COLD WAVE CONTINUES

Chronicle (Levin), 19 February 1947, Page 5

COLD WAVE CONTINUES

Press Assn.

Death And Misery Spread Over Europe increas1ng loss of life

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Wed., 11.30 a.m. PARIS, Feb. 19. Mere snow fell in Western Europe today and torrential rain damaged grain and bean crops in Portugal. Weather forecasters reported no sign of an early break in the cold wave, which is spreading death and misery over the| Continent. I Berlin's temperature is 8.6 1 degrees. The Berlin press an-' nounced that no more coali would be distributed for heat-' ing purposes. Many factories,' restaurants and dance halls have closed because of the fuel shortage. | Thousands of old and sick people have been moved from1 their icy homes to temporary bunks in public warming halls.1 More people have died of exposure. | In London the Ministry of 'Fuel and Power- stated that Britain's power stations now have 11 days' supply of coal in stock. Railway authorities revealed that despite the continued blockage of some lines with snow, an accelerated movement of coal had been maintained. A spokesman said: "Nearly half a million tons of coal per working day are being cleared from collieries and accumulated as stock." Railway workers operating in severe frosts are finding the coal itself frozen into solid blocks in the wagons and that wagon brake blocks get stuck with ice. Some British factories are devising ingenious limprovisations. For instance, the Miles Aircraft Company at Reading is using a farm tractor with its exhaust going up the chimney, to generate electricity.