Evening star., 1950-11-29
Big industrial cenfers
Have Traffic Problem
In Storms Wake
By the Associoted Press

BY the Assoeiafed Press
Big industrial centers In the
storm-lashed Eastern States ap-
peared moving toward near-nor-
NAL operations today.
i But big cleanup job remained
in many areas. 1t looked like a
slow and tedious fight before re-
sumption of normal activities in
some of the hardest hit sections
Of the storm belt.
4 The death toll mounted to nearly
300 from the savage weekend
storms which whipped over areas
in % Eastern and Midwest States.
Damages continued to grow. I'm
counted thousands suffered priva-
tions. Many still were without
heat, electricity or telephones.
Traffic Is Problem.
While the industrial centers
made slow progress in digging out
OF the snow, several. notably Pitts
burgh and Cleveland, wrestled
with a vexfng traffic problem.
In Pittsburgh. police threw road
blocks on streets leading to the
downtown area. Department stores
opened for the first time today and
motorists tried to make a mass
invasion of the partially opened
thoroughfares.
High police officers told city
council at an emergency meeting
that tremendous traffic jams had
developed in many parts of the
city.
Mayor David L. Lawrence then
ordered all passenger cars except
those on emergency errands to be
turned back.
Traffic officers said that public
transportation-now only IS per
cent restored-is threatened by
the traffic jams which have left
stopped cars straddling trolley
tracks and bus routes.
Because of the traffic situation
public schools will remain closed
until Monday.
Cleveland Has Auto Trouble.
Thousands of private automo-
bileS Skittered along Cleveland's
snow-clogged streets in disregard
of radio and newspaper pleas by
Mayor Thomas A. Burke that they
be kept home.
The Mayor asked that only doc
tors and other persons on essen
tial business use their automobiles
today. Police, with additional
help recruited from the fire de-
partment. questioned drivers as to
why they were on the streets.
But the public. confused and
somewhat bitter. appeared in no
mood to depend on the overloaded
Cleveland transit system for get
ting to work this morning.
The Ohio State highway patrol
today allowed regular traffic to
and from Youngstown. Cleveland
and Columbus. but discouraged
unnecessary driving between
those major cities.
Until this morning only emer-
gency traffic was allowed through.
Some trucks, carrying food
stuffs and other vital cargoes, are
back on the Ohio highways. A
number of buses also are travel
ing. although they for the most
part are not on regular. schedules.
the patrol said.
New snow was general in West
Virginia yesterday. ranging up to
9 inches in mountainous sreas of
Pocahontas County. The 18th
death due to the blizzard was
recorded yesterday, that of a H.
year-old girl in . shedding acci-
dent.
Schools Still Closed.
Most schools still are closed.
The thrice-postponed reopening
of West Virginia University at
Morgantown is scheduled for to-
morrow but neither bus nor air.
plane service is available to stu
dents seeking to return from the
Thanksgiving holiday from the
southern part of the State.
| Most primary roads are open to
traffic but the secondary roads
generally are blocked by heavy
drifts.
At Altoona, one of the Pennsyl-
vania cities hardest hit by the
storm, most of the city of $4,000
still is without electricity.
The entire New England coast
was declared a disaster area. This
will enable the hard-hit fishing
industry to apply for Reconstruc-
ton Finance Corp. loans to repair
vessels and wharves and replace
gear and tackle.
Credit Is Eased.
The Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia eased credit restric-
tions for storm victims. It de-
clared the Third Federal Reserve
District. embracing Eastern PENN
sylvania, South New Jersey and
Delaware stricken area"
The East Coast States counted
95 dead from the violent wind and
rain storm. The toll included 36
in New York and "a in New Jersey.
Thousands of telephones still were
out in the two States.
In New York City inspectors
condemned SIS million worth of
food which had been spoiled
either by flood conditions or lack
OF refrigeration through electric
power cutoffS.
A freezing rain hit Central In
diana last night and more than
100 autos became stalled on High
way 81 between Albany and Red
-,