Evening star., 1899-02-07
UNDER CLEAR SKIES
Weather Bureaus Prediction for Next
Twenty-four Hours.
EHE HEAVIEST SNOW OF YEARS
Marks the Beginning Of the Chi.
nese New Year.
VARIETY OF STREET SCENES

s-~
Clearing skies this afternoon mark the
beginning of the end of the worst case Of
snow with which Washington has had to
contend for many years. The weather bu-
reau gives out the welcome prediction of
far weather for tonight and tomorrow.
fhe prospects, however on the whole, are
not the brightest. for with the advent of
pleasant conditions overhead just the re-
verse will be the order of things under
foot. Mathematicians are now engaged in
calculating how much slush will be made
of twelve inches of snow over a prescribed
area the depth of the fall in this city since
Sunday morning. From last accounts the
scholars were helplessly buried in an ava
lanche of figures. The District Commits
soners have also been making some calcu-
lauons on their own hook, trying to ascer-
tain how far the $1,000 appropriated by
Congress will go toward relieving the nasty
conditions following the commencement of
the thaw of the banks of snow now piled
in the streets.
The snow is practically at an end, so far
as the elements are concerned, and the pre-
cipitation will cease to precpitate. The
weather man, having done his worst, will
now sit by and gleefully watch the discom-
future of pedestrians. His terrible work has
reached the finale; but the results are far
reaching, and for g. week or more the cap
ital city of the nation will resemble any
thing but an imma culate community. The
beautiful snow. famed in verse, has become
a nuisance in the eyes of every one or, at
least, those of the population not so fortu-
nate as to own trotter and cutter. With
renewal of the daily visits of the sun and
8. continuance of mild weather. the snow
will have but little chance. To these nat
ural enemies of the fieecy stuff other forces
have been allied and today gangs of work
men are shOveing the snow from street
GA
Heaviest in Years.
The weather bureau reports the twelve
inch fall of snow to have been the heaviest
recorded in 50 short time In many years.
''As far as can be seen, we will have
several days of pleasant weather over
head said Prof. Garrett a the weather
bureau this afternoon.
There have been many amusing incidents
connected with the storm and many pa
thetic ones as well. The discontinue of
jolly fat man whose sleigh overturned and
fell on top in the ensuing fight for place
was but merry background to the picture
of poor woman who might have been
seen trudging up the street searching for
friends and food an empty basket upon her
arm. The lights and shades too numer
Gus to be recorded, attracting but a mo-
ment's interest from the spectators and
never recurring to their minds.
Tell me where l can find that ground
hog and I'll fix his business!' loudly de-
clared colored citizen this morning, as he
trudged ana slipped along his way. There
are many like him who believe the bad
weather is the result of the fright received
by the little animal when he behed his
shadow on the second day of the present
month
in front of one of the downtown restau-
rants. Two tiny newsboys, one white, the
other black-two midgets-veritable Tom
Thumbs of the profession-engaged in a
hp S1innprV a
white lad was urged on by the name of
''Ikey," while the participant of darker
shade received the battle cognomen of
''Dingy." The scene of war was soon
transformed to the gutter. where two feet
of snow formed a soft cushion for the num-
erous falls inflicted. The kids had finally
to be dug out of the frozen moisture Their
ardor was not dampened, however, and
only the advent of bluecoat around the
corner put a stop to the controversy.
Down in Chinatown
The snow was most unwetcome to a Ger
tain class of Washington's population. The
Chinese residents are preparing for grand
celebration of their new year, which will be
ushered in Thursday. Great things are be-
ing done II. Chinatown but the ceremonies
of arrangement are attended by but few
celestials. The "chink'' refuses absolutely
to venture forth on the snow, except in
cases of emergency. and so TIE carnival has
50 lar Deen a Idllufe, the weather making
1t fall pretty heavy upon the projectors
The feastipg will begin today. and for six
days the Chinese restaurants will be closed
TO all outsiders.
Snow stories have been in the air in the
greatest abundance. and after listening to
many of the marvellous tales of gentlemen
from Maine and Massachusetts one must
necessarily reach the conclusion that Wash
ington has had but furry during the
present season Tales of three-story houses
being completely hidden from view in drifts
ana of the trials in digging out from the
second-story windows, are permissible but
today in group, when one of the fellows
attempted to spring the experience of the
near-sighted COW which froze to death un-
der the impression that the popcorn flowing
from the burning barn was an avalanche
of snow. he was promptly wallowed In
drift Of the ''beautiful.'
That joke has won niche in the halls
of the ancieuts," observed one of the main
guys in the bunch
Weather-affiicted, snow-covered Washing
ION will now have a trial heat through a
sea of siush. The outlook is not promising,
The snow which has been so much In ey-
fdence in Washington was hea aviest here of
any place in this section of the country
To the south of the District the precip-
itatton was mostly rain, while falls of only
two or three inches are reported in New
York and New England.