Evening star., 1939-02-21
Cold Snap TO End
Spring|ike
Weather
Mercury Expected to
Drop Near Freezing
Mark Tonight

Temperatures more III keeping
with the season were in prospect
this afternoon and a "cold snap
with the mercury dropping near the
freezing mark-was predicted by the
Weather Bureau for tonight.
The official forecast was cloudy
and slightly colder. followed by rair
tonight and possibly tomorrow
morning; gentle to moderate north.
west winds tomorrow.
Last nights promised cold weather
failed to materialize as the tempera-
ture fell only to so degrees overnight
Yesterdays maximum was 72 at ]
pm. At 10 am. today it was still so
The colder weather expected last
night was to have been swept into
the Capital by strong northwest
winds, but the winds diminished
subsequently shifting to the north
and northeast-thus muddling the
forecast.
Elsewhere throughout the country
freak weather, accompanied by
melting snow and moderate rains
caused some alarm.
Lowlanders Evacuated.
At Paducah. KY, the Ohio River
stood at S feet above flood level anC
Associated Press dispatches reported
that relief agencies were evacuatine
Iewlanders in Western Kentucky.
The swollen waters of the River
Rouge trapped 40 persons in their
homes in Dearborn Township, a
suburb of Detroit. They were re-
moved safely, however.
The Upper Susquehanna River
started on mild rampage yester-
day, but United States Weather Bu-
reau Meteorologist Leslie F. Con-
over predicted mo serious damage
would result. A crest of 18 to 1s
feet is expected at Wilkes-Barre
tonight and flood warnings were
sent out along the river from To-
wanda to Wilkes-Barre.
Muddy waters swirled closer to
Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle
where the Monogahela and Ale
gheny Rivers join to form the Ohio
River-but no immediate danger
was foreseen. The waters stood at
II feet and were rising slowly. Flood
stage there is Is feet.
30-Degree Drop in East.
The mercury dropped as much as
80 degrees and cut short an un-
scheduled visit of summery weather
to the Eastern United States.
Snow was general throughout the
Middle West, where some subzere
readings were taken, rain dispelleo
fog in Florida and readings in the
20s were reported in Texas.
New Englanders saw the mercury
slide from yesterdays 66 to 36 to-
day, while the Weather Bureau fore
cast continued cold and partly
cloudy.
A severe cold wave chilled North
ern Middle Western States. Mime
sofa lows included As below at Park
Rapids, 80 below at Wadena, 18 be-
low in Winona and below at Min
neapolis. Snow covered Southern
Wisconsin.
Light snow in Upstate New York
accompanied drop of 26 degrees
in "a hours to 11.6 at 8 am. Al
Niagara Falls the temperature wa.
ID at the same hour and the ICE
bridge in the gorge was one of the
strongest and largest in recent years
The mercury was down to 36 in New
York City and fair and moderately
cold weather was predicted.
Pennsylvania had a mercury read
Ing of As this morning, II degrees
below that of yesterday morning
Cloudy and cooler weather prevailed
IN Maryland, where the temperature
rose above 70 yesterday.
Below Zero in Nebraska,
Nebraska temperatures generally
were below zero, but fair and some
what warmer weather was forecast
The danger of high water was re-
duced in Southeastern Michigan as
the mercury fell to below 20.
Temperatures were in the low 2Os
IN Indiana and Ohio and light snow
was falling. Similar conditions pre-
vailed in Illinois, but thermometer
readings were lower.
A Rock Island Railroad switch
man, John j. Williams, SO, was
killed when he slipped on icy steps
and fell under a switch engine at
Hutchinson, Kans Missouri's cold
est reading was below.
A biting cold wave gave Texas
the bitterest weather of the season.
Crops and nursery stock were dam
aged in East Texas, but the lower
Rio Grande citrus regions escaped
Amarillo had 10 above.
Uncertain weather forced post
ponement Of the flight of the Boeing
Clipper, Americas largest airliner
to Gulf points.