Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-09
CAME FROM THE SOUTH
Sleet and Snow Causes Much
Discomfort.
SAID TO BE OVER NOW
MODERATE WEATHER FOR A DAY
OR TWO PROMISED.
May Be Few Flurries This Afternoon
Tugs Prepared to Break the
Ice on the River.

A fattling storm of rain ana sleet reacheo
Washington yesterday afternoon, ana ABOUT
$3.50 o'clock, as the government employees
were streaming forth from the several de-
partments, the fall began The sleet came
down in minute ice balls about the size OF
small bird shot. 1t danced and rattled
against window panes and soon had the
sidewalks covered by a treacherous coating
Of ice.
Referring to this latest meteorological dis
turbance, Prof. Edward B. Garriott, Official
forecaster Of the weather bureau, said to-
day this storm, which has added variety
to the already severe and varied weather
of the present winter, came up from the
SOUTH where the orange blossoms bloom.
AS it passed up this way from Dixle II lett
clearing weather behind
1.-THE storm is over now" said the fore
caster, land We will have fair or parity
cloudy and moderate weather until tomor-
row night at least. The minimum tempera-
ture today was q degrees above zero yes
terday morning it was 10 above, ana the
temperature has been going steadlly up
ward since"
Professor Garriott added that there may
be a few snow fiurries this afternoon. but
there is nothing special in the way OF pao
weather in sight"
For a while yesterday Washington was
in possible danger Of being caught in the
vortex between two storms. One was
charging up from the south while the other
was whizzing along, enveloped IN Ice anu
snow. from the middle west from "he me-
II advanced over the lake region Inc
southern storm travelled from the middle
Gulf coast to the middle Atlantic coast ana
a collision of the two storms was aVerteu.
Had they met this part OF the country
would have experienced what might nave
been termed a combination storm.
Many poor men and boys in Washington
found temporary employment today clear
ing away the snow and ice from neglected
sidewalks. The pavements about the old
Post Office Department building at 7th and
F streets were covered with ice-crusted
snow this morning until force OF men
were put to work removing the objections
able covering.
The sleet interfered somewhat last night
with travel on the city and suburban cleo
trio railways and the cars ran on uncertain
time. Similar conditions are said to have
existed on the steam railroads.
Dismal and Desolate.
The sleet storm of last night added to the
dismal and desolate appearance of the river
and did not improve the prospects OF an
early opening of navigation. The Ice re-
mains heavy and it is as difficult for the
steamers to come through as it has been at
any time since the freeze started, over two
weeks ago. The three big naval tugs are
required to tow barge TO and from the
naval proving grounds at Indian Head,
Nd. and it is only by rammlng the gorged
ma sses of ice that they are able to make
any Roadway through it, This freeze, old
river men say, is the heaviest that has oc-
Cured on the Potomac for the past quar-
ter of a century.
Engineer of Bridges w. ]. Douglass con-
tinued his experiments yesterday on the
effect of dynamite explosions in breaking
up the ice on the Potomac. About ion
dc of ho vY1n on 1e
two ice gorgeS which have formed between
the new highway bridge and the Aqueduc1
bridge. Mr.. Douglass believes the dyna.
mite explosions will form valuable aces
sorry In causing the gorged ice to pass down
stream when the other operations with tug
boats begin after partial thaw has set In
and the river resumes its motion.
No change in the situation is expected un.
til Congress appropriates money for the
work and operations are begun in earnest
to free the river from its icy grasp. The
House yesterday afternoon passed the bill
providing $4,000 for this purpose, and 1t Il
thought the Senate will take similar actor
and the President sign 1t promptly.
Improvement in Conditions.
There has been an improvement in the ic'
conditions on Chesapeake bay in the pas
forty-eight hours, the heavy northwestern!
winds having broken the ice up and blown
1t across the bay and out to sea. Capt
Posey of the Norfolk and Washington lint
steamer which arrived here about II o'clocl
this morning, reports the bay free of ic'
and but little in the lower river from Pon
Lookout to Piney Point. From there tt
| this city the steamer encountered heav.
| ice and lost time in running through it.
| The rivermen are looking for thav
| should rain come on top the snow now Gov
ering the ice. This, with current of mud
| dy water from the headwaters of the Pc
| tomac, which would follow rain, would sool
soften the ice and start it drifting.
| 1t is when the ice begins TO move tina
| there Is danger of gorges at the bridge
and danger of flooding the low-lying part
| of the city The ice-breaking fleet will b.
| needed to keep the ice in the river below
| the bridges moving, in order to give fire.
exit for the ice that will come down from
| the upper river When the ice-breakini
| tugs are put in service they will work dow
| the river far needed, in order to ope
| free channel for the drifting ice.
Experiments Not Satisfactory.
| Mr.. w. ]. Douglass, engineer of bridges
reported today that the experiments wit
| charges of fifty pounds each of dynamit
| In the gorge above the piers of the ne1
| highway bridge was not entirely satisfae
| tory. The ice is not sufficiently compac
| to permit of much of a shock to the mass
| He said, however, that the Ice In the gorg
| Is slowly moving down the river, and be
| that particular gorge.
1ce-Breaking Flows.
The tugboats owned here and at Alex
andria which are armed with Ice breakin
plows are being put in readiness for sery
Ice. with the expectation of being Gale
upon to aid In freeing the harbor of ice /
order to prevent it gorging and the floodln
of the city. Commodore Sutton will hay
no trouble in obtaining all the boats he wi
need for the service. There is now lying
harbor here and at Georgetown the tug
James o. Carter EDITH G. Winship Waite
F. Meade, w. II. Mohler and the Minerv;
AT Alexandria the George w. Pride an
Resale are lying. and the tug Juno is ais
there, but has no ice pillow. The tugs Wn
| II. Yerkes. jr. and the Camilla are dow
| river, but can soon be brought home,
| needed With this feet it Is thought thel
| will be little trouble in moving the K
| when the time comes.
| Since the ice has covered the creel
along the lower Potomac to the depth
twelve more inches new kind of fist
| ing sport has been inaugurated. The fishe
man arms himself with ak. Ratchet
some sharp instrument, and takes wa
along the edge of the stream, where Il
water is two feet or less In depth, ar
where the bottom can be seen. Present
he stops, gazes down through the ice al
then chops out fish Enclosed In the &c
1t is stated that more fish can be caug
this way in a days fishing than with hoe