Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-25
Power Service
|Near|yNorTnaI
Again in Area

ington Metropolitan Area was
back to virtually normal today
as line crews made the last re-
pairs to storm battered lines.
But the crews. which have
been on the job since last
Wednesday night when a heavy
snow began to topple trees and
branches across power lines,
still have up to two weeks
work ahead of them. Tempo
rary repairs made to expedite
restoration of service must now
be made permanent.
Power companies in the Dis
trict. Virginia and Maryland
emphasized that residents with
out power today should call
their trouble desks. They said
isolated cases must be called
to repairmen'S attention before
they can be corrected.
Wind Could Cause Trouble
The power companies, mean
while, were hoping that no Sc
we're weather strikes the area
before permanent repairs are
completed. Wind. especially.
could wreck much of their tenn
porary work.
The weather forecast is for
intermittent rain tonight and
tomorrow. Temperatures will
remain in the 40s tonight and
tomorrow.
Small streams in the WASH
ington area may overflow their
banks If the rain is heavy
enough tonight and tomorrow
the Weather Bureau said. But
forecasters said the rain is not
expected in sufficient quantities
to cause serious flooding.
The Potomac River stood at
a little less than 9 feet on the
Letter gauge above Little Falls
today. Flood stage is IL feet
and considerably higher read
ings than that are necessary
before the river goes over its
banks in Washington.
The Weather Bureau said
flooding was more likely in
smaller tributaries such as Rock
Greek and Goose Greek because
of snow cover still lying on the
ground in their basins. Higher
temperatures than are in sight
would be needed TO cause rapid
melting, however.
Few Shortages Found
The Potomac Electric Power
Co. said it knew Of no Gus.
toners without service this
morning. 1t said a few addi-
tional power shortages came to
light last night but were re-
paired before today.
The Virginia Electric and
Power Co. said there were a
few scattered locations without
power today. 1t said they
should be back in service before
nightfall. One Of the last areas
to be restored was Great Falls,
Va.
TIL Baltimore Gas and Light
Co.. which serves part of sub
urban Maryland, also reported
isolated cases which should
be cleared up soon. Homes in
the Burtonsville section of
Montgomery County were still
without electricity last. night.
but feeder lines to the area
have been repaired and the
company said homes would be
given power soon.
Dry Ice Provided
Service was not complete in
the Laurel area, either. The
Baltimore power company has
provided dry ice for some
homes there to keep freezers
cold.
For many suburban and
rural homes. absence of power
has meant residents have been
denied water and heat as well.
With electric pumps dead, some
homes have been without water
for six days.
Two Prince Georges County
schools were reopened today
for the first time since the
storm. They are the Oxon Hill
High School and Phair Ele-
mentary School in Laurel. Two
others. however. are still closed.
They are the Tall Oaks anL
Mullikin Elementary Schools in
the Mitchellville area.
AS the utility companies con-
tinued to compute the cost OF
the storms damage. the Chesa-
peake 81 Potomac Telephone
Co. in Baltimore revised !
earlier estimate upwards to SIS