Evening star., 1933-03-05
Bugaboo Of fhangualWeather Viii Be Real
Cause of Concern in the Future, MooU That
the Date of Ceremonies Has Been Changed
From March Four to January TaUenty
BY REX COLLIER.

BY REX COLLIER.
-HAT ancient bugaboo of Presidents
and plain people, inaugural weather"
"a term that has come to mean
Wintry inclemency in its most dis
agreeable forms-threatens to con-
tinue its reign of depreciation. despite
the change in inaugural date just ratified by
constitutional amendment.
The bogey began to take shape about the
time of the Civil War. Before that most OF
our Presidents had been inducted beneath
smiling Skies Washington, Adams, Jefferson,
Madison Monroe, John Quincy Adams. Jack
son. Van Buren,, Taylor and Buchanan were
greeted by favorable inaugural weather ex-
cept that Monroes second inauguration was
marred by snow and rain.
William Henry Harrison had foretaste OF
changing conditions in 1841. when the weather
on March 4 was cold and rainy. Polk four
years LATER buffeted by cold ram as
his carriage plowed through the deep mud OF
PENNSYLVANIA avenue on his way to the Capitol
Pierce, in 1853, was the victim of raw wind
and sush.
Lincoln started the postwar epidemic OF
poor inaugural weather when he took ONCE
for the second time in 1865 - Thereafter II
became almost foregone conclusion tnat
March of each inaugural year would bring
snow sleet, rain or frigid gales and wave
of coughs, colds and pneumonia.
And row that the inaugural date has been
changed from March to January 20 the pros
pect according to meteorologsts Is 1or even
worse treatment from the unruly elements
Lame ducks and not the weather, constituted
the majCr consideration Of Congress and the
State Legislatures in agreeing on new date
for Presidents to take office Had weather
been the dominating factor. the latter part
of January never would have been chosen, OF
course.
nECORDS of the Weather Bureau show that
II some of Washington's worst snowstorms
and cold waves have occurred in January
chiefly toward the latter part of the month.
There was the so-called Knickerbocker storm
in 1922 for example, when the snowfall was
% inches-an all-time record. The next 70
the lowest temperature ever known here, IA
degrees below zero, was recorded in January
of 1881 Zero temperatures or lower have been
registered Is times in January-more tnan III
any other month.
The average temperature for January 20 Is
about degrees lower than the average Tor
March 4. The average snowfall for the month
of January is approximately inches, as COM
pared to 43 for March. The percentage OF
clear days in January is At, as compared to
81 per cent in March.
January will have to struggle hard to beat
the March record for miserable inaugural
weather, however. Fearsome though its repu-
tation may be, January will find it difficult
to equal or exceed conditions such as prevailed
during the inauguration of Grant in 1878, OF
Cleveland in 1898 or of Taft in 1909.
Grants first Inauguration, like Lncons Sec
ond, was rainy and muddy. but the generals
second inaugural day has never been equaled
for cold. On March 4, 1873. the temperature
dropped to four degrees above zero, while
howling wind added to the suffering.
The Star in an editorial the next day, COM
mented:
I'm the memory of the Oldest in
habitantS there has not been before such
freezing March fourth, and Dhen
the cold tDds so serere as to cause
soldiers to drop in the ranks from its
effects and under the MONDAY sun at
that it ,Uds not tpithin the reach OF pos
sibility that at night temporary hau,
$50 feet long and rs feet high, could be
,corn,ed to the point of comfort for
ladies in their costumes of the ball room"
The inaugural ball that year was held in
q large wooden structure erected in Judiciary
Square AS The Stars editor remarked, heat
ing it was out of the question. The women
danced with their wraps and furs tightly
drawn about their shivering. silk-sheathed
FORMS The gentlemen who escorted them kept
on not only their overcoats and woolen muf-
fers, but also, is many instances, their top
hats. To have barred ones head to the frosty
cold of the hall would have been to invite
ones death Of pneumonia it is recorded
Huddled pitifully on the rafters above were
scores of canaries. The birds had been released
in the belief they would sing merrily during
the festivities and thus add to the gayety OF the
evening Not a peep was forthcoming during
the ball, however. The musicians had great