Evening star., 1918-04-12
TRICK STORM PAYS
CITY RETURN VISIT
Suddenly Changes Mind When
J. on Verge of Passing
Out to Sea.
JOKE ON WEATHER BUREAU

Setting at naught yesterday morn
fng's forecast of the weather bureau,
the storr. which has ragged over this
section practically without let-up since
carly last Tuesday morning continued
through last night and this morning.
Undaunted by the failure of its fore
cast of yesterday. however. the weather
bureau again predicted clearing skies
for today, with warmer weather to
follow.
The storm, which at 9 o'clock this
morning had continued without ap-
preciabIe interruption for more than
eighty hours, yesterday afternoon de-
veloped into one of the worst mixtures
of rain, sleet and snow that has been
inflicted on the National Capital in
April in many years. The mixture be-
gan to descend shortly after noon yes
terday, and continued through the aft
ernoon and night and into the morning
hours today. Streets and sidewalks
ware coated with a soupy mass of
sIush an inch or more deep; pedestrian
ism became a laborious process OF slip
ping, stopping and squashing, and sar-
castle remarks ABOUT beautiful spring
were the rule.
Due to Cyclone Depression"
The whole storm. it appears. has been
due to 'cyclonic depression. what
weather bureau informed an anxious
public. was passing out to sea over the
Virginia capes yesterday. something
slipper, apparently; maybe the depres-
sion became frightened at the possibility
Of meeting up with a submarine. Any
how, 1t headed back up the coast, and
the weather of yesterday afternoon,
last night and this morning was the re-
suit.
Since last Tuesday morning. when the
trouble began. the rainfall and snowfall
has stotaled nearly four inches. Tenn
peratures in this region have not
dropped to the freezing point as yet,
however, the lowest point being about
thirty-six degrees. Winds attaining at
times velocity of fifty miles an hour
have prevailed during much of the time,
but with all the evil weather, strongly
reminiscent of the justly celebrated
bareback which occurred the day of
President Taft's Inauguration, little
serious damage has been reported.
Potomac Rises Rapidly.
Heavy and continued rain and snow
around the headwaters of the Potomac
river caused the stream to rise rapidly,
reaching more than four feet above
normal this morning. The water was
OvoP the sea wall on the Eastern branch
yesterday afternoon and continued to
rtoe during the night Along the river
Z ut Georgetown no apprehension was
felt regarding possibility Of flood.
however. though the river this morn,
ing was covering much of Analostan
Island and still rising.
Reports to the weather bureau show
ID that snow fell yesterday as far
south 4s North Carolina and eastern
Tennessee. and there was snow along
tbs coast from Virginia to New Eng
land. Western Maryland points re-
ported snow q foot or more deep, and
al mountain regions in West Virginia
and eastern Kentucky reported heavy
onow.
Temperatures in this section during
the week have been from Is to 80 de-
Grees or more below the seasonal aver
age- Out in the Rocky Mountain re-
g1onA. however. temperatures far above
tho average for this time of the year
ara reported