Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-23
ALMOST A BLIZZARD
Icy Winds Blow While the
Snow ThickIy Falls.
WHITE BLANKET ON CITY
Fiercest Storm of the Winter in the
District.
STREET CAR TRAFFIC STOPPED
Places Where Wayfarers Seek Lodg-
ing Crowded to Overlooking.
Many Go to Station HoAses.
;TREET CAR TRAFFIC STOPPED

/ Near-blizZard conditions were reached in
| Washington before daylight this morning
when the temperature went down to "a
| eight degrees below the freezing point.
| The wind blew icy blasts from the north,
and the tumblng snow was piled high in
drifts. The downtown districts Of the city
| were clogged up with snow and ice, and
walking was most difficult. Automobiles,
unable to proceed through the pilng
snowdrifts. strained and puffed, and in
many instances became stalled in the
roadway. Nine inches of snow fell In
some cases the drifts were from foot
to two feet deep.
There were a number of street car tie
ups. and long lines of waiting cars be-
came familiar scenes throughout the Dis
| trict. The steam railroads experienced
much difficulty also, and the engineers
| were compelled to go slow. Telephone
| wires worked hard, and the "buzzing"
sound of the wires told of numerous lines
being in trouble. Today, as a result of
the meteorological performance of yester-
day and last night, all the District and
the country beyond are wearing a heavy
mantle of white. AS the day wore on the
| temperature rose and the streets and
! sidewalks were blanketed in sluSh.
Another Storm Coming.
The storm which came sweeping up
| from Georgia yesterday forenoon is now
in action somewhere on the bosom of the
Atlantic. Prof. Harry Frankenfield, Of
fetal forecaster of the weather bureau,
said today that the disturbance, with its
silent work of the Skies in the shape
of to1 ,4o1yn
early this morning just southeast of the
New England coast.
For the time being. until we get some
vessel reports Prof. Frankenfield added
the snowstorm is lost on the vastness of
the ocean,
The forecaster was asked as to the
weather outlook for Christmas He re-
piled that there is another storm coming
this way from the west. There is but
the barest possibility of the western dis
turbance reaching Washington by Christ
mas day.
1T is more likely he said. that un-
settled conditions may prevail Friday
when the Yuletide festivities are at their
height. There will be no falling weather
Christmas unless the western storm
moves with extraordinary rapidity in this
direction
The temperature may go seven degrees
below the freezing point tonight, accord
ing to indications today but warmer con-
ditions are expected tomorrow. and with
them will come another thaw and the
accompanying slush and mud.
Rough Weather for Rivermen.
A gloomy picture was presented on the
Washington river front as the snow COW
cred the Potomac banks and the fats.
The storm extended the entire length of
the river and gave the masters OF. the
steamers out in it considerable troube in
navigating their boats between points at
which they were scheduled to land. AS
the trips they were making were impOr
tant. because the boats had aboard large
numbers of Christmas packages from
persons in this city to relatives and
friends down the river, the steamboat
men felt bound to make their schedules
and not to skip any of the wharves that
were difficult to reach through the blind
ing snow. At times yesterday the flakes
were falling so fast on the river that the
steamboat men say that everything was
shut In as If by a thick fog, and it was
with a feeling of relief that the heaviest
part of the storm ceased early this morn
ing.
All the steamboats, were greatly de-
layed, the heavy storm having forced
them to anchor or tie up temporarily. The
Westmoreland Of the Maryland, Delaware
and Virginia line. due here about o'clock
this morning, did not reach its wharf
here until about IL am. The Harry Ran
dali, which should have arrived about q
am. arrived about 1 pm. They tied up
last night in the Wicomico river. The
Norfolk line steamer due here at am
was expected to arrive about o'clock.
Suffering Of the Destitute.
Although the snow gives the city and
country color of Christmas and makes
the bare trees and bushes stand out in
picturesque relief with their coverings of
white. there is yet another side of the pic
ture presented by the poor in the con-
gested tenements and the homeless way
farers. With but scant clothing and the
lack of nourishing food, hundreds OF men
and mere boys sought shelter last night
from the storm. Long before the closing
hours the Municipal Lodging House. on
18th street between and d streets; the
Central Union Mission lodgery, the Cos
pei Mission. 1870 PENNSYLVANIA avenue,
and other places where the wayfarers
seek lodging were filled to overlooking,
and many OF the unfortunates were turn
ed away to face the driving north wind,
the flying snow and the freezing tempera-
ture.
Lieut.. Hollinberger. WHO was in charge
of the first precinct police station. in the
business center of Washington, said that
fully 100 homeless men and boys applied
to him for a place to get out of the
storm. They expressed their willingness
to sleep In the cherries iron cells in pref
erence to exposing themselves to the
storm. The lieutenant was unable to take
i'm the outcasts because of a police regu-
lation which prohibits the turning Of po-
lice stations into lodging houses.
Among the tenement house poor there
was much suffering because of lack of
fuel. and some pitiful cases were reported
to the police.
Those Christmas shoppers who did not
heed the advice to do their shopping early
were caused great discomfort yesterday,
and the street cars were filled with men
and women with their arms full of bun
dies, clinging to the straps in the aisles.
Boon to Those Out Of Work.
| The snow means a Christmas to many
| hundreds Of families Preparations had
been made by the District government
some time ago for cleaning the cutters
! along the main streets of the city after
snowstorms. The employees of the street
| cleaning department were told to spread
| the news that it would hire men to shovel
! snow when necessary, the applicants to
| assemble at the toohouses of the depart
! ment.
! Early this morning men began to arrive
| at these toolhouses Some looked wan
| and chilled others wore the desperate
| expression that enforced idleness brings.
| Some were old and some were young. but