Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-03
SIGNS ARE HOPEFUL
Weather Bureau Foresees Fair
Day for Inauguration.
NO STORM Is SIGHTED
Nothing to Indicate Repetition Of
1909 Experience.
NOTABLE BLIZZARD RECALLED
Reasons Advanced for Uncertainty
in Foretelling Local Conditions
Thirty-Six Hours Ahead.
NOTABLE BLIZZARD RECALLED

Fair weather. bly, cloudless skies,
rising temperature and moderate winds
from the southwest-these are the things
forecasted for today and tomorrow morn
ing by the weather bureau.
Nowhere within many, many miles OF
the District of Columbia is there any
thing to indicate a repetition of weather
conditions that prevailed March 4, 1909,
according to the forecasters, the only dis
turbance within the boundaries of the
United States at present, according to
the forecast issued this morning. being
away over the Canadian northwest, NOV
ing eastward. This disturbance, however,
is far to the north, and will pass over
the extreme upper Mississippi valley,
along the northern border of the United
States, and will reach the New England
states tomorrow night or Wednesday.
This storm area, according to present
indications. will not come within SOD
miles of Washington, and it is the only
area of bad weather existing at present
on the weather maps.
Bad weather. with snow rain, may
arrive in this region toward the close OF
the week. starting from the Pacific coast
tomorrow or Wednesday.
ton resident is the recollection of the
bareback OF March 4, 1869. Down from
the northwest came a blizzard such as
Washington has rarely seen. Rain dur
ing the early hours Of the night changed
to snow, which descended in Wet blind
ing clouds, blanketing everything in its
clammy folds. Telegraph and telephone
lines were wrecked, electric light wires
tumbled after them. street car service
was demoralized for hours. and as for
the scores of special trains bound Tor
Washington. many OF them never reach
ed the city at all. The train bearing the
18th Regiment of the National Guard OF
New York, for instance. was stalled
somewhere between Washington and Bal
timore, and the regiment got into the
city the morning of March 5. and paraded
past the White House shortly before noon
the day following Inauguration day.
Trains Stalled in Huge Drifts.
All along the lines of the railroads pc
tween Washington Baltimore and Phiia-
delphia trains were stalled in huge drifts
Of snow. and the suffering and discom-
fort Of passengers were acute
Although the skies cleared beautifully
by noon the parade on March was held
under conditions that have rarely been
worse since the United States began IN
augurating Presidents every four years.
BY the hardest and most continuous Ell
forts Of an army of laborers narrow
pathway was cleared along the line or
march But on either side of this space
marchers paraded in slush and half
frozen snow more than ankle deep. =,
The roll of those who were made Ill
from exposure that da has never been
known in full, while the death list. as
result of the hardships, ran into the hum
dreds Only small proportion or those
who became i'll or died from colds. pneu-
rnonia and the like contracted March 4,
Iroc hi 1cytO IN
most of the cities and towns Of the east.
as we'll as Of other parts OF the country,
contributed to swell the list. Optimsts,
discussing weather prospects for the
coming inauguration day take comfort In
saving that under no circumstances can
the day be as bad as was March 4, 1903.
In Right Place for Changes.
Scientists say that Washington is To-
Gated in the right place for changeabie
weather, and no power on earth can pre-
vent or tell how and when these changes
are going to flare back at this season
Of the year.
The oldest weather observer in the
world, now deceased, Mr.. Denis Horigan.
the late venerable employer Of the United
States Naval Observatory, after close
observation OF the weather making his
reports or the meLcIOlO6lCdl COiloltioAiS u
the weather in this locality for fifty
years. said some years before he passed
away: cit is hard to foretel the weather
for the District of Columbia at this sea-
son Of the year more than thirty six
hours in advance, in fact we have reach
ed the limit Of the service in meteroogical
work until scientists can in some way,
possibly by kites, get the temperature.
barometric pressure, the velocity and
course Of the winds in the upper atmos-
phere. say five miles above the surface VI
the earth, that must be obtained before
we can make much more progress in the
science of meteorolOgy. Besides Washing
ton is located between the Blue Ridge
mountains and the gulf streams, both of
which are two prime factors in determn
ing the state Of the weather in the Dis
trict Of Columbia, especially at this sea-
son Of the year, therefore it is hard to
tell what the weather Is to be on the 4th
Of March, the time OF our great quad
rennial gathering.
The weather records show in general
way that the most propitious of 4ths of
March have followed rather open winters
that is flare backs or blizzard wealth
er. if the winter has been above the nor
NAL eliminate in this climate during the
first days OF March.