Evening star., 1935-01-24
CRIPPLED CAPITAL
BATTLES TO CLEAR
11-|NCH SNOWFALL
Temperature of 6 Above
Zero Adds to Paralysis
of Transport System.
MERCURY WILL REACH
5-DEGREE MARK TONIGHT
Nearly 5000 Set to Work Clean
ing Streets-Storm Worst
in Five Years.

Awakened by the clink of thousands
of shovels removing one of the deepest
SHOWS since the Knickerbocker disaster,
in 1922, Washington struggled to work
late this morning in almost zero
weather over half-paralyzed street car
and bus systems
The rush hour found the thermom-
eter at the Winters minimum of six
above zero, a circumstance which
worked great hardship on street cars
equipped with underground ploWs.
Numbers of plows we're torn out in
slots contracted by the cold, and still
other street cars were derailed by ice
deposits.
The outlook in the wake of the IL
inch snow is for another night of in
tense cold, with a minimum of about
five degrees. The weather should re-
main fair, however, and after tomor-
row slowing rising temperatures are
expected through Saturday.
Thousands Clearing Snow.
Between 5,100 and 5000 emergency
relief workers began ShoVeling and
carting snow this morning, augment
ed by TOO regular District employees
The emergency workers will put in
six hours today and tomorrow, at 40
cents an hour, clearing streets, park
sidewalks, school yards, institutional
grounds and the Army and Navy air
fields.
Despite adverse conditions, the
street cars were kept moving slowly
into town. Thousands of StraphangerS
and hundreds of bus patrons were late
to work, and the city's large taxicab
feet proved wholly unequal to the
TuSh-hour demand.
Temporary street car tie-upS oc-
cured on the Mount Rainier and
Beltsville line, where an overhead
feeder cable broke; and also at
Seventh street and Florida avenue and
Seventeenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue. There was tie-up at Con-
necticut avenue and Albemarle street
early this morning, and several hours
later two street cars were derailed on
the same line, one at Sedgwick street
and another at Davenport.
Schedules Hard to Keep.
The larger bus systems operated
with less difficulty, but ran behind
schedule. Buses operating over Dis
trict streets, which had been cleared
by A snow ploWs yesterday and last
night, Jared better than those con-
meeting Washington with outlying dis
tricts.
Bus lines between Baltimore and
Washington and those operating in
many sections of nearby Maryland
and Virginia discontinued service yes
terday morning as storm conditions
made the roads too dangerous" for
traffic. The Maryland State Roads
Commission reported today, however,
that the highways would be put in
good shape" by noon.
Most of the secondary roads were
closed by drifts, with snow standing
on the level from to Is inches over
the State at large.
The ll-inch snow which fell here
on heavy layer of ice was, with the
exception of 1112-inch fall on jan
uary 80, 1880. the deepest since 28
inches of snow sent the roof of the
theater audience during 1922.
Street-car and bus systems were
further taxed by additional thousands
Of motorists who usually drive to
work.
High drifts had marooned automo-
biles parked in the open and intense
cold had frozen door locks in many
cases. Still other motorists preferred
not to risk driving over the slippery
streets.
Record numbers of service calls
we're received by the American Auto
mobile Association and the Keystone
Automobile Club. Up until o'clock
last night the A. A. A. handled 1000
emergency calls, with every piece Of
service apparatus working. Emergency
crews of the other club also were kept
constantly busy.
Oddly enough, one Of the most
frequent requests was for lockSmith
service. The rain which preceded the
snow had seeped into door locks, and
motorists broke keys twisting them
In frozen snechaniSms Virtually every
locksmith in town was kept busy all
yesterday opening automobile DOORS
The public school system returned
to normal schedule today after dis
missing pupils shortly after noon yes
terday to allow them to reach home
before the rush hour hit the trans
portation lines.
Lodging houses for penniless tran
sientS reported heavy damand for
food and shelter last night as hun
dreds sought refuge from the intense
cold Another capacity demand was
expected tonight.
officials of the Washington Rapid
Transit Co. said today that only one
Government department notified it of
yesterdays early closing hour. AS a
result, the official said, the company's
bus system was not organized to meet
the early rush-hour demand, and
many patrons had to wait.
The emergency relief workers were
assigned this morning as follows: 1900
to work under direction Of the Dis
trict Highway Department, 1000 with
the Sewer Department, 1000 with the
National Capital Parks, 500 with the
schools, 500 to various Federal in
stitutions, including the military flying
fields, and 700 who were clearing
downtown streets under their own
foremen.
Hills Are Sanded.
Snow removal work concentrated to-
day on the downtown section, while