The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-07
VI In TER SHOWS
IT CAN CONE BACK
Hopes of Spring Dashed By
Heaviest Snow OF
Years.

! Gripped by the heaviest fall OF snow
| O! the winter, Ilchmonders plodded
their way yesterday through ankle
deep slush, traffic being seriously I'm
peded. and all outdoor business at q
standstill. The snow OF Sunday had
not gone when late Tuesday night an
other fall began, ana continued with
out intermission for twelve hours Sec
ms that the streets were almost i'm
| passoble for little people. thut few
sidewalks had been cleared and that
street car service was Interrupted.
superintendent j. \. c. Chandler ord
cred the public schools closed for tho
day, and the mo school" signal was
runs on the fro bells just ut \. NJ,
ior the first time In several years
suburban and through train service
suffered. and snow plows We're work
ing throughout the night on street car
tracks with fair success. Although the
shaw fall ceased about II o'clock it
was succeeded by dismal drizzle
which dampened every one and drove
pedestrians early from the streets
only minor damage was reported by
the telephone and telegraph companies
as the storm was not accompanied ny
high winds and the snow did not cling
sufficiently to bring down any num-
Der of wires by its own weight.
TENNIS Have IIurd Going.
Delivery wagons had hard going for
time. Many coal bin was Empower
ishcd by the long, hard winter. and
calls on the dealers wero insistant
while double teams with barely half a
load struggled over the slippery streets
to supply the demand. In all about six
inches OF snow fell. but the fine rain
OF tho afternoon served TO take some
away. The thcrmometcr stood Just
above freezing until night, and there
was some thawinE, enough to keep the
toot"ays wet ana disagrecable.
The Weather Bureau at midnight In
dicatcd rain ana unsettled weather for
day.
Building operations throughou, the
city, which had been resumed after the
prolonged cold OF January and E'cbru-
airy. were practically suspended by the
freezing. Contractors report that never
before in their experience has there
been so protrnctcd and continuous a
cold winter as this year, when the
ground has not thoroughly thawed out
since late in December.
The condition of many streets In the
outlying sections OF the city are almost
impassabie Frost twenty-five inches
deep has uprooted the surface, and the
vehicles which have pioughed through
have left the streets as uneven as a
corn field. This last snow has put the
Engineers ONCE almost At its wits end
T. satisfy complaints. for the work or
restoring some OF the worst streets had
been barely begun wh-n the etorn
came.
IN illustration Of tho continuous
cold weather is shown in the case OF
Fifth street, between Main and Frank
lin. which has been closed TO traffic
since Dccembcr %. ON top of the
stone which has been placed there the
lGngineer's Department proposes TO put
( q blanket OF asphalt, making a hard
| and smooth surface. This character OF
paving can only be laid when the rock
| bed Is dry and thoroughly thawed out.
since the top course IS poured on at a
| temperature of more than 900 degrees.
| With week of clear, sunny weather
| the work could be finished. but since
the street was closed there have not
/ been three consecutive days in which
work Of this character could he prose
! cuted
Beverly Street, which the city un-
| der,ook 10 crude late In the winter
Is morass mpass sable, except on
| stepping stones, and many stores are
| refusing 10 deliver IN that section of
the city Cary Street and Grove Ave
| nue. from the boulevard to the new
city limits were graded late In the
fall, ard for long distance are made
on new earth fills, which have never
drien out and with tho continued SHOWS
,
| less ana Impossible.
/ building liz Halted.
| In the building Inspectors ONCE 1t
was estimated that more than $4,000,
| 600 OF building operations were being
f, hSld back by bad weather, and thou
! sands OF workmen have been laid off
| from day 10 day In the constant hope
| that better times are coming for opcn-
| air construction
| Early Yesterday superintendent
Henry cohn. OF the street Cleaning
| Department, had his men hauliac snow
from the banking and business sec
lions, sufficiently clearing Main Street
| and some other thorourhfarcs TO allow
Il resumption Of business. though every
! line OF trade felt the stagnation Of
| tho stormy weather. ana every man
| took time to EXPRESS his opinion Of
the eroEdhcs and the Weather
| Bureau
Tho Associated Charities ana the
| various missions OF the city work ed
faithfully 10 meet tho emergency con
ditions OF n snowbouud city with many
| poor and destitute people. but tho long
winter has already Impoverished the
| funds of these associations. and in
many worthy cases their ala had 10
be curta!led for lack OF sufficient
| means 20 meet the demands