Evening star., 1928-04-28
RLIzzARDS, RAIN
AND WIND SWEEP
SOUTH AND EAST
Capital Streets Uttered With
DebriS-High Water Iso- e
lates BIadensburg Area.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY
BURIED IN FOOT OF SNOW
Winchester, Preparing for Apple
Blossom Festival, Seriously Hit.
Telephones Cut Of.

One Of the worst April snow. rain and
Windstorms ever TO sweep the Middle
Atlantic section was passing of todaT
after lashing half dozen Eastern ami
Southern States sporadicalIy with traf.
hc-paralyzing billiards. torrential rairI
and destructive gales.
Howiing its way across western Mary
land and down the valley Of Virginia
into the South Atlantic region, the
storm covered budding fruit orchards
with menacing foot-thick blanket Of
snow. leveled miles of telephone and
telegraph lines. impeded automobile and
railroad traffic and played havoc in gen.
eral with Spring -imbued countryside
Full Details Lacking.
Full details of the damage wrought
we're lacking today. due to interrupted
communication facilities, but II ap-
peared that the fury of the elemnJs
was unleashed in the Washington fore
cast area, and particularly in the Shen-
andoah Valley section. within 100 miles
from the National Capital
Winchester, where preparati tons we're
under way for the annual apple bios
som festival next week, had only
meager telephonic cOnlnunica. ton
Nth this city. but Harrisonpurg, Front
Royal and other towns in the apple
belt reported main highways blocked.
with snowdrifts ranging up 70 six feet
in depth.
The Capital escaped the snow. but
was not spared the wind and rain.
and crews OF workmen were busy to-
day clearing away fallen trees and
other debris from many of the streets
A number narrow escapes from fall
ing trees. topping chimneys or skid
ding automobiles were reported 10 the
police Flooding of the Eastern
Branch at Bladensburg halted BUS
service to points beyond. stalled scores
OF automobiles and marconsd several
families in their homes.
Trunk Lines Broken.
Braving drifted snow and diminishing
winds. gangs of telephone. telegraph and
railroad repairmen struggled TO restore
| lines of communication throughout the
affected area, which extended as far
north as Pittsburgh.
Ten telephone trunk lines from Wash
ingtCn TO the Cumberland vicinity we're
put out OF service. 20 trunk lines n
West Virginia we're out, 81 main long
distance lines between Wheeling and
! Pittsburgh were leveled, and an under
ground cable between Baltimore and
Philadelphia was washed out.
Although fruit growers in the Virginia
valley we're hopeful that the cold had
not seriously damaged the trees. Just
preparing 70 blossom. the prospects IN
western Maryland. Shrth Carolina.
Georgia and other sections. where
blooms are advanced, wef~ not so bright.
ck~---.
Reporting the blizzard to be the worst
Spring storm in the history of VIM
chester. citizens of that apple center
conferred today regarding adviSahility
of posIponing the blossom festival
scheduled for May 3 and 4. The tenn
perature there was S6 degrees today,
but yesterday and last night il hovered
between 81. freezing. and 81 degrees,
Only few apple trees are in bloom. and
tire remainder probably viii be held
back by the cold weather
II was still showing today at Front
Royal. Va. after more than is hours Of
constant fall and that section Of the
Shenandoah Valley is covered 70 q
depth OF s inches In some localities
drifts have piled the snow many feet
high. Telephone lines are out Of COM
mission 10 the south and west
INAHHNAAAAkkkONA A&AQ EANAAENAE
sharp blixzardS. followed by q slow, wes
snow. Fields are covered all the way ap
the valley, according To reports from
Luray and Winchester.
In HagerStown hundreds Of telephone
poles are down and automobile and
train traffic was seriously interrupted
by its heaviest blizzard since 1859.
Drifts are flve feet deep st Blue
Ridge Summit A freight engine ssS
of the tracks ON the Western Maryland
Railway near the Summit early this
morning. and motoring on the National
Highway was halted by poles which the
wind and snow had telled along the
north side Of the route foT several
miles.
Damage Here Extensive.
lack Of snow saSed the plight of
Washington. but the damage hy rain
and wind was quite extensive.
Bus service 10 HyattSyille and River
dale was blocked, automobiles stalled
and several homes surrounded On water
as result OF Elood conditions along tbs
MaShngton~RS Baltimore Boulevard at
hlacenSourg, The waters were about
three feet ueep along the hiyhway. and
residents said the food was the verse
the town had experienced In the paSt
Ave wears.
nv TIC intersection OF the fsaitsnlNre
and Annapolis highways 90 RladenS-
burg htp boctS were the Style tor resi-
dents buying their Sunday dinner nom
chain grocery store that had a TO-
inch deep rivulet Rowing IN groat cg
It's doors
Houses Are Fleeded.
Barbecue" stands, popular with
auto tourists were inundated. several
houses had their tirSt fioorS fiocdea ana
scores OF others eoaSted three og four
feet OF water In their Easements.
The CheVeFsy bus WAS stalled hy the
rising waters during the rush hour tins
morning aud held up q long Tine OF
cars tor about quarter az aA ho0r,
Washington Railway and Electric Gus
hllSSeS, ordinarily running fg0In E1i-
teeltth ana II streets northeast 60 kaSl
RlVefdale and AyattSVtlte. ram TO Cot
tage CITY only while those caaAing IN
gFom Laurel were forced Ia stop as
HyattSynle, passengers being trans
terred at that pSsat 20 the cars 0f the
suburban hae, h0SSeS sdanhsg So Ralti-
more ana fhiiaaelpnla operated a.
usual
Two or three eolored expreSSEnen did
a ficuTishing business hy hirlnE eae
their teams 60 tow motorists whose cars
became stalled through wet ignition
systems IN the middle Of the roaa Tpw-
tng machines from motor companies IN
hYattSville, manned with maehfniSts.
also stayed on the spot Co render first
aid % stricken motorists,
The last washington RAILWAY 4