Evening star., 1941-01-16
Mist, Rain, 5|eet, Ice
Send Washington
Skidding 10 Work
Maryland Boy Is First
Shedding Victim; Troffic
Mishops Numerous

Residents of Washington and sur
rounding areas slipped and slid to
work this morning over ice-glazed
streets and highways that snarled
traffic in scores of places, sent
many cars careening into bitches
and caused others to smash to a
standstill at curbs. Meanwhile, the
first death this year from a shedding
accident was reported from nearby
Maryland.
The heavy ice sheeting, that
turned trees and grass into, a fairy
land of crystal, came from a slow
mist and rain that began last night
about 7:3o o'clock and by noon to-
day had put Sc Of an inch OF mois-
ture on the city.
At no time during the night did
the temperature 60 below the n
degrees reached at 10 pm, but II
kept sufficiently below the freezing
point to turn the mist and rain into
ice. In addition there was light
sleet from about IL midnight To
about LAS am. today.
Sand Crews Busy.
The slippery streets kept more
than $50 men of the City Refuse
Department and Capital Transit Co.
busy sanding all night, working
with nearly so trucks. An unusual
problem hampered the task. how
ever, with more rain freezing
shortly after the sand had been
laid.
Temperatures today were around
the freezing point. At am. the
mercury stood at 81, at 8 am. at 81
and then went to 33, where it stood
at noon.
The Weather Bureaus 10 am.
forecast was for rain with tempera-
ture near freezing" this afternoon
and tonight. A slowly rising mer-
curry was predicted for tomorrow.
Air transportation was at stand
still here and in many parts of the
East.
The American Automobile Asso-
citation reported highway travel
hazardous as far north as New York,
south as far as Richmond, Va, and
west to Ohio. The association an
swered hundreds of trouble calls.
Cars travelling at a snail's pace
kept injuries about normal, with
only one person reported seriously
hurt and about IS others receiving
minor injuries in Washington dur
ing the 24-hour period ended at
7 am.
Harold E. Stewart, 8, colored, was
fatally injured while shedding near
his nome at Emory Grove yesterday.
His sled ran out into the Gathers
burg road and was
struck by a car operated, according
to Montgomery County police. by
James M. Gartner, %, of Gathers
burg.
The boy was taken 10 Montgomery
County General Hospital at Sandy
Spring, where he died shortly after
arrival of a fractured skull. DR.. C.
E. Hawks said he would issue a
death certificate today, but had not
completed his investigation. Police
did not place any charge against Mr..
Gartner.
The seriously injured Washing
tonian was James Culver, %, of 11s
Fourth street Sc, who was taken
to Emergency Hospital with head
injuries after crash of an automo-
bile in which he was riding on High
way Bridge early today.
Drivers Find Going Tough.
Many motorists elected to keep
their cars at home rather than risk
the slippery streets. Others, some
Of whom ventured out without
chains, found the going tough on the
steep hills and in the outlying sec
tions where heavy sanding had not
been completed.
Scores of automobiles were ditched
in the nearby area early today but
no injuries were reported. In Vir-
ginia the State Highway Depart
ment sanded most of the main high
ways leading into Washington but
lateral roads we're slippery and sew
eral cars were reported of the road
in various spots.
The county and State highway
forces in Montgomery County
- -. E-I =.
sand curves and hills. On Central
avenue, Crystal Spring avenue and
the Marlboro pike in Prince Georges
County more than a dozen trucks
and passenger cars skidded off the
road, but no injuries were sustained,
according to police reports.
Child Hit BY Auto.
Among victims of traffic accidents
opd follc ~, elippar1, etraetc uore.