local amateur fishermen, many of whom have
for several days been overhauling their tackle
preparatory to trip up the river tomorrow.
The fish have been biting well, and the river
has been in pretty good condition-in fact, the
season was thoroughly begun, and the storm
has caused many blasted hope.
APRIL SHOWS NOT UNCOMMON.
April SHOWS are by no means uncommon or
unprecedented in this region of the country.
The records of the signal Office, which were
searched this morning, show that in 1873 there
were several northeasterly gales prevailing dur
ing the month from the Chesapeake to Nova
Scotia, accompanied by light SHOWS; in 1874
there were no storms here. but there were very
severe storms in Colorado and New Mexico on
the Goth of April, twenty and fifteen
inches of snow falling respectively. This
was without precedent since the settlement of
the state in 1857. Washington was exempt
from April SHOWS il 1875 also, but there was
storm in the Ohio valley on the 5th. The year
1876 was the same, as far as this city was con-
cerned, but in New England there
were very general heavy falls of snow.
In 1878 there were snow-storms in
western Virginia on the Sd and 5th. There was
a severe snow storm here on the I'd of April
1881, and one also on the 4th following. April
%, 1882, brought snow to this city. There was
a fall of rain and snow here on the 9Th of April
1884 and on the 18th in the following year. In
1886 Norfolk was visited by snow-storm on the
7th, but Washington escaped. All Fools Day
and the next day brought a snow storm in 1887,
about an inch covering the ground; and last
year there was snow on the 7th andSth.
DAMAGE TO THE TELEGRAPH WIRES IN THIS CITY
The snow storm started to-day similar to
the storm in March of last year that
ended in blizzard that caused
the destruction of thousands of dollars worth of
property. The storm to-day played havoc with
the telegraph and telephone wires throughout
4
covered the wires, causing many crosses.
breaks, and grounds. This afternoon it was
almost impossible to reach telephone stations,
especially on the outskirts of the city.
The police telephone and fire-alarm wires
were badly demoralized and no reliance could
be placed on any of the wires. The ringing
of a single telephone bell would cause
the drop on several wires to fall, which was due
to the fact that the heavy weight on the wires
had crossed them.
FIRE ALARM SERVICE INTERFERED WITH.
Superintendent Niles, of District telegraph
and telephone service said to STAR reporter
this afternoon that none of the wires could
be relied upon. Many of them, he said,
were broken, crossed and ground
ed to such an extent that
it would be impossible to repair the damage
tonight. The probabilities, he said, are that
a fre-alarm turned in from one of the boxes
would not reach headquarters. There was no
certainty he said that single alarm could b.
turned in tonight.
He said he would not guarantee that one
fifth of the wires would be in working
order at dusk and in case of
a fire tonight it would be well to notify the
nearest engine-house in addition to turning in
an alarm.
A CYCLONE AT THE RIVER FRONT.
This afternoon a small sized cyclone
visited the river front aud tore
things lose for few minutes. The
exact amount of damage done could
not be ascertained. Along Water street
five telegraph poles Of the Western Union
company were blown down and the wires were