The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-25
Temperatures Drop Below
Zero Mark, Weather
Bureau Reports.
TERRE HAUTE HARD HIT
Suffering Among Needy
Caused; Temperatures
Diving Swiftly.

Indianapolis was gripped
by the worst blizzard in a
decade today, with the mer-
curry sliding to 3 degrees be-
low zero and the wind reach
ing a 58-mile-an-hour rate at
times.
Todays white" Christmas that
brought the cold smash is to be fol-
lowed by zero to 5 below tenn.
peratureS tomorrow, the weather
bureau forecast. Snow totaled 81
inches.
Despite the precautions taken by
churches, charity groups and clubs
to provide for the needy, there was
much suffering in the city and state
as the cold wave hit. Here the
mercury stood at 18 at z a. m. and
two hours later above was regis
tered, followed by zero at 10 a. m.
Meanwhile a heavy snow fell,
blown by the wind that reached 40
miles an hour in the downtown dis
trict and So miles an hour at
| Municipal Airport.
Terre Haute Hit First
The storm first struck the vest
ern border of the state shortly be-
fore this morning. At Terre Haute
persons were driven from the streets
by the heavy snow and wind.
All other weather bureau stations
throughout the state reported the
rapid mercury fall.
Mrs. Lulu Hutchins, 81, Negro.
Baltimore-av, was killed instantly
today when she was struck by a
Greyhound bus in the 5000 block
w. Westinghouse. Hers was the
one hundred flfty-third auto death
in the county this year.
She was struck after alighting
from a street car. At the same time,
her granddaughter, Alma Neal, Is,
and Charles w. CRIES., 202 w.
Maryland-st, left the car, but were
missed by the bus.
State Woman Badly Hurt
Arthur c. Huffman, 3431 Salem
st, bus driver, told police his vision
was obscured by swirling snow. The
bus was bound for st. Louis.
A Bloomington woman Is ex-
pected to die and her husband is
suffering from serious injuries as a
result of an automobile-bu collision
today on the Bluff -rd near Troy-ay.
Mrs. Katharine Branstetter, 80.
is in City Hospital with a skull frac-
ture, with little chance for recovery:
her husband, Louis, Al, has what
probably is fractured skull and
Mrs. jeff Walden, At, also of Bloom
lngton, is suffering from severe head
injuries.
Mr.. Branstetter, who was driving
coupe in which his wife and Mrs.
Walden were passengers, attempted
to stop at small culvert when he
saw Greyhound bus approaching.
The bus struck the auto a glancing
blow, hurting the car from the cul-
vert and it fell Is feet, alighting on
its wheels.
The bus, bound for Evansville. was
carrying about so passengers. The
driver was G. L. Huckabay, Colonial
Hotel, Indianapolis.
Eight Crews Busy
Eight State Highway Commission
crews were busy near Indianapolis
keeping roads clear for holiday traf-
flc. In the city, the street commits
sioner'S Office force was called for
emergency duty and officials di-
rected that no cleaning be done un-
til the major portion of the storm
passed. 1t was said that hundreds
of men probably will be at work by
early this afternoon.
With visibility and the ceiling at
zero, airport officials said they in
tended grounding all planes.
Utilities reported there was nc
trouble in indianapolis, but they
were getting reports from the west
ern section of the state that lines
were down and repair crews were
battling the wind and snow to cor
rect breaks.
Trains were late arriving at the
Union Station with sweeper crews
following the example of the local
railway operators who had men on
the job early this morning attempt
ing to clear tracks.
RuS Schedule A,rrv
Bus schedules were awry, many
BUSES being more than an hour
late, tied up chiefly by the heavy
snow drifts and the icy undercoat-
ing on state roads.
Taxis were at a premium from
the break of day, when many per-
sons attending early morning church
services were unable to start their
cars.
Sleds presented as Christmas gifts
were given workouts at coasting
places guarded by the city. The
crowds became so great at the
dozen Indianapolis shedding sites
that PWA workers were summoned
to augment police officers in guard
ing them.
Records Of the local weather bu-
reau, covering SIS Christmas DAYS
since 1871, show the coolest Christ
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