Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-03-20
100000. Without Power
As Lines Snap Under Snow
Extra Crews
Rush Repairs
In D. c. Area


Power lines continued to snap
under the weight of heavy snow
today. bringing to 100000 the
number Of persons in the
Washington area without cleo
tricity ip the worst such failure
in is years.
: An estimated $4,000 persons
are without electrical service in
the Northern Virginia area
served by the Virginia Electric
Power Co. The remainder of
those affected were in the Dis
trict and in Maryland suburban
areas.
C. s. Belts, VEPCO district
manager, said service would be
restored to most families today
but in some cases electrical
power would not be available
until Saturday
I'VE are continuing to have
additional trouble" he said.
Dozens Of main feeders are
down from the snow and fall
ing limbs"
$4,000 Homes Hit
The Potomac Electric Power
Co. said as many as $4,000
homes - affecting $4,000 to
$4,000 persons-were without
electricity and that the num-
Der probably would increase
because poles were beginning
to topple in the Silver Spring
and Cheverly areas and on
Branch avenue in Camp
Spring. Md.
Power has been restored to
some areas, however. The COM
pany said service was restored
to hundreds Of homes in Mary
land and the District.
PEPCO said 500 lines were
down and that they had 400
men out in repair crews. Over
100 private electrical contrac-
tors were called in to help re-
store service.
Extra Help Recruited.
Meanwhile, the utility COM
'pany said SO linemen from
Richmond. Va: Mount Airy,
N. c.. and Harrisonburg. Va,
will arrive here tomorrow to
replace lines snapped by the
snow.
Persons living beyond the
suburbs we're hard hit. Hun
dreds Of families depending on
electrically powered pumps
were without water.
At least three area radio
and television stations were
of the air because Of power
failures. Affected were WMAL-
TV. WEAM AND WGMS.
This is the worst it has
been since a similar snow on
a Palm Sunday in the early
1940s," said a Pepco official.
Southeast Hit Hard
A PEPCO official said South
east Washington was the hard
est hit area in the city and
Prince Georges County police
said almost half of the county
was without electric power, in
Guiding The communities Of
Riverdale. Carrollton. Lanham,
Woodlawn and Adelphi.
Virtually no section Of the
Washington area escaped. Lines
were down in Northwest Wash
ington, too. A policeman was
detailed to direct traffic around
a large power line dangling into
the intersection at Butternut
street and Piney Branch road
NV.
Nearby Virginia. served by
the Virginia Electric Power Co.,
appeared to be hardest hit in
the suburbs. Fairfax County
police reported that entire COM
munities = Springfield, Holm
Hall, Mount Vernon Park and
others-were powerless.
Hospital Is Spared
Arlington police said current
was out in about three-fourths
Of the county. Arlington Hos
pital was spared. although it
has an auxiliary power system.
Much of Falls Church, in
GLIDING the business section,
was without power since about |
10:45 last night.
Leesburg police said the en-
tire community had been with
out power since 4:18 am. to-
day.
Montgomery County police
reported electric service out in
See POWER, Page A-25