Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-02

SNOW; Other Sidelights. PoQe 81
or rain tonight with tempera-
lures dropping as low as "a de-
grees.
Yesterdays weather predic-
tions forecast snow for late today
but were changed at 10 pm. last
night simply to "snow Monday"
Two inches of snow had fallen
by l pm. and the Wealth
er Bureau forecast a total fall
of between three and four
inches.
1t closed schools in Prince
Georges, Fairfax and Arlington
Counties and Falls Church. In
Montgomery County, all schools
were open except Bethesda Ele-
mentary, which was closed be-.
cause Of lack of heat. Schools
also closed in st. Mary's and
Charles Counties. Md.
Races at Charles Town were
cancelled today because OF haz-
ardouS roads.
The American Automobile
Association. which had 400
trouble calls by 1880 am, and
536 queries about road condi-
tions elsewhere, was discourage
ing auto travel unless in emer-
gencies - and those journeys
should be undertaken only with
chains and extreme caution.
U. 8. Route / was ice-covered
In both directions.
The snowfall slowed commu-
ter buses as much as As minutes
during the morning rush and
late office workers were the rule.
Despite the knotted traffic,
Washington's unused skid chain
regulation stayed snugly on the
shelf.
Keneipp Defers Action.
The emergency measure, read
led for use In December, 1861,
provides a penalty for motorists
who. for lack of skid chains or
snow tires, stall and tie up
traffic on Sc specified streets.
It has never been invoked and
as morning rush-hour traffic at
tempted flsh-tailing up slippery
hills. Traffic Director George E.
Keneipp said at mid-morning
that 1t would not be invoked
unless conditions become
worse"
Many Of the streets specified
in the regulation were among
the worst spots this morning.
The Department Of Sanitation
charged with snow removal
and sanding-was ready with
equipment at midnight, when
the Weather Bureau reported the
snow was arriving prematurely.
All the departments available
snow equipment and that Of
Capital Transit moved out long
before the morning rush. Will
liam Xanten, department direc-
tor, said 1T would still take
four hours to cover the city, no
matter how much equipment we
have"
Hills in Rock Creek Park were
closed even before the rush hour
now began, but some were
opened later after being sanded.
The Massachusetts, avenue hill
to the northwest-named in the
snow rule-was checked with
stalled autos for a time.
Commuter roads. including
heavily-travelled highways No. /
through Alexandria to the south
and No, so to the west, also
clogged up as cars were unable
to pull up some Of the hills after
stopping for Highway SOS num-
erouS stop lights in Arlington
County
Traffic at one time was backed
UP from Seven Corners on High
way SO to Fairfax circle-almost
four miles.
Traffic Snarled Badly.
State police and county police
at Groveton reported traffic
badly snarled on Route /. One
State policeman said the high
way department was caught
hands down and sanding crews
were called for. BY 8 am, Alex
andria and Arlington had main
thoroughfares sanded and traf.
fic had started moving at slow
rate.
In Prince Georges county,
Landover road between Kent
Village and Cheverly, and the
River road between BladensburR
(See WEATHER. PAGE B-1l