Evening star., 1953-03-30
Cherry Blossoms
To Last a While YET;
Viewed by 275,OOO

Inc TIDAL Basins cherry bios.
SONS. having displayed their full.
bloom glory to nearly 275.000
weekend visitors, will keep
enough beauty to remain one Of
the city's top attractions for at
least a few days.
But the blossoms. officials
said today. would need a lot
Of cooperation from the weather
to last until Easter.
Despite threatening skies and
a brisk, biting wind, more than
161 900 sightseers turned out yes
terday to admire and photograph
the pink-and-white single blos-
som Yoshino trees. That was
81 200 more than packed the
basin area Saturday.
Petals Fall In Wind.
The temperature hit a high
yesterday of only 81 degrees and
the 90 mile an hour wind
claimed showers of blossom
petals. Edward j. Kelly, National
Capital Parks superintendent.
said definite turn to warmer.
calmer weather will be needed
to preserve the basin spectacle
until next week end.
Except that there will be more
sunshine. today's weather will be
much the same as yesterdays. A
high temperature of 56 degrees
was forecast, with winds between
80 and 35 miles an hour. Tonight
will be fair with a low Of about
40 degrees and tomorrow will be
fair and a little warmer.
Board Of Trade officials said
they felt sure the early blossom
ing had changed plans of many
visitors who had intended to
arrive for the Cherry Blossom
Festival April 11-12. BY that
time. however, the double-blos-
som Kwanzan trees lining East
Potomac Park should be in full
bloom.
SO,428 Autos Counted.
According to Park Police Chief
Mark Raspberry's time-honored
count system, 121,752 persons
yesterday crawled around the
basin in 30.428 automobiles, and
another 10000 explored the blos-
SOM topped sea wall on foot.
Actually, the pedestrian traffic
appeared less than Saturdays
$4,000 turnout. But checks
showed the strollers, many with-
out topcoats, were concentrated
in blossom areas nearest the
Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials.
Now and then, couples or FAM
lily groups stopped to examine q
tree or use it as the backdrop for
a photograph. But for the most
part. signs warning motorists
there was to be mo stopping,
standing or parking" seemed to
apply to pedestrians as well.
Nearly everyone had a camera
and, including automobile pas
sengers. had a chance to use 1t.
Cars were moving around the
basin bumper to bumper at q
rate little slower than the pe-
destrainS. It was no trick at all
for a passenger to hop out Of q
car, get his picture. and catch up
with the car in time for the next
wait.
Cars Are Kept Moving.
Despite the creeping pace.
however, the cars kept moving
and the closest thing to a tie-up-
appeared to be lines of cars along
Ohio drive, next to the Potomac
River and a good distance from
the blossoms.
Inspector Raspberry explained
that routes circling the basin by
, pm. had hit the saturation
point. That meant every road
was packed solidly, but, with
Traffic direction furnished by his
65-man detail. could be kept
slowly.
The peak crowd the inspector
remembered around the basin
was about three years ago. when
$4,000 cars. in comparison with
yesterdays 10000. showed up be-
sween 8 am. and s pm. But
he only real difference. he said.
vas that the saturation point
;hree years ago was reached
earlier in the day.
Control center for the massive
raffic direction job was the Park
Policies radio-equipped trailer,
,arked just north Of the polo
grounds. From there. Inspector
Raspberry kept tabs on the auto
movement. received counts from
half-dozen points. and dis
members Of the force
. trouble spots.