Evening star., 1938-12-27
Capital 10 Miss
Full Force Of
Cold Wave
Fringe Of Western
Blizzords to Drop
Mercury to u Here

Mercury to u Here
Washington was expected today
to escape the full force of the cold
wave which held the northern half
Of the Nation in its icy grip.
The temperature here will drop to
% degrees tonight and will hover
around that point until Thursday,
the Weather Bureau predicted.
The blizzard sweeping east over
the Northern Plains and the Great
Lakes region will not bring snow
to the District, the forecaster said.
Only occasional rain, if any, was
expected here today after the heavy
fall last night. Fair weather was
predicted for tomorrow.
In other parts of the Nation, from
the Pacific Northwest to the Great
Lakes, temperatures ranged to 81
below zero, the Associated Press
reported.
Western Maryland Hit.
Two roads were blocked in Mary
land by a heavy snoWstorm yester-
day which struck the western sec
ton Of the State, ending the period
OF comparatively mild weather there.
Drifts blocked traffic on Route 40,
west of Frostburg, and on Route 219,
leading to Salisbury, Pa Roads COM
mission employees went to work
spreading cinders on glazed stretches
of road which made driving danger
GUS.
Cumberland, Md, had several
inches of snowfall and Hagerstown.
Md, had an inch of snow, followed
by rain. Occasional snow furries,
accompanied by rain and wind, blew
through the central and eastern por-
tions of the State Storm warnings
were posted along the Lower Chesa-
peake Bay and the coast.
Storm warnings also were put up
on the Virginia coast for shipping
north of Hatteras as the snowstorm
moved in from the West.
More Maryland Rain Due.
More rain in the central and east
ern sections of Maryland was ex-
pected today, while snow was pre-
dicted for the western section.
Virginia faced colder weather, ac-
companied by snow squalls in the
western part of the State and con-
tinued rain in other areas. Much of
Southwest Virginia is already snow
covered.
In Western Virginia, where rain
and sleet followed snow, roads were
covered with slush which made
driving hazardous on the Valley
Turnpike and elsewhere.
In Western Pennsylvania and
Southwest Virginia, violent WINDS
tore the roofs from buildings, up
rooted trees and disrupted power
| and communication lines.
Seventy-five patients in q La
trobe (Pa) hospital were left in
darkness when part of the roof
was blown away and power lines
snapped.
Plains States May Get Relief.
Relief was forecast for some of
the Plains States, the Associated
Press said, but to the east and
southwark more cold was due to ar
rive tonight or tomorrow. The
storm delayed and in some places
paralyzed holiday travel last night.
The Coast Guard reported the gale
had churned up the strongest sea
along the Lake Michigan eastern
shore in years. Breakers were
sweeping over the pier into the Lake
Macatawa Channel near Holland
Communication was disrupted be-
tween Petoskey, Mich, and the
Straits of Mackinac, and Sault Ste
Marie, center of the storm today,
could not be reached by telephone.
Snow and severe cold was pre-
dicted for Michigan tonight, while
Pennsylvania forecasters said two
new storms were approaching thc,
State. In Minnesota the snoI
drifted to as deep as 10 feet alon
highways, stopping motor travel an
sending tourists to farmhouses fc-
shelter.
Cold Goes Far South.
Freezing temperatures, folloWir
generally mild weather over Chris
mas, spread as far South as TexEc,
Residents of Warroad Mimi, OF
the Canadian border, felt the nj;
of 81 degrees below zero weathel
while those of Devils Lake, N. Oak.
saw the mercury hit % below. Ten
foot snowdrifts blocked side road
of the Northwest, but main arterieS
were being opened. Trains, jammed
with holiday travellers, were rum
ming late and some bus schedules
were abandoned.
A 61-mile-an an-hour gale lashed off
the Great Lakes with such intensity
that ropes were strung along Buff
falo, N. Y, streets so that pedes-
trians could keep on their feet.
Extreme Northwest Iowa escaped
snow of an inch and a half else
where in the State Mason City and
Spirit Lake were the States cold
points with 8 below.
Pittsburgh Traffic Halted.
Rain, snow and sleet that at
tackled Pennsylvania over the week
end caused cancellation of air travel
in the Pittsburgh district, tied up
buses and marooned more than 200
automobiles. Snow fell an inch an
hour in some places and the gale
ripped power lines and trees leaving
several communities without electric
service.
Temperatures close to zero were
general in Wisconsin. Green Bay
had above and Park Falls below.
In New England the snow turned
to rain, but lower temperatures and
occasional snow was forecast.
Ex-Ruil Executive Dies