Evening star., 1932-12-17
RECORD SNOWFALL !
IS EXPECTED HERE.
Weather Bureau Declares
Storm Will Continue Well
Into Night.
Continued From First Page.)


Building directed its inspectors to keep
fire exits and fire escapes en- large build
tngs and apartments clear of snow.
Throughout nearby Maryland and
Virginia road crews worked aSSiduously
to keep the highways opsn. The State
Road Commission in Maryland ordered
out the Montgomery County forces early
to clear first such main arteries as
Connecticut, Georgia and Wisconsin
avenues. Later the snow removal forces
concentrated on other busy highways in
the county.
Fourteen snow plows from the Hyatts-
Vile Office Of the Maryland Road Com
mission struggled to clear the roads in
upper Prince Georges County. Six of
the trucks concentrated on the Wash
ington- Baltimore Boulevard.
Electric Feeder Damaged.
Seventeen additional plows operated
over the roads in Southern Maryland
and crews OF laborers stood ready to
dig out drifts on curves and around
culverts. Miles Of drift fences erected
along the main highways, however,
proved their usefulness In reducing
drifts on roads.
Over in Arlington County. Va, IL
snow ScraperS started early IN the
morning to keep the main highways
open Nine of these were operated by
the county and the other two by the
State.
The only damage done to the electric
system involved feeder of the Potomac
Electric Power Co. at Thirteenth and D
streets northeast, but this was repaired
Immediately and prevented any inter-
ruption to service.
The car companies, however. pointed
out that motorists driving on the tracks
were contributing TO the delay in the
car service. Machines pack the ice
around the underground slot. 1t was
said, causing the cars to pull plow.
Bonus Marchers Employed.
The Washington Railway g. Electric
Co. took on 65 extra men for this work.
Another large group was employed to
clear the snow from the walks in the
Capitol grounds. Among them were a
number OF World War veterans, who
came to Washington to appeal to Con-
gresS for immediate payment OF the
bonus.
Falling at the rate OF nearly an inch
an hour, the snow is expected to reach
a depth of more than II inches by
nightfall. which would be the heaviest
fall since January 81, % and %. 1922.
In that period snow fell continuously,
reaching a depth Of % inches, con-
stituting a record for a single storm
in Washington
Since 1922, other heavy falls were 6.5
inches in March. 1923: rs inches in
January. 1925; 9.3 inches in February.
1926, and los inches in January, 1928.
Heavy snow falls in December. how
ever. are unusual in Washington, ac-
cording to the Weather Bureau. The
heaviest December fall in recent years
started on the last day in 1924, when
total Of inches was recorded
All available regulation snow-removal
equipment and most OF the TOO to
900 regular employees of the city refuse
sewer, highway and water departments
were put into action by O'Clock under
the general supervision Of Morris
Hacker. supervisor Of the city refuse
department
Within another hour calls were issued
for unemployed men to join the army
Of snow removers and Mr.. Hacker
was prepared to put to work all the
men we can get"
Appeals for more manpower were
broadcast over all four Washington radio
stations shortly after noon. j. B. Gordon,
director Of the department Of sanitary
engineering, appealed for all regularly
employed municipal laborers and par
ticularlv all municipal truck drivers. to
report for work Mr.. Gordon announced
that the army Of workmen would be
kept busy in shifts throughout today
and all night tonight.
1000 Unemployed Hired.
He estimated that the highest num-
Der of men at work during the storm
would be between 5000 and 1000. OF
this total, he said, more than 1000
would be recruited from the ranks Of
the unemployed.
The equipment which was brought
into action included 80 snow plows
mounted on big motor trucks, two snow
leaders, five snow hoists and by II am.
an undetermined number of District
trucks from virtually every municipal
department which operates such We
hicles.
Mr.. Hackers department attacked
first the streets carrying street car tracks.
Work Of clearing such thoroughfares it
was planned, would be carried on
straight through to the District lines
in all directions. The strategy Of con-
centrating major efforts on street car
streets was adopted in order to assure
transportation to the greatest number
Of persons. The car company sweepers
which traversed the tracks at frequent
intervales were successful in clearing
the tracks only momentarily. the city
refuse department announced, because in
the wake Of each sweeper a stream of
automobiles followed and rolled back
onto the tracks hard-packed layers of
snow.
The man power was taken first from
the Districts rolls when ash collectors,
garbage collectors and trash collectors,
together with scores Of laborers from
the Sewer, Water and Highway De-
partments, were mustered in with the
regular street-cleaning forces.
Where to Report.
The calls made to various agencies
in contact with large groups of unem-
ployed men asked that these prospective
workmen be directed to municipal ga
RACES in the blocks bounded by e, C
and Fourteenth streets southeast and
by Ninth. Tenth, N and o streets in
the Northwest section.
I'VE will put to work every man who
can be mustered," the call from Mr.
Hackers Office said.
Funds with which to pay the aug
mented army OF workmen, 1t was ex-
planned, would be sought as a deficiency
in congressional appropriation. The
regular appropriation act for the City
Refuse Department is SO phrased that
such a procedure is allowable.
The plan which Is being followed in
Kidding the streets of snow calls for the
dumping of as much snow as possible
down sewers through regular traps and
nanholes. If the amounts challenge
the capacity of sewers. then the snow
will have to be hauled away The plows
are being used to sweep the snow out of
the center OF roadways toward curb
lines, and the main handicap to this
work, Mr.. Hackers Office declared, is
the number Ct automobiles parked at
curbs. Such vehicles were faced with
imprisonment by mounting snow banks
Many on On Saturday.
The snow hoists and snow loading
machines, built to transfer piles of
snow from the street to waiting trucks,
were in action at various street inter-