Evening star., 1940-02-14
Gales and Snow
Sweep Eastern
Part Of Country
Pittsburgh Fall Sets
38-Yeor Record;
47-MiIe Wind Here
BULLETIN.

Hundreds OF Government EN-.
ployes were expected to leave
their desks early on account Of
the storm. The Treasury an.
nounced that those living at some
distance would be excused at $3.50
or 3:45 where transportation
conditions made this course ad-
visable, and customarily all other
agencies follow the Treasury's
lead under such circumstances.
BY the Associated Press.
A st. Valentines day storm,
whipped by gale-like winds, tight
ened winters grip on most of the
East today as rain, sleet and snow
brought reports of worst condi-
tions of the year" from many COM
munities.
In New York City. scores of per-
sons were injured in falls on ice
coated streets, with walking made
more precarious by high winds that
all but blew pedestrians of their
feet and sent hats skirling.
Accident calls became so numer.
Gus that four major hospitals adopt
ed emergency rules to send am
balances on only the most serious
cases
Storm warnings were hoisted from
Delaware Breakwater to Boston,
and the Weather Bureau reported
gale winds of the coast.
| 15-inch Snow in Pittsburgh.
Snow fell from Southern New
England to Washington, while Pitts
burgh reported the heaviest snow
fall in 38 years, Is inches deep in
the downtown area. Highway and
air traffic was crippled throughout
Western Pennsylvania and num-
dreds of automobiles were marooned.
Philadelphia experienced rain, sleet
and stiff winds.
In the Northern Panhandle of
West Virginia, % inches of snow
fell.
Cleveland reported the heaviest
snow OF the winter in Southern Ohio
generally. 10 inches deep, with hun
dreds of automobiles abandoned on
the icy hills of Cincinnati and the
temperature at 18 degrees.
In Eastern Ohio, 5000 miners
were kept from work by drifts 20
feet high in some places, and sew
eral communities closed schools due
to the intensity of the storm.
Western Maryland reported falls
ranging from to inches, still
falling"
| 31-NIile Wind In Boston.
| In New England snow of 3 to S
inches was recorded. A 31-mile
wind harried shipping in Boston
Harbor.
Upstate New York had an over
night snowfall as deep as. IL inches,
leaving highways hazardous and
forcing motorists to abandon their
cars. Strong Northeast winds ac-
companied the storm. Two feet Of
snow covered the highways in Al.
legheny County.
In the Pittsburgh area industrial
operations were slowed up at mills
and mines. All elementary schools
in Pittsburgh suspended classes, re-
leasing 10000 pupils. Thousands
Va PC1 oOAlo WCAC ldtC 1Ol WOlA.
At Erie, where only five inches Of
snow fell, a 45-mile- -an-hour wind
whipped up drifts four feet deep.
Traffic was paralyzed in that area.
The Pittsburgh Automobile Club
warned motorists not to attempt to
leave the metropolitan area.
/. Train Kills Pedestrian.
In Pittsburgh, telephone lines
were jammed with calls for help to
taxicab companies and railway Of
fees. AS many as 10 persons
crowded into each cab to reach the
downtown section.
A Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Rail-
road train killed an unidentified
pedestrian, who apparently mad been
blinded by the snow. The man wore
six pairs of socks and several
sweaters.
Power lines were down at many
points in the Altoona Johnstown
district, where as much as 18 inches
| of e,,ov, fall