Evening star., 1950-11-25

dIlQTld SllOTIly DeIOTe noon anu III
Fairfax County soon after.
But except for the rapidly fall
ing temperature and the gentle
rain. there was no indication here
of the furious storm enveloping
the eastern seaboard.
New York's wind, the Carolina
freezes and snow in Cleveland and
Pittsburgh were caused by the
outer fringe OF the storm hover
ing directly overhead here, ac-
cording to the forecaster here.
Washington is fortunate, he
said. because it is in the heart of
the storm. But as the dead CEN
ter" moves away and biting
cold will ride in with higher winds.
But the storm will have blunted
its teeth on cities on all points
of the compass away from Wash
ington.
Freak atmospheric conditions
which produced a smashing elec-
trical storm and driving tropical
rain last night diverted the cold
wave from the Capital.
The electrical storm brought
torrential rain which washed out
the Cabin John street car line.
The downpour that struck
Washington shortly before 10 pm.
would have been snow had it not
been for a freak low-pressure
area in North Carolina, the fore
caster explained.
When the rains came flood
waters poured ever low-lying
areas. The storm sewer on Canal
road was swamped and the flood
poured over the highway. Cabin
Jonn street car tracks were un-
dermined and mud on Canal road
this morning was four feet deep.
Cabin John Line Blocked.
The washout halted traffic on
Capital Transit Co.'S Cabin John
streetcar line and threatened to tie
it up for most of the day
The washout, called by company
officials the worst in the lines his
tory, occurred between stops and
9 below Georgetown Reservoir.
Tons Of earth were washed down
the steep hillside and into the 1900
block of Canal road, piling up as
high as feet and also closing the
road to traffic.
Most of the water which under
mined the double track line ap-
parently came from an uncom-
pleted, drain leading beneath the
tracks from the reservoir.
A gap of about 6 feet in the
concrete drain allowed water
from the reservoir basin to flow
out onto the surface above the
tracks. The rush of water ate
into the newly filled ditch sur
rounding the drain, washing
earth and timbers down the slope.
Special Buses Run.
Special buses were being run
by the transit company between
Cabin John and the terminal at
Thirty sixth and M streets NV.
Two streetcars Travelled over the
line before the washout halted
traffic around Z am. BY then the
steel rails, with their ties still at
tached, were suspended in air for
about Is feet and the earth on
either side showed signs of cav
ing in for several more feet. The
hole beneath the tracks was about
20 feet deep.
A new floor is being built on
the south side Of the reservoir,
which now is normally empty. The
heavy rain apparently collected
and coursed rapidly down the new
drain, which had been left open
at its top, workmen said.
Northwest Branch Overfiows.
The downpour last night sent
the Northwest branch of the
Anacostia River out of it's hanks
at Bladensburg. Md, and the
water covered Bladensburg road at
Peace Cross to a depth of 3 feet.
Traffic was disrupted by the
minor flood. The Peace Cross
area is often flooded after heavy
rains.
In addition, several streets were
flooded in other parts Of the city,
a few trees were blown down
without damage to property and
at least one plate glass window
was smashed.