The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-14

az the Long Bridge can only be prevent
81 BY Immediately opening a channel, 40,
II this EFFORT should not succeed, a doos
of the city the like Cf which has neycI
been experienced would be more thar
probable.
The unprecedented weather prod'H>st
pheuomeua not often experienced In th!'
section OF the country. Local transpor
ta;ion was attempted early In the day
bI, was soon abandoned with the excep-
ton Of one road. which kept It's cars run.
ming Reports OF Enow-bound trains were
received from north, south. and west
An electric car IS suow-bcund at Foul
Mile Run and It's thirty passengers have
taken refuge In the power-house there
Late last night a second attempt was
made 20 reach them with supply Of
provisions
Little Businsss Transacted
With the exception of those whose en-
ployment absolutely demands continu-
ance OF servlce very few attended 20 any
br2irsess yesterday. Business. Ia fact,
Was practically susrended Many Of the
largest houses on + street did not open
their doors at all Some Of those who
found their way to their places OF busi-
ness could not get back 20 their homes,
ytded At the telephone exchange, for in
stance. many of the girls remained over
night The public schools were closed and
viii continue 30 to-day bur II g. hoped
that tho pedagogUes and pupils will re-
assemble tomorrow. The jauitors VIII be
al tho buildings to-day and keep the fur
naces going.
The homes came as near being prisons
as the business houses. Behind closely
shut windows the inmates sat watching
the blizzard and rarely. If ever. venturing
even into the yard. Those who needed
provisions found difficulty IN obtaining
them. Groceries were hard 70 get; the
butchers came many hours late, II they
came az all, and the coal man was the
tsrdi-st OF all There were very many
comfortable home IN which the residents
who had not provided for this emergency.
missed their ordinary table comforts, and
fed en- dry bread left over from the day
before or on canned goods, II they were
fortunate enough 20 have any. prices IN
every branch OF trade went UP eL ormous-
Iy. Coal could be purchased at most
places only by the quarter OF ton for
$50, and grocers who found their supplies
giving out hesitated 10 send their GUS
toners the full quota of goods demanded.
But all this was fun, a joke OF the
weather man, compared with the suffer
ing, the wretched misery Of the poor in
tho District Some OF those who fused
about the weather, who had 10 walk down
town in lieu OF taking the cars, or who
felt the biting wind and the cold, moist
snow striking their faces, did not re-
member how the other half Of Wash
Ington was spending the blizzard day.
walking Alone Possible.
There was only one sure and never
failing WAY to get about That was by
walking. and this is what almost every one
had TO do. Pennsylvania avenue was the
thoroughfare that was extensively pat
ronized, the somewhat clear space left by
the street railway affording sort OF
promenade for citizens who had TO be out.
There was but little snow on the tracks,
and all the travel OF the day was in this
narrow cleared space. A few express
wagons and the delivery vehicles OF some
merchants were abroad, and one or two
sleighs, but the aggregation could easily
be counted. Men wrapped from head to
toe. with but their eyes peering through
small openings, made their way as
best they might along the streets.
All were good natured, and in near
~ every instance the driver of vehi-
Gle extended the courtesies OF his more
improved means of transportation TO the
wayfarer at request. Streets that did not /
have cartracks were well-nigh impossible
a. the sidewalks we're covered with drift
ing snow 10 a height of from two to three
feet. Walking was laborious, and nearly
every one who undertook TO do any OF II
had urgent and important business ahead.
The lost and fallen wayfarers were the
charge of the police last night. In every
precinct men, and sometimes women.
we're found in snowdrif!s. some exhaust
ed others numbed with cold, and not a
few half drunk and indifferent to the
death that threatened them. Some people |
left their homes and did not return, and !
their anxious families asked the police TO |
seek them. Hundreds of people came 10 |
work in the downtown section yesterday |
and found II next to impossible to get !
home at night. They sent messages !
through the police stations to their fani- |
lies, and thus saved their relatives from |
anxiety.
The fire department was under such |
difficulties in moving the heavy engines |
that an order was sent for the dispatch /
81 a man on foot from the nearest engine |
house TO the box from which any alarm |
should be turned in This man was ex-
pected 10 investigate the necessities of the |
case and call through the box for such
apparatus as was needed. There were
some small fires but none of any i'm
portsnce. Some person, utterly lost to all |
sense of humanity, turned in a false
alarm about 10 o'clock from a box near
the navy yard
IL was impossible 10 move the heavy, |
ambulances or patrol wagons of the police |
service, and the Emergency Hospital am /
oulance was also thrown out of service |
by the drifted snow in the streets.
The letter-carriers had desperate time |
IN making their rounds, but managed To |
90 very well considering the circlIm- |
stances. Two collections and one delivery /
were MADE yesterday within the city |
limits IN parts of the suburbs il was /
Impossible Tor the carriers TO get around. |
As there were but two mails in from the /
north and none al all from the west. /
the amount OF mail matter 10 he dis |
tributed was light. The mail wagons were
not able to go into service. and the car
rlers took 10 the stations such outgoing
matter as Was collected from the boxes.
Fears for Many Lives
Fortunately, no one was frozen 10 death
In Washington last night so far as
known, though two men are missing. II
- Aotcus HoNtNcIr tlai tQey have Il ken
refuge somewhere The police of III. ont
lying precincts fear that when The thaw
comes and the snow melts away from The
cabins OF the poor on the commons near
the jail and out in the county there will
be doors that will not open until the noIica
enter and find the erstwhile occunanrs
cold and dead within. There are many
such cabins on the wide stretches Ia the
east OF the city. They are far apart. and
The snow on the level is hip high. II bss
dnfted higher than the houses in some
places, and II Is impossible 10 make an
investigation OF The condition OF the peo-
pie who live in these places at present.
The police stations last night we're
thrown open 10 all corners No one Vas
turned away, and many a wayfarer. tired
o. b2ltlinG on towsrd his home. sought
the warmth ~ the stations for the night
he Eighth Precinct policemen started i
little mess OF their own, aud hot coffee
ana "slumg Iilion" were on tan all aav
end night This was prepared by the mo-