Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-19
ANOTHER COLD WAVE
Temperature Expected to
Drop to Twenty Tonight.
WILL COME FROM WEST
Thick Ice on River Has Not Had
Chance to Melt.
COLONIAL BEACH IS CUT OFF
Provisions Are Taken There by
Wagon From Fredericksburg,
Forty Miles Away.

An imitation cold wave will make its
appearance in Washington this afternoon.
according to the weather bureau. The
warm weather and rain of the last TWEEN
ty-fOur hours have been blown away by
the gentle southern winds. leaving acres
Of slush where once foot of snow lay.
Following this rainstorm cold winds from
the west, particularly from the Ohio val
ley. will sweep over Washington and a
moderate cold wave may be expected to-
night. However. no fears need be enter
tanned that the pipes will burst, for 20
degrees Is the lowest the weather bureau
expects.
The STRENGTHENING department today
gave practically it's entire attention to
the work of opening up ice-clogged gut
tiers in every section of the city. On
several streetc picks and shovels had to
be brought into play in order to break up
the thick ice and snow that crowded the
cutters. Supt. Paxton this afternoon
said that he expected to have the work
entirely finished by night. so that the city
will be ready for a cold spell.
The thick ice on the river did not have
a chance to melt yesterday or today. The
heavy snow which lay on top of the foot
Of ice melted considerably yesterday aft
ernoon and turned to water under the
warm rains of the night, but the frozen
surface of the Potomac is as hard as ever
and none but the biggest boats are dar-
ing to make run through the channel.
May Mean Ice Gorge.
When the final thaw arrives the situa-
ton on the river will be watched with in
terest. A sudden break up of the thou
sands of tons of ice on the Potomac may
mean an ice gorge and a backing up of
the waters in the sewers. Navigation in
these foes of broken ice would be at
tended by excitement, to say nothing of
danger.
The steamers Of the Norfolk line keep
open a track through the ice to the open
water in the lower river. and as it was
broken night and morning, as the boats
went to and from this city, they had COM
paratively little trouble in maintaining
schedules. The government tugs, the
only other craft running on the river,
have followed the track made by the
Norfolk boats.
When the ice starts drifting with the
wind and tide no track can be made.
Where open water exists one hour the
next will find it choked with masses of
drift ice. When the ice begins to drift
gorges form at Fort Washington, ely
mont, Indian Head and other points, that
are said often to be fifteen or more feet
deep in the water and as high out of it,
and it is these gorges that tie up naviga-
ton.
On the river flats, where the ice has laid
undisturbed since the beginning of the
freeze, and has grown gradually harder
and thicker, it is said to be now over a
foot thick, and to be heavier than it has
been any winter in the last twenty years.
When this ice starts drifting and gorging
J ii will require hard buck ng by the big
, steamboats, to force way through it.
1t is possible that the ice may gradually
decay where 1t lies, and will be in such
condition when il does break up as to
give the big steamers and tugs no diff
Guilty in forcing their way through 1t.
Colonial Beach Isolated.
FREDERICKSBURG. Va, January 49,
Colonial Beach. in Westmoreland coun-
ty, on the Potomac river, is entirely cut
off from communication with the outside
world, except by telephone and overland
transportation with vehicles. The Poto-
mac river is frozen so that none of the
steamers can travel and the little town
has almost run out Of household supplies
Wagons have made a trip from there, a
have secured merchandise here, and this
necessities until navigation on the river
is resumed.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
HARPERS FERRY. w. Va. January
19-Both the Shenandoah and the Poto-
mac are clear and are only two feet
above normal. No ice is running yet past
this point.