Evening star., 1932-12-16
NEW RECORD COLD
FOR WASHINGTON IS
FORECAST TONIGHT.
Temperature of 10 Degrees
Expected After Reading of
IA Early Today.
SEVERE WINTER BLAST
SPREADS OVER COUNTRY
Score of Deaths Reported in Ma
tion-Floods Threaten South.
Air Travel Halted.

new low temperature record for the
last two years is predicted in the Capt.
tai tonight with the mercury expected
to drop to 10 degrees.
At 7;30 am today the official ther-
mometer here registered IA degrees, the
lowest this Winter.
Not since February, 1890, when Z
degrees above zero was recorded, has
the temperature here sunk to the level
it is expected to reach before morning,
while increasing cloudiness probably
will bring tomorrow night one Of the
SHOWS which have been conspicuous by
their absence during the past two Win
ters.
While the Capital shivered and
awaited the further onslaughts of Win
ter, the entire Nation suffered one Of
the most widespread cold waves of the
current decade.
The temperatures reported in the
Middle and Northwest sections of the
country made Washington weather seem
comparatively balmy. Air service was
interrupted and motor traffic slowed
down in numerous areas, while steam
ers on the Great Lakes were driven to
port.
Score of Deaths Reported in L. S.
More than score of deaths were at
tributed to exposure throughout the
Nation, and relief efforts were redoubed
to aid the homeless and unemployed.
WasEington's missions, peculiarly
enough, encountered no extraordinary
demand for emergency food and shell
ter. although facilities continued to be
taxed almost to the maximum A rec
ord of $50 emergency calls to the
American Automobile Association be-
tween midnight and noon today gave
some indication. however, of the state
of the weather here. Fifteen operators
were required to handle calls at the
A. A. A. switchboard
At the Salvation Army shelter here
and the Central Union Mission several
cots were left unoccupied. while the
Gospel Mission and the Volunteers OF
America faced only slight rise in the
number usually applying for food and
a bed.
43 Fire Alarms.
Figures for the past "a hours showed
the Salvation Army served 7O7 meals
and housed 32S out Of a possible $50:
the Volunteers of America served .32i
meals and sheltered 95. a few more than
usual; the Gospel Mission gave 274 a
place to sleep and served 298 meals, and
the Central Union Mission had 248 Of
its 254 beds filled and fed 682 relief
meals
The local Fire Department found its
work increased more than 100 per cent
by the cold. Forty-three alarms were
answered within the last "a hours. in
contrast to the usual average of 20 a
day. None of the fires were serious,
most of them being in chimney flues or
cars overheated from running with
frozen radiators.
In Chicago and Milwaukee, fire like
wise added to the discomfort caused by
the elements. Fifteen firemen were
overcome by smoke while fighting
storehouse blaze in the stockyards dis
trict Of the Illinois city, while inmates
of a home for the aged in Milwaukee
we're driven into the streets by flames.
when the mercury stood at below
zero.
The mercury virtually went into hid
ing at IS to 25 degrees below zero IN
fr;gid spots in Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin Chicago had low mark OF beloW
anc a maximum of 8 degrees above
zero yesterday, while most OF the East
ern States reported temperatures on a
pal with or under the readings IN the
District.
Cold Is Widespread.
In the Great Lakes. ice foes sank one
ship. an icecutter which had been at
tempting to clear the path for other
water traffic. and tied up marine ac-
tivity in general
Continued rains in Mississippi and
Alabama brought small rivers to Hood
stage and threatened many waterslde
homes as the thermometer sank stead
ily downward.
California and the Far West felt the
cold wave. falling temperatures in the
former State resulting in increased
firing to protect the citrus
groves of the Southern regions.
The icy blasts dipped into Kentucky
to bring the coldest weather in four
years, with the thermometer at four
above in Louisville; broke records OF
three years standing in Indiana, and
below in Ohio.
In Pennsylvania unofficial figures
read from two to 20 degrees above.
Three persons were killed in coasting
accidents in that State.
HagerstoWn. Md. reported seven de-
grees above zero, coolest of the Winter,
last night.
Flying Is Halted.
Snow halted most Of the aviation
schedules in Oklahoma, and air mail
pilots along the United Air Lines
route reported strange
antics in various spots
One pilot radioed that he found 1t IL
degrees above at Cleveland's airport,
81 degrees above when he flew at $500
feet, and only seven above at 1920
feet. He dropped back to 2,300 to
warm UP, and found it was 60 inside
the cabin. The airport thermometer
at Omaha, Nebr, read Is below zero.
but at 5000 feet pilot found 1t was
relatively hot-20 degrees above. He
stayed there.
Freezing temperatures came down the
Atlantic Coast almost to wilmington,
N. c., where the minimum was "a; ex-
tended well into Georgia, and were car
ried by east and northeast winds far
down into Alabama, below Meridian,
Miss, and South Of San Antonio. Tex.
Most points more than a few miles
back from the South Atlantic and Gulf
Coasts reported their precipitation was
in the form of either snow or sleet.
Snou continued to fall this morning In
Dallas, Tex, where the minimum tenn