Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-04
GENUINE "NOR'WESTER"
WASHINGTON WIND AND SNOW
SWEPT LAST NIGHT.
Cold Wave to Be Short Lived, Accord
ing to Officials of Weather
Bureau.

A full Pledged NOR wester," with blizzard
accomplishments swept over Washington
last night. The icy gale howled derisively
through tree tops and around gables and
sent shivering humanity quickly to places
of warmth. There were some unfortunates,
however, who were without homes, and
these were compelled to seek shelter from
the frigid elements where best they could.
Some went to the city missions, where the
music of organ and hymnal mingled with
the discordant chorus of the wintry winds
Others sought places of refuge in the lodg-
ing houses, and some even went to the
police stations, preferring iron bars and
benches with warm atmosphere to the
marrow-freezing north gale, the driving
sleet and snow and the blood-chilling tenn
perature without.
Sad scenes were enacted in the abodes of
poverty, where the fires burned low and the
icy air crept in through crach and crev1ce.
Ily-clad children gathered cinders from the
ash piles or picked up stray bits of wood
from alley and street to replenish the scant
flames in the homes of the city's poor
Following the steady rain of yesterday the
storm developed energy in the afternoon
with low barometer. Then came the
''norther,' with maximum wind velocity
of SO miles an hour from the northwest.
1T was the aftermath of the rain storm,
said Prof. Alfred ]. Henry of the weather
bureau to Star reporter today. with
rapidly lowering temperature it started in
with sleet, which turned to snow. The tenn
perature finally reached a minimum of IL
degrees above zero and about three inches
of snow FELL
Rather heavy snow storms prevailed
along the Atlantic coast from the Virginia
capes northward to southern New England.
The following temperatures were reported
to the weather bureau this morning: New
York, IL degrees: Philadelphia, 10: Boston,
16; Richmond 20; Pittsburg II. The winds
along the coast blew off-shore and were
high. ....-..,..
VI n mill ha c6nrt live
Prof. Henry this afternoon. There will
be fair and warmer weather tomorrow,
while the outlook for Friday is far warmer
weather and slight rains. The westward
edge of last nights storm is over the At
lantic coast Its center is out at sea-"
Caused Considerable Damage.
The gale last night caused considerable
damage to electric light wires in the SUBJ
urban places, and in several instances they
were blown from their fastenings, to the
danger of animals and pedestrians.
Superintendent Breckenridge of the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone Company
stated this afternoon that but little damage
had resulted to telephone wires. The potent
cause of disasters to these wires, he said,
was sleet of the clingng sort, which coats
the lines with ice and causes them to break,
especially when they are swung violently by
the wind.
A number of minor accidents occurred as
result of the slippery condition of the
sidewalks and roadways About O'Clock
this morning the Emergency Hospital am
bulance was called out in the teeth of the
gale to make a long run over the snow and
ice covered streets to the vicinity of the
Baltimore and Ohio depot The vehicle
proceeded to the scene of the supposed ter
rible accident at whirlwind pace, scat
tering snow, ice and pedestrians, only to
find plain drunk with slight abra-
sion over his eye.
Because of the storm the cars of the
Georgetown and Tenleytown railroad were
almost placed out Of commission in at
tempting to climb the god street hill, re-
sultng in several hours delay to hundreds
of passengers who We're anxious to get to
their evening meal.