Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 31, 1994 TAG: 9401310278
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS LaSONDE POTOMAC NEWS
DATELINE: FAIRFAX (AP) LENGTH: Medium
Ambrose capitalized on his lifelong fascination of things meteorologic, turning spare-time research into "Blizzards and Snowstorms of Washington, D.C.," a 115-page hardcover book packed with photos, weather data and plenty of tidbits chronicling the battle of man against snow.
For material, Ambrose chose 12 disasters totaling 208 inches of snowfall and dating from 1888's "White Hurricane" to 1993's "East Coast Bomb."
"I picked the ones with largest impact, the deepest snowfall and the strongest winds," he said. "Last year's `Blizzard of the Century' wasn't as big as a lot of the others, but it's one that everyone remembers and can identify with."
Ambrose, 29, a computer software engineer for TRW in Fairfax, enjoyed discovering the trial-and-error method used by weather forecasters before the advent of satellites and sophisticated electronic equipment.
"Being a computer buff, I find it interesting that these days everything is done by computer," he said. "In 1899, weather predictions were sent by telegraph based on surface observation and wind direction."
As that year's storm raged over Washington, telegraph operators relayed word of the blizzard to New York City, which mobilized an army of shovelers to keep the streets passable. When the storm blew out over the Atlantic Ocean, members of the snow removal crew were left leaning on their shovels.
Accumulating enough material for the book turned out to be a simple matter of descending on the shelves of the Martin Luther King Library in Washington, D.C., and shoveling through mounds of old newspaper accounts.
In preparing material for the book, Ambrose was aided by the photographic morgues of The Washington Star newspaper, released into the public domain when the Star stopped publishing in 1981.
"It would be nice to go into photographic libraries and just look under `snow,' but it doesn't work that way," Ambrose said.
Each chapter in the book covers one storm, mixing newspaper photos and eyewitness accounts with brief summaries. For each storm, Ambrose focuses on specific aspects of the event.
"In 1932 the country was in the middle of the Depression," Ambrose said. "No one had a job and everyone wanted to shovel. More than 5,000 people got out and had the streets crystal clear."
While some of the chapters have positive aspects, most of the stories, like 1922's "Knickerbocker Storm," recount the downside of the great blizzards of the past.
On Jan. 28, 1922, more than 2 feet of heavy, wet snow blanketed the District. The weight of the snowfall proved too much for the flat roof of the Knickerbocker Theater, which collapsed during intermission killing 98 moviegoers and injuring 133.
Ambrose said the difference between the storms of yesteryear and those of more recent times is the paralyzing effect heavy snows have come to have on a commuter-oriented society.
"In 1888, everyone went to work regardless of how much snow was on the ground," he said. "During the Knickerbocker Storm, the biggest effect was that mail service was cut from three times a day to two."
Ambrose conducted his research over a four-month period beginning in June. Helped by his wife, Elisa, he worked evenings and weekends.
"Until I started reading it, I didn't know what it was all about," Elisa Ambrose said. "My favorite was the 1979 storm because of the day off - Washington's Birthday - and the big snowball fights. It just seemed like it was the happiest."
Ambrose published the book through his company, Historical Enterprises in Merrifield. The book arrived in stores before Christmas.
"People who are genuinely interested in weather will like the old storms dating back before they can remember," he said. "When it comes to big storms, their favorites will be the recent ones because it impacted them so much."
Ambrose is already forecasting a second project, perhaps a history of storms in New York City or Boston.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB