The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-01-28
High Wind OFF Virginia
Coast Fills Streets of
Norfolk With Water,
Threatening Gre a t
Damage - Records of
Many Years Broken


Washington, Jan. 2S.-The states
comprising the Middle Atlantic sec
tion were today buried and were be-
ing further buried under the heaviest
snowfall since the long remembered
blizzard of '99.
The storm which began with al.
most unprecedented falls of snow in
the Carolinas and Virginias Thursday
was creeping up the coast leaving
buried cities, stalled trains, disrupted
trolley service and again suspension
of business and all social activities
in its wake, reaching the edge of New
England early today although its cen
ter remained off the Virginia Capes
Weather bureau forecasts were for
snow today and tonight along the
coast of New York and north, al
though not as heavy as that over tie
Middle Atlantic section.
The blanket of snow early today
was the heaviest in the district of
Columbia, with the fall recorded at
10 o'clock as an even two feet. At
that time it was still showing and the
weather bureau predicted a continu-
alton of the fall through the day and
into the night.
Starting shortly before dusk yester-
day evening the snow fell continuous
ly through the night and by midnight
railways and trolley lines began to
surrender. From midnight until 8
o'clock this morning no trains left the
capital and only three trains. two
from New York and one from the
west, arrived. Gathering their little
used snow fighting material, railroad
officials shortly after o'clock sue
ceeded in getting out two trains, one
over the Pennsylvania railroad and
another over the Baltimore and Ohio
for the north and hoped to continue
intermittent service during the day.
In the national capital itself street
car service was practically suspended
at daybreak but gradually service was
restored on the trunk lines, but thou
sands of government employees were
forced to struggle through almost
knee deep snow to the government de-
partments while many others in out
lying and suburban sections took one
look outside and decided to remain
at home.
Pennsylvania avenue was strewn
with abandoned automobiles, although
the snow fell with an absence of a
wind thereby preventing drifts. The
flakes fell so thick and fast during the
night that numerous accidents were
reported and the police received sew
eral calls for aid to find persons be-
lieved to have lost their way in finding
their homes.
Reports to the weather bureau
showed the fall of snow to have been
the heaviest in parts of North Caro-
lima, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware
and the District Of Columbia.
Lynchburg, Va, reported 20 inches,
the heaviest in the history of that
city. The storm was reported to be
continuing at Richmond, Va, where
street cars were completely tied up
and many trains destined for Wash
ington and points north stalled or held
in the yards. Raleigh, N. c., reported
seven inches with about half an inch
Conditions at Norfolk, Va, appeared
to be the worst with gale of Sc
'SuIITeJ IIIls NOUS pus 1eeTs 10
miles, having put part of the bust
nsss section of the city under water
and crippled shipping.
Heaviest Blizzard Since 1898
Washington, Jan. 28.-Washington
and the surrounding Middle Atlantic
section was buried today under the
heaviest snowfall since the blizzard
of 1898.
Starting late yesterday afternoon
and still continuing early today the
snow had covered the national CAPT.
tai to a depth of from a foot and a
half to two feet. Street car service
was practically suspended early today
and prospects were that all activity,
governmental and otherwise, would be
greatly curtailed.
The storm which covered a large
section of the east, according to frag-
mentary reports available early in the
day, did not come unheralded, as for
two or three days snow had been fall
ing in the Atlantic states to the south
of the Potomac river, in some states
such as Virginia breaking long stand
ing records as to depth. The weather
bureau yesterday had issued predic-
tion of heavy snow through the east
and northern portion of the south.
Absence of winds prevents the for
nation of drifts but the depth on the
level was enough to check practically
all vehicles except those Of the heav-
ier type.
2O2 Inches at Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Va, Jan. 2S.-The
weather bureau station here at 2
O'Clock this morning fixed the depth
of the snow here after 38 hours fall
at 20.2 inches. The previous record,
february, 1894, was 125 inches.
Street car service was normal this
morning.
Business ParaIyzed
Richmon, Va, Jan. 2S.-Followed
by a blizzard the snow storm which
reached this section of Virginia early