Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-15
THE UNEXPECTED sNOwsroRM.
The Heaviest Fall In Several Years-Prc
pect OF Freese and sleighing.

THE UNEXPECTED sNOwsroRM.
The Heaviest Fall In Several Years-Pros-
Pect OF Freese and sletghing.
Between midnightand O'Clock this morning
snow fell to depth of eight inches and as . re-
suit when the people Of the city woke up they
found everything wrapped in white. This was
contrary to all expectations, for there was little
II any sign Of snow last evening and the weather
bureau prophesied colder, clearing weather.
The fall Of snow was an unusually heavy one.
averaging as it did more than an inch an hour.
and there was more snow on the ground this
morning than there has been for several years
past 1t was wet and wherever it fell it stuck,
so that fences, trees and lamp posts were all
piled high with snow. The scene pictur-
esque and beautiful, especially in the parks,
where the trees were laden down with a feecy
covering and every branch was transformed
into long. white. waving arm.
1t was not SO pretty. however, for the people
who had to come down town this morning.
Inc street cars, when they came at all. were
running at all sorts Of time, and if sardines
were packed as tightly as the passengers were
this morning they would look anything but
tempting when they emerged from their boxes.
on the avenue and 14th street lines four horses
were put at work on each car. and it took two
drivers to do the work usually done by one
10 the brake. Two conductors on each car
would have had enough to keep them busy in
collecting all the fares. The cars could not be-
gin to carry all the people that would have
nked to ride. and hundreds were obliged to
trudge down to their places of daily toll, every
one of them probably wondering whether he
was not going to have another attack of the
grip.
WHY IT WAS NOT PREDICTED.
Ihe reason that the weather bureau failed to
tell ABOUT the snow is very simple one. The
storm that struck this city during the very
early hours of the morning had its origin off
the coast to the southeast of u.s. The weather
bureau has not as yet established observation
stations out at sea and consequently nothing
was known OF this particular change in the
weather until it came ashore. too late for any
thlng In the way of predictions. The snow
fall had Its effect i'll Virginia. New York, parts
OF Pennsylvania and in New England. though
In the latter section only an inch of snow had
fallen this morning, and in some places it was
raining. Il is probable they are having snow
all day today, however. Washington has had
Its full share OF the feathery fakes.
In the twenty-four hours ending this morning
the thermometer at the weather bureau showed
fall In temperature from 63 degrees to 30
degrees, and the chances are that it will stay
cold here for several days to come. This means
good sleighing, for there is very little chance
OF thaw this afternoon, and tonight there will
probablybe a freeze that will harden the melted
snow underneath and make capital foundation
for sleigh rides.
All west of the eastern states it is cold today
and In the far northwest the thermometers that
are hung out in the open air register way below
the zero point. In Winnipeg this morning the
mercury gave up the Job and spirit ther-
mometers pointed to forty-two degrees below.
and all through northern Minnesota it was in
the neighborhood of forty degrees below. 1t is
m r,nf..r Of
but it is in the region of the possible that We
will have s!eighing for the better part of a
week.
FREEZE WILL MAKE GOOD sLEIGHINa.
The prophecy made yesterday for colder clearer
weather is likely to be realized, for the colder
weather has already reached here and a general
clear up was looked for today or this evening"
Pretty much everybody that was fortunate
enough to own a sleigh was out today. While
the snow was pretty badly cut up on the avenue
and on some OF the other thoroughfares
streets, and all that lie needed is
good freeze to make sleighing perfect In
that event something in the shape of a carnival
Is likely to come to pass, and livery men who
have slelghs in their stables will be going on 10
the retired list, rich for life. Small boys by
the dozen were following In their footsteps this
morning by clearing off the crossings along the
principal streets and demanding toll from all
people who were not provided with rubber
boots. It's great weather for some people, but
there are thousands of others who hold to the
opinion that snow in Washington is not an IN
qualified success.
All incoming trains from the west over the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad were delayed by
reason OF the big snow. The train from Pitts
burg was one hour late, and the train from
Chicago was reported five hours late.
There is no delay between here and New
York.