Ice and Snow 1937
Burden of ice on roofs collapses two buildings
Springfield Daily News, January 25, 1937, page 8.
“Although the cold will continue for at least another day without appreciably melting the heavy coating of ice and snow that blanketed the Ozarks and caused two Springfield buildings to collapse yesterday, the danger of more snow or freezing rain is slight.
“But a ray of hope was held out with the prediction that the mercury would begin to climb Tuesday.
“Tons of ice and snow atop the Stacy Auto Salvage company building, 1500 College Street, caused it to cave in at noon yesterday, causing damage estimated at $2,000 by Albert Stacy, owner.
“Clarence Raines, an employee of the company, and Ernest Chittim, cab driver, who were in the building at the time, heard a joist cracking and jumped to safety as the roof crashed in.
“A building occupied by the Kohler and Crow implement company at 547 West Commercial collapsed at 7 o’clock last night, due to weight of the ice and snow on its roof.
“In the building were a sow and calf, two horses and a large quantity of farm machinery. The animals escaped injury but the machinery was badly damaged. The building formerly was used by the Campbell 66 Express Lines. It is owned by George Knox of 857 East Elm street.
“Many persons yesterday scraped snow and ice from their roofs for fear the weight would cause similar collapses. Especially was this true of those who owned flat roofed buildings.
“Highways were slick in all sections surrounding Springfield last night. The melting of the snow yesterday afternoon when the mercury rose to 34 degrees caused small streams of water to trickle down the cleared pavements.
“This had frozen into ice last night, making driving hazardous, the highway patrol reported.
“Trains and busses, however, were running on time. Greyhound bus drivers reported the worst stretch of highway they had encountered was between Springfield and St. Louis.
“Rain that started to fall yesterday morning, bringing fears of another heavy sleet and glaze, ended after .20 of an inch had fallen. Some of this froze on trees but practically all of this had melted off by last night. The rain caused a crust a quarter of an inch thick to form on all the snow.
“The rain was caused by a warm current of air above the cold air near the ground, Weatherman C. C. Williford said last night.
“‘The weather,’ he declared, ‘has gone crazy.’”
The photographs are from the January 24 Leader & Press. The photograph at the top is Boonville Avenue as it enters the square. It was taken from the Heer's building.
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