"Acts of God," including struck railroads and icy roads, will be legitimate excuses for late registration, Registrar Sargent Kennedy said yesterday.

Meanwhile, students who had gone come after their last exams were trying desperately to make the 5 p.m. deadline. Like thousands of other travelers, they crowded around information booths of the tied up railroads, only to learn that "there are no Boston trains."

Some immediately tried the airports, where an even more concentrated crush awaited. With all lines into Boston flying extra planes to accommodate the overflow, many succeeded in reaching Cambridge, after waiting hours for "standby" space.

Others went to jammed bus terminals, where transportation was available, though facilities were choked and some reads icy.

Saturday night's storm, and the subsequent low temperatures made road travel of any kind difficult, especially after dark, but a large number of vacationing students crept back to College in automobiles.

Of course, those who stayed in Cambridge had no worries. The six-inch snowfall left streets and pathways slippery but still passable. Anyhow, the fact that registration won't start until 1 p.m. gives everybody four hours more grace than last year.

Students failing to register by 5 p.m. for any other reason other than an Act of God are subject to possible disciplinary action, fines, or even denial of registration privileges, Kennedy said.