Lyman told him to go ahead with a friend, Kirkland Duke, and promised to join the pair after finishing his schoolwork. Offer subject to change without notice. Maura is a freelance writer and consultant from Washington, DC. Some of the worst damage was in Washington, D.C., where the deluge of snow collapsed the roof at the famous Knickerbocker Theater. The blizzards hit on February 4-7 and 9-11 and lead to iced over roads as far away as New Mexico. On January 27 and 28, 1922, Washington, D.C., was hit with 28 inches of snow, the most the capital has ever received in one blizzard. The storm takes its name from the cave-in at the Knickerbocker Theater, which killed 98 people and injured 133. Eventually, the heavy, wet snow split the roof down the middle, bringing down the balcony as well as a portion of the brick wall. SO MUCH SNOW. As a result, the cyclone took three days to move up the East Coast of the United States, which was double the normal estimated time used by forecasters of that era for storm systems that move up the coast. Meanwhile, theSunday Starof Washington immediately published lists of known fatalities and injured persons on its front page, including descriptions such as unidentified man with sandy hair, V.L. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Not surprisingly, the Union Club is known for its conservative slant and its policies were the reasons for the founding of rival clubs, The Knickerbocker and the Metropolitan Club later. There were 19 deaths reported due to the blizzard, several of them from heart attacks while shoveling snow, according to the Washington Post. It killed at least 383 people, caused about $700 million of damage, and became a weather prediction case study. Over the past 150 years, the country has been pummeled with record-breaking blizzards. The horror of what transpired is captured in this excerpt from the Washington Post, originally published on January 29, 1928. The damage of last night's severe thunderstorm is evident when driving through the city as [] SAN ANGELO, Texas - The National Weather Service (NWS) recorded 85 mph winds in the storm . The Iran blizzard of February 1972 was the deadliest blizzard in history. By midnight, 200 police officers, soldiers and firefighters were on the scene; by 6:30 a.m., their numbers had ballooned to 600. Here in Richmond, VA, we picked up 19 inches of snow from this one event. It was a seemingly inconsequential homework assignment that saved Charles Lyman IIIs life on a frigid night in January 1922. What If She Never Existed? The weight of the snow collapsed the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre, killing 98 people. $77. Congressman Andrew Jackson Barchfeld was among those killed in the theater. This storm gets its name from the infamous tragedy that occurred post-snowfall. Today, the site, located at the bustling intersection of 18th Street and Columbia Road Northwest, is home to a plaza. on brass belt buckle, to aid those looking for loved ones. Chronicling America is freely available on the internet, and users may search the millions of digitized pages and consult a national newspaper directory to identify newspaper titles available in all types of formats. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. #GoBills | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ThwcANSfaT. NEH awards enable states to select and digitize newspapers that represent their historical, cultural, and geographic diversity, and to contribute essays containing background information about each newspaper and its historical context. More from This Artist Similar Designs. This blizzard gained notoriety for its heavy, wet snows, which collapsed the roof at one of the most popular venues in Washington, D.C. The storm was responsible for more than $500 million in damage, contributed to 60 deaths, and brought travel and commerce to a crawl for five days afterward. The storm is named for a Northwest Washington, D.C., theater, . Yes, and it's nasty. Disclaimer [1] Railroad lines between Philadelphia and Washington were covered by at least 36 in (91 cm) of snow, with drifts as high as 16 ft (4.9 m). Available for both RF and RM licensing. 2023 Atlas Obscura. What a tangled mass. The orchestra kept on playing until the unthinkable happened. history. Could you tell the difference between this plant-based egg and a Meet the sailing robots trying to solve climate change, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Over 15 ft. of snow fell on Mount Shasta, Calif., between Feb. 13 and 19, 1959. