The Washington herald., 1912-01-13
COLD WAVE COMES
T0CLIMAX TO-DAY
Mercury to Tumble TO Near
Zero Point This Morn
ing, Says Forscaster.
RECORD MARK
After Four and one-half Inches
Fall of Snow, Jack Frost Will
Begin to Recede Tomorrow.

The climax of the cold wave which has
held the National Capital in Its grasp
for the past week will be reached this
morning, according TO reports at the
Weather Bureau late last night. The
coldest weather in Washington this win
ter will be experienced at daybreak this
morning. II the predictions Of the
Weather Man last night hit the mark.
According to the weather wizard, the
mercury will run down to or s degrees
above zero this morning.
Then the wave will Immediately begin
to recede and tomorrow the cold spell
will break. To-day will be fair and much
colder. II will continue cold during the
day and well into the night With the ad-
vent Of tomorrow morning the weather
will begin 20 moderate. The temperature
will rapidly rise, not only in Washington.
but throughout the entire country.
Cold Wave Continental.
When the last flakes OF snow fell to
the ground Iast evening the weather
wizard glanced at a little conical-shaped
vessel and announced that four and one
half inches Of snow had fallen In the
District The break in the cold wave and
tne en0lng OF lns snONriOIHl VIII DS UNI
versally welcomed.
The cold wave which has been sweep
ing the entire country has already begun
to break in the Rocky Mountain sections
and in the far Northwest. The weather
throughout the country Will have mod
Grated by tomorrow night. There has
been great suffering in Wyoming and
Montana where low temperatures have
been recorded. Yesterday II was Is de-
grees below zero at Sheridan. wyo., and
at Malta, Mont, the Thermometer regis
tered 50 below. With zero temperature
and two and a half inches OF snow, Chi
cago is feeling the severity of the winter.
Traffic is blocked, and there Is great
suffering among the thousands Of desti-
tute.
Yesterday the District street-cIeaning
department was kept busy handling the
downfall of snow, which continued in Its
copious descent until the fall Of night.
Supt Paxton pressed into service all OF
his snow-clearing apparatus and force
OF 100 employees to clear the sidewalks
and street crossings and to open up the
cutters.
The Potomac River is practically frozen
up. Scores OF little vessels with their
spars covered with snow and ice are
ice-bound. Only two vessels ventured
to cut a path from the solid sheet of
ice yesterday. One was the brave little
Alexandria tug and the other was one
OF the gigantic Norfolk steamers.
Many Are Destitute.
The Associated Charities and similar
organizations are finding an enormous
amount Of charitable work TO perform.
Hundreds of destitute families are being
clothed and fed and given shelter. Coal
is being furnished homes where there
are no fires; food is being distributed TO
persons who know what the pangs of
hunger really are, and clothing is being
given away to half-clEd, shivering men
and women and children. The agents OF
the various charitable organizations are
working from early morning until we'll
into the night. and still the calls for
help come in, and still the suffering con-
tInues among the poor.
Mails all over the country are being de-
layed by the storm which has swept the
land. In the West trains are from one to
three days late. Mails from nearby cities !
are reaching Washington as much as four |
hours late.
The railway companies OF the District |
were kept busy yesterday clearing their |
tracks. Notwithstanding the heavy fall |
OF snow, every car line, both urban and |
suburban, was operated on schedule time. !
Snow sweepers piled the tracks during |
the entire day. opening a path for the |
cars. |
Numbers of inquiries were received at |
police headquarters yesterday with re-
spect to the removal Of snow from the /
sidewalks. Scores OF persons telepkoned |
to the District Building to learn IL there |
was any law compelling the people of the /
District to clear the snow from the pave
ments in front OF property owned by /
them. The inquiries were answered in /
the negative. Thereupon the inquirers
rested easy.
Tidal Basin skaters.
Despite the heavy snow and the biting
cold, a large party OF skating enthu-
siasts gathered on the Tidal Basin yes
terday and prepared the rink for skating
purposes. Supt. Paxton, OF the street
cleaning department, furnished the snow
clearing apparatus and several white
wings" and volunteers aided in the work
Of clearing the rink.
For the purpose OF raising fund to
pay the white wings" furnished by
Supt. Paxton a contribution box was es-
at the rink side. The box was
contributed by the firm Of Rudolph &
West. Col. Cosby, superintendent OF pub
lie buildings and grounds, who has direct
supervision of the Tidal Basin, gave the
skaters permission to place the box at
The rink.
The committee in charge Of the fund
Is composed Of Secretary Meyer, OF the
Navy Department; DR.. Charles p. Grand
ield. First Assistant Postmaster General:
Count Benoist d'Azy, Of the French EN-
1assy; Henri Martin, OF the swiss Lega-
ion; Dr. Ernest C. Meyer, Of the tariff
board: z. C. Palmer, and J. P. Connor,
he sculptor.
A large area has been cleared, and the