Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-08

Theodore Michaels, sixty-five years old,
was frozen to death last night near the
Firth-Sterling steel plant at Giesboro
point, on the river just below the city.
The temperature at the time Michaels'
body was found in the snow By Charles
Dennison. an employe Of the plant, was
OF In the neighborhood Of 8 degrees.
The same cold which killed Michaels
has brought pitiable suffering to q greater
number Of poor families than has been
known by charity workers for several
years.
employed at the Firth h-Sterling plant. and
was on tho night shift. His home is near
the plant. His wife and two children are
visiting friends In McKaesport. Pa. where
the family rss,ds1 several yesSs sge. It
had Sbssn MIS- custom p fx' his nres at 8
o'clock.. 60 home TO dinner and be back
IT his fires again st 10.
Body Found by Friend.
He followed the firss part Of this pro-
gram last night. and II was only q few
minutes. past 10 O'Clock when his friend.
lying In the snow. The body was still
warm.
Dennison called for help and Michaels
was carried to the hospital on the steel
plants premises. DR.. Artnur N. Meloy
Of Anacostia, who answered the call for
medical assistance. found that the man
was dead. and that he had died OF ex-
posure.
Despite the snowstorm which the
weather bureau says Is to be followed by
sleet tonight. the temperature Is expected
10 rise to about "a degrees. according to
yo
Tomorrow will probably see more snow,
and after that 1t will be clearer. The
killing northwest winds seem to have
blown themselves out, and eastern
zephyrs from the cold and stormy Allan
tic will whirl the snownakes about to-
night.
The Associated Charities says that the
number of homeless men who shiver and
fall i'll In the cold has increased this
year and that the number of families
seeking aid has also increased. Labor
ing mems families who have never ap-
Piled for charity before showed up at va
rious offices Of the Associated Charities
today. all telling the same tale The cold
snap has stopped day laborers' work all
over the District, and the consequent
poverty Is widespread.
Stories Of Suffering.
From two families over wi1icn the stork
is lowering come stories OF pitiable suf-
fcring. Two men who each earn about
e15O day. feeding and clothing four and
five people with 1t, asked for food and
coal. The charity workers found that
another twelve hours Of the cold, with
out adequate food. would probably have
killed the expectant mothers.
Another story was that Of family
whose breadwinner had besn DISCHARGED
from his Job. and promptly upon the rent
day the entire family. Including two very
small children: were set out on the street
In the cold The Associated Charities fed
them and warmed them and obtained
work for the man. A threatened eviction
was foreetalled in . southwest alley last
night. A young man whose pay has been
cut OH. and who had been able to get
nothing for his wife and himself to eat
for twenty-four hours. was just getting
ready with his wife to take up their resi-
dence on the sidewalk when good angel
paid their rent and brought some coal
and food. The wife was taken TO the
maternity ward of a hospital.
Six weeks ago a laborer died leaving
his wife with two children, and ten days
ago another one arrived. In addition
an old grandmother Is In the house. and
no breadwinner. 1t is almost the worst
ease the Associated Charities has on It's
hands. The two rooms of this miserable
family were as cold as outdoors when
the first bucket Of coal and the first
basket OF food arrived a day or two ago.
On the Frozen River.
The perky little tugboats which are
ramming their ice-covered noses about
tie foes i'm the river are about the
only things with keels which can navi-
gate the icebound Potomac today. A
few big steamboats, are showing through
the ice, but all other water travel has
been abandoned for the time being. The
sidewheelers were gradually taken into
their slips today. as the captains do not
fancy running the risk of smashing
paddle wheels on the small icebergs that
are cluttering up the channel
Steamers which were able to beat their
way In this morning reported extremely
heavy ice for the last nifty miles OF
their trips.
The steamer Wakefield. which shoul,
have started yesterday morning for land
ings between here and Colonial Beacl
and Mattox creek. had to abandon tn
regular schedule because OF the Ice. j
the channel does not clear soon, screw
steamers will be substituted for the pad
die wheel boats wherever possible.
Ferry Line Fighting Ice.
The ferry line to Alexandra is an un
certain venture just at present for an,
one who wishes to make quick and sur
(Continued on Eighth Pago)