Evening star., 1936-03-18
RAIL, BUS SERVICE
TO WEST CRIPPLED
Trains Are Detoured on Two
Lines--HighWays Re-
ported Closed.

moralized rail and bus service to
the Middle West and beyond.
The Chesapeake g. Ohio reported
its trains were running only an hour
late, but several Baltimore & Ohio
trains due here yesterday still were
on the way, and the Pennsylvania,
which had no trouble yesterday, re-
ported nothing in today.
At Union Station it was said the
B. g. o. is running as far as Martins
burg, but beyond there everything
is subject to delay. Its trains are
being detoured over the Southern,
through Kenova, w. Va, and the
c. & O., via Charleston.
The Pennsylvania is using the
Lehigh Valley for a detour, routing
through Philadelphia, Wilkes Barre
and Erie. From New York to the
West. it was reported by the Asso-
ciated Press, the tracks of the Lehigh
Valley and New York Central are
being employed.
Roads to West Closed.
At 9 am. the American Automobile
Association said all highways to the
West were closed.
The blockades were listed as follows:
Route so, between Winchester and
Clarksburg; Route II, between Win
chester and Strasburg: Route IS, be-
tween Frederick and Gettysburg, and
Route 40, between Hagerstown and
Cumberland.
In Eastern Ohio it was showing
heavily, and it was warned that travel
was inadv;sable. The same word came
from the Asheville, N. c., area, where
snow was turning to sleet. Buffalo,
N. Y, had an 18-inch snowfall.
The Greyhound bus line said noth-
ing had gotten through since its west.
bound bus, which left here at 1918
pm. yesterday, routed via Pittsburgh,
but 1t had expected to make a trip this
afternoon.
Three Bridges Out.
On the route to Cincinnati, 1t re-
ported, three bridges were out. which
would hold up traffic on that line
indefinitely.
The Great Eastern Line bus, due
here from the West at pm. yester-
day, is tied up behind the food at
Jennerstown, Pa. The last vest
bound bus left here at pm. yester.
day and there was no word to indi.
cate that it had not gotten through.
Some minor delays were being re-
ported to the South, but the East was
relatively clear.
Air line officials here reported the
demand for airplane transportation to
the West is approximately twice as
great as usual. Travellers who ordi-
narily would use automobiles or
trains are taking to the air for the
first time in an effort to escape
dangerous travel on the ground.
Scheduled flights to Detroit and
Chicago were increased by approxi-
mately so per cent, it was stated by
the Pennsylvania Air Lines and Gen.
tral AirlineS. All available equipment
and pilots are being pressed into serv.
ice, but large waiting list of travel. :
ers cannot be accommodated.
U. S. Route l between Washington
and New York was closed just this
side of Philadelphia at place called
Chadds Ford, where water inundated
the highway.
The James River went over its banks
near Lynchburg, putting out of COM
mission Highway No. SOL, leading to
Natural Bridge.
Virginia Roads Suffer.
Virginia officials surmised that most
of the roads closed by high water in
Western Virginia yesterday would be
opened again today, but were unable
to report on the Staunton district be.
cause of broken communications.
The district engineer at Lynchburg
predicted waters of the Dan River
would menace highways at Danville
and South Boston today. Numerous
small washouts occurred in his dis.
trict, he said.
High water and slides blocked at
least dozen roads last night. A slide
IS feet long cut U. S. Route 60 be-
tween Buena Vista and the Amherst
County line, but a one-way traffic
lane was maintained. Another slide
yesterday covered Route 220 between
Clifton Forge and Iron Gate and
highway engineers believed continued
rain would make Route 4 between
Harrisonburg and Elkton impossible.
Johnstown Is Cut OFF.
All roads leading to Pittsburgh have
been closed 80 miles out and Johns
town, the center of the apparent great
est disaster, is narooned in the cen
ter of district around which the
roads are closed for 40 miles in all
directions.
Six Pennsylvania cities are closed
to outside trafhc-Scranton, Williams
port, Wilkes-Barre, Lockhaven. To-
wanda and Sunbury.
Upper Ohio and Western New York
roads are mostly closed with high
snowdrifts and motor travel is not
recommended for the entire New Eng
land area on account of flooded roads.
Phone Service Unaffected.
Officials of the Chesapeake e. Po-
tomac Telephone Co. said telephone
service in the Maryland and Virginia
flood sections has not been affected
seriously as yet. They have been able
to route calls to practically all food
areas in the two States.
Officials said they are experiencing
their greatest difficulty in getting calls
through to Cumberland. Md, and
Winchester, Harrisonburg, Staunton,
Petersburg and Danville, Va. S
They have been able to reach only
the operator in Johnstown.
Conemaugh when their boat capsized
while trying to rescue family from