The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-06
BIRMINGHAM IS IN
ICY BLANKET AND
HAS HEAVY DAMAGE
Broken Wires DemoraIle
Light and Power Service.
Thousands OF Trees
Broken Down
(continued From page one)

any lines during the night. Postal
lines follow roads and much trouble
has been reported because Of trees
falling and breaking wires. Lines
pf tho Associated Press, operated
over wires of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph company, which
ceased for the first time In tho
history of the Birmingham bureau
shortly after 2 o'clock Monday morn
Ing, were recovered at 8 o'clock
Monday afternoon.
Little damage to city streets and
county highways was caused by the
storm, according to officials, but the
cost of clearing wreckage caused
by falling trees will amount to about
$1,000 In the city and $1,000 in the
county. Several days work of crews
will be required to clear the streets
and remove the debris. Nine trucks
carrying IS men were sent out by
the city and crews from seven road
camps of the county were kept busy
all day. Damage to forest trees in
Jefferson county was estimated at
about $4,000 by count yofficials.-
Teachers All On Hand
Every teacher of the Birmingham
public school system was at his or
her post Monday morning, according
to DR.. c. B. Glenn, superintendent
of schools. Because OF disorganlzed
heating systems, however, only the
three high schools and five elemen-
tary schools held all-day sessions,
he said. Pupils who failed to attend
Monday will not be counted as alb
sentees, DR.. Glenn said, because of
lack of transportation facilities.
Usual mail deliveries were made
IN, htc liut tn
to Postmaster r. B. Smyer, although
mails from all directions were de-
layed. One residence delivery was
made, carriers being greatly him
dered in making their rounes by
fallen branches and trees.
With street car service crippled,
jitneys did a large business Monday,
cars on every line being crowded
to the gunwales with those sortu-
nate enough to be forced to trudge
to work.
Plumbers of Birmingham and the
Birmingham Water Works company
were unaffected, though telephone
lines of the water company failed.
The plumbers explained that they
had enough work, anyway"
Short circuits of electric current
caused eight fire alarms to be turned
in during the day, but all blazes were
extingulshed without serious damage
resulting, according to Fire Chief
Akin. Two traffic accidents were
recorded at police headquarters,
neither resulting from weather con-
ditions.
Calls were many at the city well
fare department, workers being kept
busy responding. Most of these calls
were for fuel. being the usual after
math OF cold snap.
Il WsY's Record Feat
Station WSY, broadcasting station
of the Alabama Power company and
Loveman, Joseph & Loeb. was busy
throughout the day attempting TO
break through the Gordon OF ice via
the air route. Late Monday after
noon several news bulletins we're
picked up by the station and trans
mitted to The AgeHerald, marking
the first instance of a Birmingham
newspaper receiving news from
other cities via radiophone.
Transmission lines of the Alabama
Power company were kept practically
Intact throughout the storm through
the use of radio, which also sent
messages directing the loads to he
sent through the Magella station,
where power is delivered by the
company to the Birmingham Rail-
way, Light and Power company, ac-
cording to w. e. Mitchell. assistant
general manager. Service in north
Alabama, broken at midnight Sun
day, was resumed at 1:10 o'clock
Monday afternoon, according to MT
Mitchell.
The storm BODIED evil to insect
life in the district, according to Dr.
J. D. Bowling. city and county health
officer. Caterpillars, boil weevil-,
and mosquitoes were killed by tie
thousands, he estimated. This, at
least, is one silver rift in the lining
of the clouds attending the storm.