Evening star., 1936-02-16
ZERO COLD SINKS
DEEPER IN EAST
Experts Here Ponder Over
When Potomac Ice will
Break and Release Flood.

When Potomac Ice will
Break and Release Flood.
Airplanes and dynamite sped food
and fuel to starving prisoners OF the
snow in the Northwest and zero cold
sank deeper into the East last night
as Weather Bureau experts pondered
over the problem Of when the ice
gorges would break in the Potomac
and release q food. ---
Thawed considerably by yesterdays
45-degree temperature. the river was
q maze of widening cracks In the
upper basin, but the forecaster held
q definite breakup was still at least
48 hours OF.
Lowering temperatures today. with
a maximum of about IS, will forestall
any serious melting. the bureau said.
Tonight will probably bring rain or
snow and freezing temperatures.
Rock Creek was choked with broken
ice despite efforts yesterday to blast
the stream free. Water was backing
up to depth Of several feet in some
sections of the park. but the creek
was still within its banks last night.
Frozen Cities Ask Aid.
Pleas for pretty quick" aid from
dozen frozen towns in the North
west hurried ski-equipped planes into
the air and over huge drifts that
blocked land rescue crews, according
to Associated Press reports from
Chicago.
The ships could carry only light
supplies, however. and snowplows.
sleds and trucks fioundered on.
Dynamite blasts shot snow and ice
high in air after Winters barriers
repulsed the plows.
Four South Dakota communities
Red Owl, Twilight, Stoneville and
Fairpoint-were in a critical plight
when the first ski-ship visited them.
Another plane was loaded with 300
pounds Of food for q second trip.
Drifts Cut on Store.
Snowplows, trucks and tractors
turned back once for repairs. then
bored on with greater supplies for
them and for the residents Of Marcus.
Opal, Murine. Mud Butte and Sui
phur.
A snowplow burrowed into Arpin,
isolated for weeks, and found food In
the general store but drifts too high
for townsfolk to reach it.
A relief party brought Hereford its
first food since February !. Fuel was
gone, and residents last night burned
fence posts and anything else they
could get their hands on"
On the bleak Dakota prairies,
ranchers had not been heard from
for weeks.
Snowdrifts were dynamited in
| Southern Minnesota, and food and
fuel were hurried into marooned sec
tions by motor and truck. Bobsleds
carried farm families to Marshall for
food. Slayton saw its first train in
nine days.
Two planes were chartered at Kala-
mazoo, Mich, to fly medicine and
provisions to isolated homes. Fifty
| five passengers in q marooned train
awaited rescue near Saukville. Wis.
Lake View, Iowa, was out Of touch
with the world for the fourth success
sive day.
Butter, egg and milk shortages de-
veloped in Nebraska and the Dakotas.
The bread supply in Sioux Falls. 8.
OAK, was almost gone when an air
plane few in with 1000 pounds Of
yeast. Fuel was perilously low in sew
eral States.
Shade Trees Burned.
| In Hatfield, Mo, the 200 residents,
isolated by snowdrifts for q month,
burned shade trees for fuel and
guarded food supplies as rs c. c. C..
Youths battled snowdrifts to clear q
road.
All coal was used up weeks ago.
The telephone operator, Mrs. P. g.
Laird. estimated that food in the
towns two stores should last week.
Other reports limited the supply to
two or three days.
Rural schools closed, secondary
highways were snow blocked, bus serv-
ice was crippled. railroads were hours
late over much of the North and Md
die West.
Water mains froze at Baldwin,
Kans., and the city delivered water
to homes in cans.
Subzero weather spread Southwark
into Oklahoma and moved steadily
Eastward. Coolest place on the map
today was Sc below zero at Denbeigh.
near Minot, N. Oak.
Five Die In Minnesota.
Five deaths from cold were reported
from Minnesota, one died in WASH
ington. one each in Idaho and Ohio.
Flood threats rumbled to the East,
from Ohio to Virginia. Lowland fam
lilies fed their homes in the path Of
rising waters around Columbus.
Snow slides blotted out several
Pennsylvania highways and New York
was coated with ice, snow and sleet.
On the Pacific Coast rains con-
tinued. but no more foods were feared.
Before the waters subsidized they ma
rooned so ranch families and 100
Federal transient workers at Watson
Vile. Calf. At Placerville, Calif- q
landslide cut OF c. C. c. camp.
An avalanche Of snow rs feet deep
and $500 to 1000 feet wide filled the
Provo Canyon Highway in Utah. end
ing travel until the slide can be
bridged.
Texas experienced its customary
warmth, but North Arizona had snow.
| Greek Luncheon.