Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-31
MERCURY REACHES
Low MARK OF SIX
Rise in Temperature Fore
cast After Coolest Weather
in Five Years.

Despite the paralyzing effect of the
coolest weather in five years, which
enveloped Washington last night after a
foot of snow, the heaviest in eight years.
had fallen, District authorities an
nounced today that the downtown
streets would be cleared by nightfall.
Washington was the coolest spot in
the Middle Atlantic section or the coun-
try at sunrise today, the official ther-
mometer at the Weather Bureau re-
above zero. This was the coolest
weather here since January %, 1925,
when the mercury dropped to de-
greeS above zero.
The temperature in the District last
night was at least 10 degrees colder
than that in Baltimore and other near
by communities. According to au-
thorities at the Weather Bureau, the
extreme cold was caused primarily by
a combination of radiation from the
snow, clear skies and lack of air
movement.
Is Degrees Forecast.
The forecast is for a temperature not
lower than Is degrees tonight with fair
and slowly rising temperature tomor-
row. 1t was not believed probable, how
ever. that the thermometer would climb
above the freezing point tomorrow.
There will be some melting of the
snow Sunday, when a still higher tenn
perature is expected, but no appreci-
able thawfng is anticipated before the
early part of the week.
With a force of about 1000 District
employees augmented by approximately
500 extra workmen, the task of remov-
ing the snow from the streets in the
downtown section was attacked indus
triously yesterday. The task had pro-
crossed to such an extent this morning
that District officials announced the
extra workmen would be dispensed with
after today.
Virtually all Of the snow was expected
to be removed from the downtown streets
today, and the task of clearing the i'm
portant outlying intersections was well
underway. After today the regular
District employees will be set to the job
of clearing streets in the residential
areas.
Much Equipment Used.
Although the District did not hire
any extra equipment, 1t pressed into
service 200 trucks, many with scrapers
attached, and 80 Snowplows.
Yesterdays storm Will cost the Dis
trice over $4,000. AS there Is only
$187 900 remaining in the fund to keep
the streets clean for the next five
months of the fiscal year, the Street
Cleaning Department is facing a critl-
cal situation. It was announced yes
terday by Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner Donald A. Dawson that unless
additional appropriations are made by
Congress, many of the streets will have
to go virtually unclaimed during the
last few months of the fiscal year.
After considerable difficulty the two
traction companies, using all equipment
at their disposal, cleared the tracks to
such an extent that regular schedules
were maintained most of yesterday. All
cars were running regularly today. Mo-
florists, many of whom were left stranded
yesterday, also were experiencing but
slight difficulty today.
The snow stopped falling just before
dusk yesterday after exactly l foot had
fallen, according to Weather Bureau
measurements. The fall was the heav-
lest since 1922, when the ground was
covered to a depth of % inches. 1t was
this snow which caused the roof of the
Knickerbocker Theater to collapse, kill
ing SO persons and injuring many others.
Had to Clear Walks.
Maj. Henry G. Pratt, superintendent
of police, sent out bulletin to all pre-
cincts yesterday, ir1structing the men,
bers of his command to enforce the
District law requiring all persons to
remove the snow from the sidewalks
in front of their homes or places of
business. This law has not operated
effectively and substitute legislation is
now being considered by the District
Commissioners. Under the present pro-
vision the District must sue in the
municipal courts to compel citizens to
pay for the cost of removing the snow,
in case it has to be done by the Dis
trict, and to exact a $25 penalty. It
was found there are not enough prose-
cutors to handle the numerous cases
of this kind.
Though all the fields along the route
were snowbound, seven airmail planes
on the Eastern Air Transport route
through the National Capital went
through on schedule last night and
this morning. The snow was so bad
at Greensboro, N. c., that the air had
to be let out of the tires on the land
ing wheels in order to permit the
planes to get off the ground.