Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-24
Power Still Out
In3,OOO Homes

WSTVVVtIVlIIVJ
Linemen continued emer-
gency' repairs today to restore
electricity to some 5000 be-
leagured home still without
power as the area was warned
rains tonight and tomorrow
may bring floods.
1t is feared that any new
precipitation added to the All
inches already recorded this
month will take already swollen
streams out Of their banks,
Normal precipitation for March
Is 1903 inches.
Potomac Rising Steadily
The Weather Bureau said
gauges on the Potomac River
near Chain Bridge read 91a
feet today, 21a feet from flood
stage. Normal is about S feet.
The Potomac has been rising
steadily as the melting snow
runs of into the river. The
Weather Bureau said there is
no danger Of the Potomac
flooding unless the area has
heavy rains.
The Weather Bureau said
half an inch Of rain over an
10 to 24-hour period would
bring Rock Creek and the Ana
costa River Ito bankfull or
floodstage." 1t was estimated
that about an inch of rain
would flood the Monocacy River
and that one and a half inches
Of rain would spill the Potomac
out Of its banks.
After reaching the upper 40s
today the temperature is ex-
pected to drop to a low of
about 40 tonight. The high
yesterday was So. The FORE
cast calls for cooler tempera-
lures and rain Tuesday and
Wednesday and fair weather
the remainder of the week.
Line Crews Rush Repairs
Line crews, m e a n W h lie,
rushed repairs in an effort to
take advantage of the good
weather today.
The Potomac Electric Power
Co. estimated about 1000 of
its customers still are without
PEPCO said all service,
except in isolated cases. would
be restored by nightfall.
Areas with the most numer-
Gus complaints in Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties
are Colesyille, Clinton and Camp
Springs.
Four schools in Prime G
Georges county will be closed
today because Of lack of power,
They are Oxon Hill High
School, Tall Oaks, Mullikan
and o. w. Phair elementary
schools.
The Sandy Spring and Fair
land Elementary Schools in
Montgomery County remained
closed today due to a lack of
power. Oficials were not GER
tain when the schools would
be opened.
VEPCO Winding Up Job
In nearby Virginia, the Vir-
ginia Electric Power Co. said
service had been restored to
all but about $500 of its Gus
toners. VEPCO said it expected
to have practically all service
restored by tonight.
The Baltimore Gas & Electric
Co., which serves part Of Prince
Georges and Montgomery Coun-
ties said it had about 10000
customers without electricity
over its entire system but was
unable to estimate the number
in the Washington area.
However. reports from GUS
toners Of the utility indicated
the areas still affected by the
power blackout we're Burtons-
vile. Sunshine. Ednor, Brigh-
ton, Brookeville and Ardmore
The company said it expected
to restore service almost every
where by tonight.
Telephone service in the area
was reported back to normal
in Washington and the SUBJ
urbs with service in outlying
areas still out to only "25 Oh
so" homes.
Bring Soap TO School
Although most of the area
had recovered from the long
power blackout. there were
those families still inconven.
fenced by lack of electricity
Some mothers in Fairfax Coun-
ty today sent their BATTLES;
children to school with soar
and towels-for the first good
washing they've had since cur
rent was cut of early Thursday
Some sections of Maryland
still suffered under the break
down of power and communi-
cation lines. All of Kent
County on the Eastern Shore
was reported still without elec-
tricity. Second Army helicop-
tiers have been spotting downed
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