Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-27
BY ALFRED TOOMBS.

am. --25 II am. $1,000 81
7 am. --2 "a Noon -- 81
8 am. 22 l pm. 1850 %
BY ALFRED TOOMBS.
Washington made its way to work
this morning through a bowling
snow storm that deposited three
inches of snow on the city in four
hours and drove the mercury down
to 81 degrees.
The first real blast of winter tied
up traffic throughout the city and
its suburbs and sent hundreds OF
workers out to clear the streets.
Snow started falling at am.
and continued during the morning
hours. The mercury fell from IS
degrees at midnight to 81 at noon
The Weather Bureau predicted
that snow would continue to fall
internationally throughout the day
and night, with fair skies tomorrow.
The cold will continue. with a mini.
mum of about % degrees expected
tonight.
Thousands Late to Work.
Thousands of persons were late
for work as traffic snarls-involving
buses, streetcars and automobiles
developed throughout the District
area. Automobile clubs reported
that distress calls started coming
in at am. and continued at the
rate of a call minute throughout
the morning.
No serious accidents were re-
ported during the morning, but
tenders took beating as the snow
was ground into ice under the
churning wheels of hundreds of
vehicles.
The snow came to town on the
wings of a biting wind from the
north and northeast. The Weather
Bureau said the storm had struck
the Atlantic Seaboard as far south
as the Carolinas and described the
storm as unusually general"
1000 Men Ready.
The District Street Cleaning De-
partment and the Capital Transit
Co. modified all available workers
to clear the streets.
Officials of the City Refuse De-
partment, who estimated that it
would cost between $1,000 and $10,-
900 to clear the streets. said they
were holding 1000 men in readiness
for snow removal work
Sanding crews from the District
started out before dawn and So snow
plows were warmed up and ordered
out on the streets when the morn
ing traffic rush was over. The plows
will clear 285 miles of city. streets
and will be out all day and all night.
The transit company, ordering all
disable equipment out on its routes.
said service was being maintained
throughout the city. Street cars and
buses proceeded at snail's pace. how
ever, and some few were involved in
minor accidents.
One bus skidded part of the way
down the steep Thirteenth street
hill. went up on the sidewalk and
knocked over a light pole at Thir-
tenth and w streets NV. None
was reported injured in the mishap.
The transit company said buses
had gone out early in the morning
without chains on the tires. but that
chains were being put on as fast as
possible later 1t was explained that
the company's engineers did not at
first believe chains were necessary,
because the snow was wet
Reports came from all parts Of
town of skidding buses. which found
the streets-even though sanded-
too slippery for safety.
Hundreds Clear Snow.
The transit company had 20 snow
sweepers, 20 sand trucks and about
600 men on the streets before a m,
attempting to clear the way for
service.
Three early morning fire alarms
in the heart of the city sent engines
screaming through the maze of
traffic. The alarms came from
Seventh street and Pennsylvania
avenue NV, Twenty-second and
Pennsylvania avenue NV. and
Eleventh and U streets NV. Fire
engines proceeded cautiously over
the slippery streets.
1t was the worst snowstorm to
hit the city since last January 13,
when five inches of snow and sleet
covered the streets.
Police Instructed.
Inspector l.. l. H. Edwards, acting
superintendent of police, modified
his men to handle the early morn
ing traffic and issued the following
order to commanding officers in all
precincts:
You will have survey made of
your precincts to ascertain the most
dangerous points and especially
where shedding is found on the hills.
You will have your officers give
these locations special attention,
and where hills are found to be
dangerous to vehicular traffic, you
will notify the Highway Depart
ment to cover the same with sand
and to put up barricades. Use
every means to protect life and
property"
Rock Creek Park a Trap.
Rock Creek Park proved a trap
for several hundred motorists who
ventured into it, expecting to make
their usual shortcut through
traffic.
At times, automobiles were backed
up in an almost solid line from
Virginia avenue up along Rock
Creek Parkway to Cathedral and
Connecticut avenues.
Wilson boulevard, in Arlington
County, over which much of the
traffic from nearby Virginia moves,
offered another traffic puzzle when
automobiles and buses began to
(See WEATHER, Page A-30