The evening times., 1899-02-06
EXTENT OF THE STORM
In THE CAPITAL City
Seven and 0ne.Half Inches of
Snow Falls. .
The Weather Bureau Predicts More
White Crystals Tonight.
CamEnissioners in Urgent Need of an
APpropriation-The Principal
Industry of Washington.

Washington appears to be many degsees
north of its native latitude.
The forecast-for the District of Columbia
is that there will be more snow today and
tonight. that tomorrow there may be snow
or rain, and that brisk winds will ow out
OF the northeast and the northwest.
Washington was study in white this
morning. The streets of gray and red had
become white, the parks OF green had dom
ned robes of white and the housetops and
the trees were freighted with crystals from
the skies The frs, pines, and cedars in
the public squares were bent under their
weights of white.
Snow -shoveling was one of the leading
industries of the day. Men labored at nun
oreds of street crossings and the sound of
shoyels grating on the pavements was
heard throughout the city. Befo-e the Iull
in the snowfall, which came at about 40
o clock, large gangs OF men were at work
cleaning the walks about the public build
ings. About fifty men were at work N the
White House grounds and soon the main
driveway was cleared, but IL was again
covered with snow and the clearing pro-
cess was repeated. Gangs OF men were at
work early around the Treasury, State,
War and Navy, Interior, and PoStottice De-
partment buildings. The janitors of Office
buildings and the sections of churches
worked until they felt like summer.
Unless Congress shall come TO the as
sistance Of the Street Cleaning Department
O. the District the thoroughfares of The
city viii be in deplorable condition.
There is no money available for the re-
moyal of the snow from the streets. The
District Commissioners in their arguments
49,
pointed out that public health must suffer
u the snow is allowed TO block the streets
and thaw in theAcourse of time. Ii has
been urged that physicians attribute infiu-
enZa. pneumonia, and kindred troubles 10
snowbound and slushy streets.
An urgent request was made for an ap-
preparation of $4,000 this year. Congress
allowed only 81 600, which was expended in
removing but a part of the snow which
fell one night during January last. a de-
iciency appropriation of $1,000 was then
granted. The District authorities baye
thus received but 2,000 when treble thai
amount was needed to remove the snow
which fell during two storms. A third re-
quest has been made for an additional de-
ficiency appropriation of $1,000. No actor
has yet been taken. Had Congress madt
$40 600 available for the cleaning of snow
by appropriation, the Street Cleaning De
partment officials say they would have
been able to open all the cutters of th'
city yesterday, besides clearing the cross
lngs TO width of 10 feet.
The regular street cleaning fund cannot
be drawn upon for the removal Of snow
Several winters ago the Superintendent o.
the Street Cleaning Department was au
Ihorized by the District Commissioners t'
Use 5000 out of the street cleaning fund
for the removal OF snow. The account wa
not allowed by the accounting officers G
the Treasury on the ground that none
specifically appropriated for one purpos
cannot be used for another.
The street car companies kept thei
track sweepers in operation all night an
through the day. With systematic ant
diiigent work. the electric and cable line
Overcame the difficulty caused by the heay!
snowfall. but the horse lines suffered Sc
Tiously. They kept their plows an,
sweepers running all night, but when da
came 1t was necessary for them to doubl,
their teams and in most cases TO reduc
the number of cars in operation by one
half. The capacity of the cars was over
taxed because nearly everybody who wen
TO Office or to other work. elected to ride
Few persons ventured TO walk and tn
bicycle was laid aside
Young Washington reyels in the sno'
feast. The hills are dotted with coaster
and snowballing is a popular diversion
Snow men and snow forts have bee
erected here and there.
During this storm, seven and one-haI
inches Of snow has fallen Five inche
fell on Sunday morning and two and one
half inches have fallen since last night
The storm which was central in Nortl
Carolina Sunday morning disappeared dur
ing the day; another of similar natur
developed in the extreme southwest, an,
this morning occupies the east Gulf States
This storm has caused snow in Virginia
the Ohio and Middle Mississippi valleys
and the northern portion of the west GU
States and rain throughout the east Gul
and south Atlantic States. There is an
other slight depression in extreme wester
Texas, which is causing snow in New Mex
leo and extreme northern Texas. Their
was also snow in eastern Colorado an
southern Kansas. In the remainder of tn
West and in the upper lake region gener
ally fair and continued cold weather ha