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. But over the years, its slowly been forgotten.. As the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coastal regions continue to dig out from the massive snowstorm of this past weekend, meteorologists have turned to the record books to see where this event ranks among historys most extreme winter outbursts. There was a crash that struck terror into the hearts a-thrill with merriment. The blizzard lasted from March 11 to March 14. Terms of Use During the movie's intermission, the heavy, wet snow split the roof down the middle, bringing down the balcony as well as a portion of the weakened brick wall. The Knickerbocker Storm, the Storm of the Century, Snowmageddon - it's the blizzards that earn titles that do the most damage. The collapsed roof of the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington, D.C. Snowdrifts piled against a South Dakota home following the Armistice Day Blizzard in 1940. The Knickerbocker Storm, the Storm of the Century, Snowmageddon it's the blizzards that earn titles that do the most damage. According to Kevin Ambrose, author of a 2013 book on the blizzard, the tragedy marked the citys deadliest single-day disaster. Rescuers were still working to sift through the rubble and the bodies in itmid-afternoon the next day. 7654 Knickerbocker Road San Angelo, TX 76904 325-944-9445 Comments? StormTracker8: Light snow expected Friday night for Central Virginia, cloudy most of the day, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day. All rights reserved. In total, the collapse killed 98 peopleincluding David and Kirklandand injured. The initial scene was chaotic, with survivors and volunteers on the street scrambling to pull people out of the rubble. Trudging through the snow about a half block away from the theater, Lyman heard a sudden boom followed by a chorus of terrified screams. As one reporter put it, it wasas suddenas turning off an electric light.. It was the most opulent and luxurious theater in D.C., and it was in a very high-end part of town, he says. Congress, the city and the courts conducted an investigation that concluded the theater had faulty construction. At the time, it was the largest snowfall ever recorded for one continuous storm in North America. Moments later, before it even occurred to anyone toevacuate, the roof caved in. Great God! he exclaimed. The theater's architect, Reginald Wyckliffe Geare, and owner, Harry M. Crandall, later killed themselves.[5]. All three major airports in the New York metropolitan area were closed, and New York City became a ghost town. During the bomb cyclone in March 2019, 25 states were affected. A small dust cloud started leaking from a crack in the ceiling above the stage but went unnoticed by most attendees. According to news reports, local residents provided hot food and coffee for rescuers and blankets and wraps for the injured. However, there are no satellite images or atmospheric observations of the event. Several persons passing on the street came running toward the theater when they heard the noise of the crash. TheHeraldalso described the ensuing chaos surrounding the building, with thousands of panicked onlookers and the summoning of infantry from Fort Myer in nearby Arlington, Virginia, to maintain control, with orders to shoot if necessary. More than 250 people died when the winter whopper, called a November gale, struck the Great Lakes on Nov. 7, 1913. Though the region has experienced severe snowstorms in the decades since (during the so-called Snowmageddon of February 2010, Dulles International Airport measured 32 inches of accumulation), the loss of life caused by the theater collapse makes the Knickerbocker Storm the worst in D.C.s history, according to Ambrose. The theaters architect, Reginald Wyckliffe Geare, and owner, Harry M. Crandall, later killed themselves. Dulles Airport reported 32.4 inches at the time, while Philadelphia recorded its second-heaviest snowfall at 28.5 inches. But none of the families of the Knickerbocker victims received compensation despite filing multiple lawsuits. Railroad lines between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. were covered by at least 36 in (91 cm) of snow, with drifts as high as 16 ft (4.9 m). The Strange Tale of SS Warrimoo, the Ship That Existed in Two Centuries at Once, Washington Post - Library of Congress/Public Domain, http://www.weather.gov/lwx/winter_storm-pr, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbocker_Theatre_(Washington,_D.C. and thousands of dollars of property damage. A bank operates on the site, and no plaque or memorial commemorates the lives lost there. "Snow or Rain Probably" Like Snowzilla, the Knickerbocker Storm of 1922 took aim at the Mid-Atlantic from the South moving slowly northeast along the coast where it clashed with very cold temperatures. The storm, which hit the middle and upper Atlantic