The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-29
SNOWSTORM ONE OF WORST ON WEATHER BUREAUS RECORDS
Business and Social Activities Suspended and Trans portation Is Disrupted.
 Population Shut In
By Associated Pre.s


 than 24 hours of continuous snow had tonight covered the middle Atlantic section, with Washington as a cen ter, to a depth of foot to nearly 30 inches; caused the suspension of practically all business and social activity! disrupted transportation and shut most of the population in their homes.
 The storm, which weather bureau officials after looking up their records said was one of the most severe in history and exceeded In the depth of snow fall only by the long remem- bered blizzard of February, 1899, was moving slowly tonight up the coast from it's position during the day off Virginia.
 Reports to the weather bureau showed that the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia were bearing the brunt of the storm and receiving the heavi- est snowfall Virginia cities. accus- toned to only an inch of so of snow and then of rare occurrence, were buried in many cases to the depth of a foot while northern portions of the Carollnas stil were blanketed with a fall that began Thursday. Washington Center of storm
 Washington, however, appeared te be the center of the heavy fall. the l weather bureau measurements taken late in the day showing the depth to be closely approaching two and half feet, and the record fall oi three feet established in 1899. All records for 24 hours fall had been broken at c o'clock, the hour at which time the storm struck Washington yesterday.
 The national capital with its heavy and constntly increasing blanket was | virtually paralyzed as to activities of all kinds in much the same man. ner as in 1909 when lighter fall but accompanied by rain and sleet forced abandonment of elborate plans for the inauguration of. President Taft Capital Showed In
 The capital awoke snowed-in this morning and despite the most ener- getic efforts was unable to cope at all during the day with the rapidly descending fall. Street cars on the principal lines managed for a while early in the day to struggle through the constantly increasing accumula- ton, but as the day wore on, made aImnQf nAnn1ote
 Automobiles and other motor vehi- cles likewise were unable to cope With the snow and tonight the streets of downtown Washington were lined With abandoned cars. some of which the owners had not been able to move since last night. Taxicabs last night and early today did a thriving business but as the snow increased their numbers were deci- mated by the drifts.
 The snowfall in Washing ton prac- tically halted governmental activi- ties and had it's effect in an interna- tional way by causing the cancella- ton of two scheduled armament con ference meetings. Thousands of gov | ernment employees walked to work and many others living in outlying or surban sections stayed at home. | When noon came and the storm showed no signs of abating and the weather bureau holding out no hope. many bureaus dismissed the employees SO as to allow them to get to their homes.
 Congress Affected
 Congress also was affected by the storm, only 49 senators answering to the call of the roll and a bare handful of House members being in attendance. Both House and Senate adjourned after brief sessions because of the storm and committees of both houses were compelled to postpone hearings when witnesses and commit tee members alike failed to show up. Train service between Washington and the outside world was practical lly suspended from last midnight un- til early today. but seldom used snow fighting apparatus was brought into play soon after daybreak and Intermittent and greatly delayed ser vice was maintained during the day. Many trains, especially those from the south, were annulled and all of those arriving were hours late.
 Other Cities Swept
 l While Washington was battling with the snow, Norfolk Newport News and Portsmouth, Va, Atlantic \ City. N. J.. and other coast cities in the middle Atlantic section were being swept by the severe gales that attended the center of the storm area. Shipping along the coast was forced to seek shelter and from every port ! city came reports of vessels in dis tress. The downtown business sec ] ton of Norfolk was flooded by high tide that swept in accompanied by the gale, and traffic police were com- lpelled to work In hip boots.
 Three large tobacco warehouses at Danville. Va, collapsed under the weight of snow and all other ware houses in that city were ordered closed as a measure of precaution Reports from Richmond were that the snowfall there of approximately two fleet was the heaviest in 2s years and