Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-09

the snow. A lumber company has
made big snow plows for volunteer
scrapers. Volunteer snow cleaners
will be able to clean the basin for
skating in few minutes
AS cold as it was in the wee sma' hours
this morning, when the charity ball and
Jackson day dinner turned their crowds
homeward, it will be ten degrees colder
tonight. The mercury, which has not
been allowed to get far above 20 in the
last few days, will shrink to at least to-
night. There will be strong winds from
the west tonight, but there will be no
snow.
When the eastern horizon began to take
on cold, smoky look yesterday noon
a blizzard was predicted by the amateur
forecasters. The professionals at the
weather bureau promised just about what
arrived. A snowstorm with sleet. Such
nasty sleetstorm one hardly sees in
this part of the country. Being no re-
specter Of persons, it struck in at time
which inconvenienced the late ones at the
Office, the diners out, the theatergoers
and some Of the early ones at the dinner
and ball which last night attracted great
crowds in spite of the weather.
Painful Accidents Result.
A warm spot slipped into the disturb
ance. somewhere. making the sleet melt
as it fell, and then. just to even mat
tiers, freeze jumped in and nosed the
warm spot out. In consequence there
was scarcely a square foot of pavement
in the city last night and this morning
that was not slippery enough to slide on.
Several painful accidents were reported
by the police after the pavements began
to be dangerous for pedestrians.
The snow and sleet made it hard for
horses, and the Washington Humane So
ciety was busy sending out reminders to
blanket your horses" A smooth-shod
horse had little chance on the streets
last night
Not only is the Washington Humane
Society interesting itself in the horses,
but private individuals are clamoring to
have horses treated to warm blankets
during the cold snap. One woman, writ
ing to The Star on the subject, says,
Not one horse out Of a hundred is pro-
tected by a blanket of any sort. and their
wet, unsheltered backs, with the sleet
and snow beating upon them have been
a sad sight during the last week Of the
Storm
Skating on Tidal Basin.
An enthusiastic skater employed in the
Treasury Department made it his busi-
ness today to get permission for Wash
ington skaters to use the tidal basin
this afternoon. The fact that 1t is COW
cred with show made no difference to
this enthusiast, as he called up the street
cleaning department and borrowed q few
white wings to hep clean the ice. The
Johnson & Wimsatt Lumber Company
1n,.p x,1N FOR
volunteer snow cleaners. and the good
word was passed along through the de-
partments and the schools, SO that any
one wanting to help clean up the basin
could be present this afternoon to lend
a hand.
Did you happen to see all the kids in
town trying out their new Christmas
sleds on the long snow-packed hills?
The snow brought joy to the young
sters, and Washington's hills looked
town." when all the world haA no more
important business than to play
hockey and go shedding on the old
bob. In Mount Pleasant. especially.
there are lots Of hills where boys and
girls can acquire fun and pink cheeks.
and coasting parties were numerous.
Mothers stood by, and in some cases
nursemaid trembled while her Roose-
veltian charge went scooting belly
whopper" down the hill yelling Heads
whole, it was a grand day for new
sleds.
River Is Icebound.
The river is icebound as it has not been
in many years, and all paddlewheel craft
have tied up until the river becomes at
least partially liquid surfaced again.
The two-master Jennie Timbs, belong
ing to Herman Gasch Of this city, found
the ice too much for it yesterday
and is now as tight prisoner In the
local ice foes as ever was a whaler In the
polar seas. The Jennie Timbs Is in the
ice between Jones point light house and
Motley Hail. Capt Van Ruth will have
to get tug to help the schooner out. and
he came to Washington for that very pur-
pose.
The captain told regular winters sea
ale when he arrived at the river front.
The schooner was fighting the ice Friday
night in the teeth of blooming gale.
The schooner lost her yawiboat and the
vessel was carried ashore. 1t was Bit
ter night for navigation, and the wind
swept decks afforded no protection to the
blasts Before the schooner could be re-
leased from its predicament ashore the
ice came silently but effectually down the
river. spread over the channel and all
further progress was blocked. Capt. Van
Virginia side and boarded a Mount Ver-
non car bound for Washington. The tug
Camilla will try its hand at breaking up
the ice walls which hold the schooner
fast. The limbs was brought to Wash
ington last fall from Baltimore and has
made only few trips on the river.
Frozen to Colonial Beach.
Rivermen report solid sheet of Ice
from the city to Colonial Beach. Ice is
piled high on either shore, this result
ing from the big steamers which have
broken through the sheet. allowing the
big cakes to float ashore previous to
the present big freeze.
The steamer Three Rivers had ex-
citing times blowing around from Balti-
more, and was several hours late yes
terday. The steamer started back again
yesterday afternoon. and will stay home
until the passage is clearer.
The Alexandria ferry is still able to
make trips, but has abandoned all sem
blance to q schedule.
The Firefighter has been pressed into
service as an icebreaker and smashed
the sheet in the Georgetown channel
yesterday.
A fleet of tugs win attempt to champ
their way down stream this Afternoon,