Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-29
FALLING SN0WFLAKES
Washington Covered With
a Mantle of White.
HEAVIEST OF SEASON
GROUND COVERED TO A DEPTH OF
EIGHT INCHES.
Congress Asked to Appropriate an
Emergency Fund-The Rivermen
Expect Freeze.

For nearly twenty-four hours Washing
ton has witnessed a steadily falling cloud
of snowflakes, and the prospect or this
being the heaviest snow storm Of the sea-
son when it began yesterday afternoon has
become a fact. Coming from the sunny
southland in mid-afternoon, the snow swirl
ed and eddied around the tall buildings and
swept into every corner and Granny, every
moment increasing In strength and force
until at dark it had grown to the respect
able proportions of western blizzard,
without the accompanying high wind that
marks those efforts of the weather to bury
the inhabitants under a mantle of feathery
flakes. Not for a moment did the fall
cease, and the industrious householders in
dulged in three performances of snow
shoveling during the storm, one regular and
two matinees. Beginning at o'clock last
evening the energetic shovel brigade clean
ed off the sidewalks, believing the fall
would certainly let up before o'clock.
Still later than that hour they were
chagrined to find their labors in vain. but
taking optimistic view Of the situation
once more went forth into the storm and
heroically made effort to comply in ad-
vance with the regulations Of the city which
require the snow to be cleaned from all
sidewalks within the prescribed time. Snow
must be removed three hours after the fall
ceases, except that event occur during the
night, when an extension is permitted OF
three hours after sunrise.
Inches of snow had fallen while the faith
full ate their dinners, but with an optimism
wrought of long residence in this city they
were certain that the second effort would
be the last called for by the thOughtless ele-
ments. Alas! the faith of man. AS fast as
their scoops flew, the beautiful fell, I'M
TIL weary, and in many cases exhausted,
they fell by the wayside and gave up the
struggle against force that could work
increasingly without rest and never seem
to know fatigue or when 1t had done enough
for all purposes of conviction.
Many of the most hopeful for third
time sought to clear the front sidewalks,
but their labors were of no more avail than
had been those Of the less vigorous ones
who had quit earlier, for still the snow
came down and the keen wind blew, and 1t
looked as If a foot or two would fall before
the next cock crew. And when these he
roes awakened this morning and looked
from their frosted windows, they looked in
vain for the marks of their shovels made
during the afternoon and evening perform
anceS of yesterday.
The "beautiful' covered them as with
cottony mantle
Depth Of Eight Inches at Noon.
Up to noon today eight inches had fallen
at the gauge at the weather bureau.
This storm. according to the weather
bureau, is not partial to Washington, but
covers nearly the entire eastern section Of
the United States and has shown no par
ticular preference whether it fell on the
bic ssoms of Carolina or the pumpkins of
Maryland and Virginia. All fields looked
alike to this impartial storm. The tenn
perature was too high for the flakes to
form south of North Carolina. but it was
wet clear into Florida rain falling as the
rear guard of the snow cloud.
The street railway companies had their
weather eye open. and as soon as the fall
began they got out their sweepers and kept
them busy all afternoon and night in order
to keep the tracks open for the traffic of
today. The loss OF an hour with them
would have meant the stalling Of their en-
tire system, for the fall Of snow was heavy
enough to have blocked traffic within an
hour. The great sweepers, covered with
the snow dust looked uncanny as they few
over the tracks with their accompanying
whirring and buzzing sounds, scattering the
snow in clouds in the air as they passed
along the streets.
Washington has just spent large sum
of money in cleaning its streets Of the fall
of mingled snow and ice that made walking
so dangerous last week. and this work was
practically useless. If Information had
come a few days earlier that we were to
have the honor of a visit so soon again
from the snow king much money might
have been saved the District. but tits an
i'll wind that blows nobody good;" the
white wings would then have not made
that extra money, and from a philosc ph1c
viewpoint it is just as we'll that the weather
bureau did not have the information to
give out
The harbor has been kept open through
the good work of Harbormaster Sutton,
and there Is said to be little or no danger
of gorge in the Potomac that will cause
a flood when the thaw comes. This thaW Is
due within few hours, so say the weather
bureau officials. and there will be an amp1i-
tude of mud In the bath tubs and coffee
water of all those poor unfortunates who
do not possess filters.
Force at Work on Crosswalks.
A force of 500 men with shovels, and as
sisted by forty wagons and carts, was put
to work by Warner Stutler, superintendent
of street cleaning, this morning, in remov-
ing the snow from the crosswalks and gut
ters within the city limits. The crossings
will be cleaned for width of ten feet and
the cutters for a width of one foot. Mr..
Stutler states that tomorrow morning he
expects to be able to obtain 500 more men,
making the STRENGTHENING force LOCO men
strong.
Congress several weeks ago appropriated
S., 600 for removing the snow and ice from
crosswalks and cutters in the city. The
amount on hand from that appropriation
this morning was about $500 Mr. Stutler
states that all of that amount will be used
in cleaning off the snow now on the
ground.
Appropriation Wanted.
Commissioner mcfarland was today be-
fore the House appropriations committee
to ask an appropriation of 10000, to be
made Immediately available. for. clean
ing the crosswalks and gutteds. The
District authorities take this action in
anticipa ton of SHOWS during the re-
mainder of the winter. They do not de-
sire to be caught in blizzard with no
money available The Commissioners have
strong hopes that Congress will grant
| their request for the appropriation instead
| of requiring them to ask for emergency
amounts for this work upon the occasion OF
| each snowfall.
The superintendent Of street cleaning
states that If he is able to put 1000 men to
work on the streets tomorrow the snow
will be cleaned from the crosswalks and
cutters by tomorrow night. If the pres
ent storm continues, however, 1t will be
| impossible to finish the work within that
| time
A Costly Winter.
| It is said by Warner Stutler, the superin-
| tendent of street cleaning, that this winter
| has cost the District more than has ever
| been known in the history of the local gov
eminent The thermometer has not beer
very low, the lowest point touched since
| yesterday being twenty-one degrees at
| o'clock this morning. 1t touched twenty
| three at IL o'clock, and the weather bu-
l nruf fxyalx axynv, tnvr1.