Evening star., 1940-01-28


we had here in January, 1922, when
of that month, the old woman be-
gan picking her geese and throwing
the feathers down in such enor-
NOUS handfuls that by the following
day traffic of all kinds was prac-
tically at standstill, and in many
instances shanks' mare was the only
mode of travel.
But the worst feature of this
storm was the tragedy that ensued
when the roof of the Knickerbocker
Theater, at Columbia road and
Eighteenth street NV, caved in
from the great weight of snow. This
catastrophe occurred at 9:20 pm,
on Saturday, January %, when the
house was crowded, and SO persons
were killed and about $50 injured.
The motion, picture being shown at
the time was "Get-Rich- Quick Wal
lingford."
The bodies, as they we're recov-
cred, were taken to the First Church
of Christ Scientist, at Columbia road
and Euclid street NV, which be-
came an improvised hospital and
temporary morgue. The more Sc
verely wounded were taken to Gar
field, Naval, Walter Reed and other
hospitals, where accommodations
were available, and the less seriously
injured we're removed to their
homes.
The Knickerbocker was built in
1917 and was valued at we'll over
100000. 1t had a seating capacity
of 1,70O. One can judge of the Sc
verify of the storm when one realizes
that three days later, only a few
street cars were in operation on the
city lines of the Washington Railway
& Electric Co., and that the subur-
ban system continued to be tied up
for several days longer.
Remember Storm.
Thousands of people residing in
Washington remember this heavy
snowfall, that brought with it SO
much death and desolation; but
fewer are able to recall when the
thermometer registered IS degrees
below zero, on February IL, 1899
and to make matters worse, snow
storm ensued which added 20.5
inches of snow to 147 inches al
ready on the ground, making in all
35.2 inches of snow. All of which
shows that, although this winter
so far has been quite severe, it could
have been much worse.
One of the queer ideas some of
our recent or transient residents get
into their minds is that Washington
is an unreasonable place to reside
In, but the statistics of the Weather
Bureau will not bear them out. Here
Is what the bureau had to say on
the subject in 1927:
"Washingtons climate is not par
ticularly conducive to record shat
tering. The city is not immune
of course, to the vagaries of whimsi-
cal Mother Nature, but its proximity
to the Gulf Stream and it's favorable
location in the temperate zone COM
bine to protect it from unkind ele-
ments.
Despite the grumbling of the
critics, the National Capital is fav-
ored singularly by the weather. -
It is city of means rather than
extremes of climates. Severely low
or markedly high temperatures are
rareties."
The bureau also is credited with
saying, in substance: 1.-THE Capital
of course, has it's SHOWS which cover
the public buildings, the slopes Of
Rock Greek and the other scenic
wonders with blanket of glistenine
ermine, but seldom is 1t visited by
snowstorms that could be termed
blizzards.
1T has its cold waves with
below-freezing temperatures, but
only rarely is it greeted by so-callec
zero weather.
"It has its hot days, when thu
machinery Of Government is forced
to slow up and cool off, but wher
the mercury does reach the 100
degree mark It is a news event
worthy of special consideration.
Spring, summer, autumn, winter
Washington offers the best thai
Nature can afford, with but little o1
her undesirable whims. The tenn.
perature conditions of each season
Of the year lend their aid in tn,
identification program of the city
Of powered avenues and sylvan
parks splashing Potomac Park with
the springtime pink of Japanese
cherry blossoms or splotching thu
wooded ravines of Rock Greek Parl
with the riotous colors of autumn.
Creation of Bureau.
The Weather Bureau, as We know
It today, was created by act Of Con
grssk approved February 9. 1S70