Evening star., 1934-03-04
Arlington Residents Fear
Loss of Normal Water
Supply Connections.
WARM TEMPERATURE
PREDICTED FOR TODAY
Pressure on Chain Bridge Guard
ed Against as Ice Breaks
Swell Stream.

rendering lmpaSSaDle many roads an
forcing Arlington County residents to
prepare for possible severance from
their normal water supply connection
with the Potomac River.
A section of the Bladensburg road,
the main traffic artery between Wash
tngton and Baltimore, was closed to
trafic at IL pm. after sizable ice
cakes had been swept across it BY
rising torrential waters Traffic was
rerouted over Rhode Island avenue.
Residents Of the Bladensburg dis
trict were reported to be moving fur
niture to the upper floors of Their
homes, anticipating another Of thc
floods, which have besieged them
often in the past.
The Bladensburg Fire Rescue SQUAD
was called into action to break up
an ice jam in the Eastern Branch.
between Bladensburg and Hyattsville
Motor travel from Washington to
points along the Defense Highway
was possible only through Rhode
Island avenue, down the Baltimore
Pike to Riverdale and thence to Ed
monston road to the Defense thor
oughfare
The Weather Bureau forecast for
today cloudy skies and infrequent
showers, with the temperature ap-
proximating that of yesterday. II
was estimated the continued warm
weather would break up ice foes
within the next "a to 36 hours, or
possibly sooner.
A temperature rise Of So degrees
within three days sent floods of
melted snow pouring into drainage
channels Of rural districts yesterday.
threatened Chain Bridge and the wa
ter conduits it carries to Arlington
County, and converted the frozen
surfaces Of streams and the river
into ice jams expected to break with
spectacular consequences.
Snow Disappears.
AS the mercury scared from a low
of l degree below zero Wednesday to
maximum of So degrees yesterday
afternoon, the white blanket disap-
peared from Washington and vicin-
ity. The resulting freshets washed
away portions Of a bridge in Mary
land, threatened others, swamped
temporarily many country roads.
sank boat in the Potomac and pres
aged more serious difficulties when
the ice foes and SHOWS Of the upper
Potomac sweep down.
Arlington County officials prepared
to meet any emergency caused by
avyCot0d D-;L
and the county water conduits.
County Engineer c. L. Kinnier
visited the structure twice to map
plans for dynamiting an ice pack If
it should crush against the bridge
piers.
Through officers at Fort Myer,
County Manager Roy S. Braden OBJ
tained permission to connect with the
10-inch Government main across the
river at Rosslyn and preparations
were made to bring down q pump
from Dale Carlia to refill the county
reservoir II its normal connections
are swept away.
The pump, which Arlington County
loaned to District engineers for use
at the Dale Carlia station, could be
put into action within 40 hours. The
county reservoir holds a reserve suffi-
cient to supply pressure for 48 hours
after 1t is shut of from its feeding
source.
A temporary wooden bridge across
the Northwest Branch on Queens
Chapel road lost its abutments yes
terday when an ice foe smashed
against it. Traffic near the Mount
Rainier passageway was rerouted
over Chillum and Riggs roads. Water
flowed over University lane between
the Baltimore Boulevard and Riggs
road, and State road workers were
stationed there to halt cars when the
tide became too deep.
Rock Creek Safe.
The United States park police re-
ported Rock Greek still within its
bounds" last night, and guards at
Highway Bridge said the river there
did not yet show signs of reaching
flood stage although ice packs we're
sufficiently broken to permit some
water traffic during the day.
A bridge on Ager road between Sill
yer Spring and Hyattsville. Md. was
submerged yesterday afternoon. neces-
stating stationing of State police at
points on either side to reroute traf-
fic. The water was still rising at
that point at last reports.
District Engineer E. G. Duncan also
had men stationed on Baltimore high
way at College Park to watch for
expected flooding there Of Paint
Branch.
Mill Race Overfiows.
TRAFFIC on the main road from Eli
colt City to Baltimore was delayed
when the mill race at the former town
over1owed and flooded the highway.
The turbulent waters receded an
hour later and the normal movement
of trafiic was resumed.
Control gates Of the mill race were
frozen and employees were unable to
close them when the swollen waters
moved down upon the dam.
A number of other roads in Howard
County were closed to traff1c as re-
suit Of streams overrunning their
banks. The Columbia road between
Columbia and Atholton was shut on
to trafiic at the Push Pin Bridge when
the Patuxent flooded that highway,
while the lower section Of the Gull
ford road also was closed. Trafic on
the Atholton-Scaggsville road also
was halted by the inundated condi-
ton of the highway.
Water from the Patuxent backed
up in the low fields at Elkridge, but
was not over the boulevard at . late
hour last night.
On the Livingston road between
Oxon Hill and Sunnybrook, Nd. .
road culvert washed out and two
cars were stuck In the destroyed
roadway. No one was injured In the
mishaps, but cranes were needed 70
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