The Washington times., 1929-02-21
MERCURY IS
LIKELY To
DROP To
| !

A nine-inch snowfall minus
any of the severity of a bliz-
zard gave the city its most
interesting experience of the
winter today.
AS snow goes In Washington. it
was a decidedly heavy fall, and It
kept up throughout the night and
early morning. The mercury Will
drop to II tonight, according to the
Weather Bureau.
This probably means that the
aftermath of rain and slush will be
postponed for time.
Started Last Night
The snow storm started at 1890
o'clock last night, but there was
neither wind nor cold to put teeth
into it.
Both the District government and
the traction companies were we'll
prepared to deal with 1.-THE for
mer had more than 1000 men work
ing on the streets in the morning
with 3S plows.
The emergency forces OF the trac-
ton companies did such good work
throughout the night that there
were only minor traffic tie-ups in
the later rush hours. Cars were
kept moving on schedule time for
the most part.
Misses Violence
Automobiles that have curb gar
ages looked like stranded ships at
daybreak, but there were compare
lively few frozen radiators. Much
trouble was experienced with high
snow banks. however, which in some
eases completely blocked alleys and
roadways, Also the snow clinsed
with maddening persistence to wind
shields and made the wipers lnef-
fective.
Washington apparently has es-
caped the real violence of the cold
wave that moved over the Atlantic
seaboard last night. 1t may come
tonight. however.
There is a blanket Of snow over
the entire Southeast section today.
There is "anether ice wave" coming
down from Canada through the
Missouri River valley. Whether it
will move East or not remains un-
determined.
The snow did not catch the street
cleaning department mapping. Nor
rls Hacker, superintendent of the
City Refuse Department. communi-
Gated with the Weather Bureau
when the snow began to fall and.
upon learning that it would prob
ably last all night, modified his
forces to clear the streets.
At Work At Once
At midnight. the first snow plows
were sent out and by a. M. to-
day there were 38 plows in action.
The crew of each plow Is as
signed to one route which is covered
continuously until the snow stops.
These routes take in every heavy
traffic lane in the city. Hacker said.
Every able-bodied man who ap.
piled for work after the snow
started was given a temporary Job,
Hacker said. These men are paid
$3.44 per day and are assigned to
keeping the crosswalks open in the
downtown section. Hacker says he
has hired enough men now to help
his regular force of $50 men keep
the, streets clear unless something
unforeseen happens.
The Street Cleaning Department
=
tion to clean the streets of heavy
SHOWS. Money for this purpose must
be taken from the regular appro-
priation of the department.
The heavy snowfall, making Fair.
fax county roads impossible, pre-
vented Attorney Walter T. Oliver
from reaching the courthouse in
Clarendon today to argue for the
duashing of the indictment reported
by the grand jury charging Nor,
wood Estes, II, Of Ballston, with
murder. Judge Smith continued the
case to the next term of court. which
will get underway on the third Mon
day In April.
Estes is charged with causing the
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