Evening star., 1939-02-16
Washington Shivers
As Cold Wave Hits
Atlantic Coast
Roin and Wind Storm
Claims Is Lives and
Wreoks Destruction


Wreoks Destruction
Washington was shivering today
under subfreezing temperature as a
cold wave spread over the Midwest
and Atlantic Seaboard, harassed
yesterday by wind and rain storms
which claimed at least 13 lives and
spread destruction throughout the
Eastern half of the country.
The mercury tumbled A degrees
in the District In less than "a hours
from 68-degree high yesterday
morning to "a at 10 o'clock today.
A minimum of 20 degrees was ex-
pected tonight, with slowly rising
temperature forecast for tomorrow.
Two-thirds of .an inch of rainfall
was recorded yesterday, when the
wind reached velocity of AZ miles
an hour at times.
Maryland and Virginia, some Sec
tions of which were hard hit by
freak storms yesterday, also were in
for colder, calmer weather today.
The Weather Bureau is forecasting
rain or snow for the Southwestern
portion of Virginia tomorrow.
Almost every section east of the
Mississippi River was recovering
from unusual weather disturbances
yesterday. the Associated Press re-
ported.
Temperature Dropping.
Steadily dropping temperatures
generally followed winds of tornado
intensity and driving rains which
threatened to flood sections of New
England, not yet recovered from
last September's disastrous hurri-
cane. and swell further waters of
the Ohio River. already feet above
flood stage at Paducah, KY.
Five ocean, going vessels were tied
up by fog in Chesapeake Bay and
several others were prevented from
leSving Baltimore. An 80-ton bugeye,
loaded with oyster shells, ran on
a bar in the fog near Rock Hall
and sank within an hour. Her bot
tom was ripped out when she ran
aground. Two men aboard were
rescued by a shore boat.
Northwest storm warnings were
out all along the Maryland coast.
In Virginia heavy rains and wind
storms struck scattered sections from
the Shenandoah Valley to Danville
A 43-mile gale at Lynchburg felled
trees, unroofed buildings and sent
chimneys crashing to the ground
A 4,000-volt power line was blown
across a city policemans automo-
bile and he was hurled to the ground
by the shock when he tried to get
out of the machine.
Passengers on a bus at Lynchburg
escaped injury when giant tree
was blown across the metal roof
of the vehicle. Porches of a resi-
dence at Buena Vista were torn
from the structures and swept a
distance of 100 feet. Another fall
ing tree near Lynchburg cut tele-
phone circuits between that city
and Roanoke.
Many highways in lower Virginia
were obstructed by falling trees and
power lines. Farmers throughout
the area reported barns blown down
by the gale.
Farther south freak windstorms
resulted in two deaths and consid-
cradle property damage in scattered
sections. Fred Copeland, 81, auto
mobile mechanic, was killed and his
wife seriously injured when their
home near Birmingham. Ala. was
blown away. A colored woman was
killed as she ran from her house in
Limestone County, Ala.
Chilling cold which followed rain
squalls in the East sent the mercury
tumbling from a near-summer level
to below freezing, icing surfaces Of
highways.
Five Dead in Pennsylvania.
Five persons died in three auto
mobile accidents in Central Penn
sylvania, attributed to binding
snow and slippery roads. Other
accidents cost two lives in New
Jersey, and two brothers drowned
when a highway ramp was swept
away at Elmira, N. Y.
Pounding surf along low-lying
shore areas of Rhode Island and
Southern Massachusetts, threatened
the homes of many residents who
were ordered to evacuate the area.
Eight m-delayed liners moved
slowly into New York Harbor after
fog had lifted sufficiently for them
to reach port safely. In Manhattan,
where 62-degree temperature,
highest ever recorded there for the
date, caused a general shedding OF
overcoats until the sudden 65-mile-
an-hour rain squall sent the mer-
curry below freezing, three w. P. A.
workers were trapped in a flooded
sewer for more than an hour before
they were rescued by firemen who
swan 300 feet underground to carry
them ropes.
Roads remained hazardous in the
Middle West though the mercury
was climbing from sub-zero lows in
Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. Snow
was forecast in Chicago.
Flood Menace Lowered.
The sudden change in tempera-
ture lowered temporarily the flood
menace in the upper Ohio River
Valley, though the effect of rainfall
in the lower valley, still unreached
by the rivers flood crest, remained
doubtful. Several streets in Paducaf
already were under water and Rec
Cross officials prepared to move fam.
lilies living in the lowlands of the
rivers unrlllV tributaries. the Ten