Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-15
COLD WAVE REMAINS
No Marked Change in the
Weather Conditions.
BELOW FREEZING POINT
HEAVY ICE IN CHANNEL OF THE
POTOMAC.
ro,+;rra+;o~ ~ Cu1eerinr Among
BELOW FREEZING POINT
Continuation of Suffering Among
the Poor-Bureau's Statement Re-
garding the Rivers.

The weather bureau holds out no hope OF
immediate relief from the cold wave. Ac-
cording to the forecast for the next twenty
four hours the temperature will undergo no
material change. The Potomac river cnah-
mel is filed with heavy ice for distance OIL
nearly seventy miles. and navigation Is pos
sible only for heavy vessels.
The weather outlook at late hour TINS
afternoon, according to the official prophet
was that there will be no marked change
in the temperature today or tomorrow the
mercury registering a few degrees below
the freezing point, with brisk northwesteriy
winds. The condition of the rivers in the
entire eastern section of the country is SAID
by Prof. Garriott to be serious. Ihis IS
also true of the Potomac in this vicinity
and it is the opinion of the weather ON
Gals that should there be decided rise
in the temperature, producing general
thaw and accompanied by heavy rains, Sc
rious trouble would ensue from the gorg-
ing of the ice and freshets.
Prof. Garriott added, however, that at
this time there are no such conditions III
sight.
Heavy Ice in Channel.
The officers of the Norfolk and Wash
ington line steamer Norfolk. which ar
rived here this morning from Norfolk and
Old Point about 80 o'clock, report hav-
Ing run through heavy ice from Lower
Cedar Point to this city, but the heaviest
ice was found from Indian Head up. Capt.
Posey reports having broken ice about an
inch thick in CheSa peake bay last night.
The Weems line steamer Anne Arundel
left Baltimore yesterday morning for the
Potomac, and. it is stated, Will endeaVOr
to come through to this city. She should
arrive here tomorrow should she succeed
in getting through. There are no indica-
tions of the ice breaking up just yet, but
Commodore Sutton has completed ar
rangements with the tugboats to go to
work as soon as their services are needed.
Effect on Markets.
One serious result of the continued bliz-
zard conditions has been to make vege-
tables and other products scarce and high
in the Washington markets. This state of
affairs was explained in measure today by
r. l.. Sellman of Beltsville, Prince Georges
county, Md, who had come to the city over
the ice and snow-crusted roads in large
country wagon. Speaking to Star report
err. Mr.. Sellman said the roads through
Prince Georges county, as well as the
fields, are solid sheets of Ice. topped with
snow.
There are plenty of nearby vegetables
including cabbage, carrots. parsnips. oyster
plants and the like buried in the ground,
but the farmers cannot get at them owing
to the heavy covering of ice and the hard
frozen condition of the earth. Digging for
vegetables, he added. was almost like delV-
ing into stone, the ground is so hard. Then,
too, the roads are so bad that but few
farmers care to venture on the long and
cherries trip to town.
Il have never seen rougher winter than
this" said Mr. ,Sellman .It is the worst
7 ha known in
that is as far back as l can remember
Owing to the large quantities of vege-
tables in the ground on farms in the nearby
country, which cannot now be excavated,
it is predicted that when decided thaw
occurs the present scarcity of vegetable
foods will be succeeded by a glut in the;
market and a consequent rapid decline in
prices.
number of farmers and truckers in the
adjoining counties of Maryland and Vir-
ginia are even now said to be putting down
their hot beds for the production of spring
vegetables, such as onions, lettuce and
radiShes.
There were but three farmers wagons on
the country line at the Center Market to-
day. and one of these stated that on every
occasion when he came to the city with
load of his products it was necessary to
have his horses re-shod. Travelling along
the ice-covered roads, he said. was tedious
and dangerous task, the horses being COM
PEELED to proceed at a snail-like pace.
ducks coming to the markets from the
lower Potomac, the Chesapeake and North
Carolina. Stormy and freezing weather
conditions are the best for duck shooting
it is conceded, as the birds fly low and go
to air holes near shore to feed. where they
fall victims to the hunters.
Needs of the Poor.
There is still said to be much distress
among the poor of the city. Rev. ]. w.
IL
to Star reporter today that during the
past thirty days that institution had sup
piled fuel, food and clothing to thirty-six
needy families. and had assisted forty in
dividuals, and found temporary employment
for forty-three persons and permanent work
for four, besides sending two sick persons
to the hospital.
eve discourage idleness," said Mr..
Steele, "but when the weather is cold and
stormy we give all corners the benefit of
the doubt and take them in without charge,
should they be unable to pay. Then we
endeavor to find employment of some sort
for them. During recent cold wave we
took in seventy-one men and boys who
were without food or shelter. On the fol-
lowing day we secured temporary employ
ment for sixty-nine of them cleaning snow
and ice from the sidewalks. Now, the
strangest part of the whole proceeding was
that out of the sixty-n.ne for whom we
found work, fifty-nine came back and paid
the mission in full for the shelter and food
that had been given them during the icy
storm.
This showed a higher pc, centage of hon.
esty among the wayfarers and outcasts
than most people believe they possess"
Mr.. Steele said there is much sickness
among the city's poor which has resulted
from the frigid weather and caused an
overcrowding of the free wards of the hos
pitfalls.
Appropriation for Snow Removal.
The Commissioners are pleased at the ac-
ton of Congress IN passing the joint reso-
luton appropriating 5000 for cleaning the
crosswalks and cutters of snow and Ice
and also for cleaning snow and ice from
the avenue during the Inauguration Com
missioner West, in charge of the street
cleaning department, stated today that Just
as soon the thaw comes he will have
the avenue thoroughly cleaned, and will
then pray that If Washington is on the
schedule for another snow before Inaugural
ton that the schedule may be changed.
The street cleaning department win also
proceed to clean the crosswalks and gut
tiers as soon as the snow and ice on the
streets begins to melt rapidly.
For Information of Rivermen.
Willis l.. Moore. chief of the United States
weather bureau, issued this afternoon a spe !.
cial bulletin for the information of river
men. which is as follows:
A rapid alienation of snow storms and