states on January 27, 1922, caused a . The Buffalo region of New York is bracing for its first major winter snowstorm this season, expected to bring up to four feet of snow between now and Sunday. Evening star. Snow fell in regions as far south as Georgia and the Florida panhandle, and 55 people died in the storm. What is the deadliest blizzard in world history? It remains the largest inland maritime disaster, in terms of number of ships lost, in U.S. history. Over the course of three days more than two feet of snow fell over the region. Rescue workers remove a body from the Knickerbocker Theatre. Despite the slow start, a low formed and deepened rapidly off the Georgia coast as the cold front reached the Gulf Stream on January 27. New York, The after-effects of Snowzilla are still upon us, and stories of tragic outcomes continue to emerge. The photograph may be purchased as wall art, home decor, apparel, phone cases, greeting cards, and more. What was it? Similar Designs More from This Artist. [2][3] A total of 98 people died and 133 were injured. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Soon the smothered moans and shrieks of the injured could be heard coming from under the wreckage. | READ MORE. Washington, D.C., was hit especially hard by the storm, tallying 28 inches of snowfall, the all-time record. Over the past 150 years or so, the U.S. has seen a slew of major snowstorms that have resulted in hundreds of deaths, destruction and lessons learned about critical infrastructure including a theater collapse in Washington, D.C. Official and unofficial records vary, but here are some of the most impactful snowstorms in U.S. history. 1922: The Knickerbocker Storm. The theatre was showing the movie Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford. The Knickerbocker Storm, the Storm of the Century, Snowmageddon it's the blizzards that earn titles that do the most damage. Perhaps the most tragic Knickerbocker stories are those of its youngest victims, including Charles Lymans 17-year-old cousin, David. A total of 145 deaths were linked to the storm, including about 25 duck hunters who were not prepared for the cold weather forecasters had not predicted the severity of the coming storm. If I knew aught to say to soften the sorrow of hundreds who have suddenly bereaved, if I could say a word to cheer the maimed suffering, I would gladly do it. Winter Storm Jonas left up to three feet of snow in its wake when it struck the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in 2016. The storm takes its name from the cave-in at the Knickerbocker Theater, which killed 98 people and injured 133. $62. Wind Damage. Coincidently, the snow fell in Washington from Friday afternoon through much of Saturday. More from This Artist Similar Designs. John F. Kennedy Airport saw an average snowfall of 2 inches per hour at one point. [3] Among other disruptions, Congress adjourned as a result of the storm.[4]. Snow reached Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. by noon on January 28, and continued into the morning of January 29. However, WashingtonsEvening Starreported that the Weather Bureaus climatological records for those years had gone missing: When request was made of the observatory at the bureau for figures, officials were forced to reply that they couldnt find the book. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. - Topping the list, however, was the unforgettable March 12-15, 1993 so-called "Storm of the Century" that killed 300 Americans and cost the U.S. somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 to $10 billion in damage. From the Mississippi River to Cape Cod, two major storms doled out an even dose of winter misery . The front that spawned the cyclone was almost completely dry until after it crossed the Gulf of Mexico, making this storm unique among large southeast snowstorms. The Knickerbocker Storm Of 1922: 28 Inches, 98 Deaths . New York Knickerbockers Head Coach Eddie Donovan. Eerie ring of red light flashes like a massive UFO above Italy. Weather Briefing. Many nearby houses and stores were converted into temporary first-aid stations. There's a crumbling old mansion inside the Smithsonian National Zoo. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. The Knickerbocker storm . She is a former staff writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Associated Press and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. LEAVE A REVIEW HERE. Its estimated around 100 people died. A small historical marker installed across the street from the square in 2006 is the only visible commemoration of the Knickerbocker tragedy in Adams Morgan. Coming a week before spring, on March 12, 1993, the hit was hard to take.