Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-25
SCHOOL DAMAGED
BY 4O-M|LE GALE
Tree Blown on Auto, Others
Uprooted as Storm Sweeps
Through City.

Winds which at times reached a
velocity OF 40 miles an hour and were
accompanied at intervals by driving
rain, swept through the city last night
and this morning, uprooting trees. over
turning refuse boxes and traffic signals
and causing other damage. The most
serious havoc wrought by the gale was
at the Curtis School, Potomac and @
streets. Georgetown. where it looseneo
heavy metal cornice. which en-
dangered the pupils until removed BY
tiremen this morning.
The Weather Bureau records show
that there was also thunderstorm
last night about $50 o'clock which
lasted nearly quarters of an hour
Such storms at this season are not un-
usual. officials at the bureau said. the
one OF last night being caused by a
low pressure area created by an at
m0Spherlc disturbance passing rapidly
over Washington toward the northeast
However, the foretaste of Summer giver
by the thunderstorm will be short
lived. according to the official forecast
which prophesies that the mercury will
drop to "a degrees tonight. At the
same time the winds, which made il
seem colder today than 1t really was
will diminish.
Tree Falls on Automobile.
One OF the trees that We're blown
down last night fell on the car Of Al
fred E. Hanson, 3424 Quebec street
superintendent of construction and
maintenance at the Government Print
ing Office, while the machine was
parked at First and II streets. An
other tree was reported blown over by
the wind at Sixth and K streets. one
was uprooted near Thomas Circle and
one on Thirtieth street between MasSa-
chusetts avenue and Benton street.
The damage TO the cornice on the
west wing of the Curtis School resulted
in the removal OF some of the children
from one Of the rooms today and re-
CURED the help OF the Fire Department
10 get down the hanging material.
The pupils removed were those OF the
sixth grade of the school. whose room
Is directly beneath the damaged cor
nice, They were taken TO the play
room OF the school on the other side
OF the building. where Miss Clara
Rucker. teacher OF the grade, conducted
lessons as usual today.
News OF the dangerous condition OF
the cornice was first reported by Miss
c. A. OSsire. principal of the school
who noticed the hanging metal upon
her arrival at the building at abou,
SIS this morning and Immediately
called the District repair department.
However the repair department truck
did not have ladders sufficiently Ions
TO reach the hanging cornice. which
was three stories above the street, anC
Fire Truck No. S was called upon fol
help.
Firemen Remove COrniee.
The firemen. with some difficulty. be.
cause Of the high winds and obstruct.
ing tree branches. succeeded in swing.
ing their big 80-foot extension ladder
up to the cornice and chopping dowr
the section that was hanging. They
then cut down the remaining portion
OF the cornice on that wing OF thu
building which was evidently In BAG
condition.
Because Of the high winds the Are.
men were forced 10 brace the extension
ladder with ropes and another ladder
and 10 hook on" to the rounds before
they went TO work with their axes cut
ting the material away.
Miss Ossire. with w H. Draper
supervising principal OF the first divi-
sion. and J. S. Lucas. tanitor at
the Curtis School. policed the street ir
front OF the building before . o'clocs
to see that none of the children got
under the cornicc. The dangerous ares
was roped of later by the repair &C.
partment.
When the Fire Department was call
ed all the classes were notified and thu
children warned not 10 become alarmed
as there was no fire.
Sergt. J. c. Stein directed the opera
tons OF Truck Company No. 5 during
It's removal OF the Cornice, which re-
ouired more than an hour.