Evening star., 1936-02-18
Danger OF Flood in Capital
lesSened by Slowing
of Snow ThaW.
STREET CAR AND BUS
SCHEDULES TIED UP
Reports of Frigidity, River Jams
and Loss of Life Come In From
Other Parts of U. S.

| iOlAAlS eIlO"4d4l, new cola wave
that Is scheduled to send the tenn
perature down to degrees overnight
checked any imminent overflow in the
Potomac today as many sections of the
country reported continued frigid
weather, snow, ice jams and additional
deaths.
The Potomac and its tributaries rose
slowly in the upper reaches during the
night under the run-off of melting
| snow and softening ice but the sudden
change was expected to hold of any
dangerous thaw for at least two more
days.
Transit Schedules Upset.
Street car and bus schedules were
dlSorganized when the falling mercury
turned snow-covered streets into ice.
Scores walked to work from Con-
necticut and Florida avenues after a
trafic jam developed at that point.
Although reporting a rising tend
ency" at Harpers Ferry, the rivers and
floods division of the Weather Bureau
saw nothing alarming in sight. No
ice movement was in progress in the
upper basin, but some open water de-
veloped on the north side of Wash
ington Channel.
Much colder weather will stop the
slow rise in the Potomac and its tribu-
taries except where water may be
backed up by ice jams" the Weather
Bureau said in an official statement.
mo material change in ice conditions
is expected in the next two days.
Fair and Colder" Forecast.
Fair and much colder" was the
forecast for this afternoon and to-
night. Tomorrow also will be fair.
it was predicted, with continued cold.
Strong west to northwest winds are
expected, the bureau issuing the fol-
lowing storm warning:
| Northwest storm warning ordered
Cape Hatteras to Boston, disturbance
on New Jersey coast moving north
eastward with increasing intensity will
cause strong west and northwest winds
and gales this afternoon and to-
night with much colder weather"
Receiving a continuous stream Of
telephone calls from parents, officials
at the Franklin School said the pub
lie schools schedule would continue
as usual today.
One Death Reported.
One death was reported today as the
result of falls on the ice. George R.
Herbert, II, of 2513 North Capitol
street, died in Sibley Hospital this
morning from injuries received Janu-
ary 10 in a fall near his home His
hip was fractured.
A rise of AZ feet was recorded in
the Shenandoah, principal tributary
of the Potomac, but no decided rise
was apparent in the river area imme-
diately adjacent to the Capital.
Ice foes were gorged below River
| ton, Va. causing the river to fall
feet during the night. The ice was
holding, although soft, above Harpers
Ferry.
The thaw was aided somewhat yes
terday when the temperature stayed
slightly above the freezing mark. From
! SO, at midnight, it continued to drop
at the rate of little more than degree
an hour, reaching 25 at $50 this
morning
| Almost an inch of snow was reg
| istered at the Weather Bureau before
the fall temporarily abated shortly
before 9 O'Clock. The precipitation
started with rain. changing to snow
| just before dawn.
Jam Takes Bridge Out.
The iron highway bridge at the
Norfolk g. Western Railway depot, a
mile west of Front Royal, Va, was
still out today after a heavy ice jam
on the south fork of the Shenandoah
River carried away two spans of the
structure.
An automobile about to cross was
backed off the bridge in time to escape
the crash. The washout left an
opening of more than 100 feet in the
center of the bridge.
| The two spans are separately lodged
in the ice about quarter of mile
below the bridge.
Some slight movement of ice in the
upper basin of the Potomac was noted
late yesterday, but the ice further
downstream was too choked to allow
the foes to break loose.
| Great Falls resembled a miniature
Niagara as water roared over the
rocks. Below the falls the water
was quieter and at Chain Bridge the
ice was still solid, although consider
ably thinned by the thaw.
Arlington County officials we're un.
easy about the safety of Chain Bridge,
it being feared a sudden ice jam
might endanger the pilings Of the old
structure.
Shipping Hampered.
The Associated Press reported ship
ping was hampered by high winds on
both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts
and by ice jams on rivers and canals
of the interior.
While temperatures rose slowly in
the Dakotas and along the Atlantic
Coast yesterday, the forecasts gen.
orally were for colder weather and
more snow.
The captain and four men aboard
tug. icebound for three weeks in
q canal near Chesapeake City, Nd,
were rescued after the ice broke up,
sinking the boat.
The Elizabeth Pile, one of the
largest steamers on the Ohio River,
was sunk by ice at dock at New
Martinsville, w. Va.
Kansas reported one death yester-
day, Wisconsin one, Illinois four and
Montana one, that of Albert D. Inge-
bretson, So, rancher, who appar-
emily tried to walk home in minus So
degree weather after an automobile
1