Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-22


though! A threatening cloud blackened the west
ern sky, between two and three O'Clock Yesterday
afternoon, portending the usual daily instalment
OF rain, - and nothing more" This we had, ac-
cOmpanied by fearfully vivid lightning and
heavy thunder. Then occurred pause and then
came fearful, unfamiliar, crashing sound, and
fall OF hail. or rather large cakes and fakes Of Ice
which smote mercilessly the tender vegetation
and carpeted the ground, almost instantaneously
with thick covering of crushed plants, and green
Leaves stripped from the trees. The loaded
boughs OF fruit trees were in many instances en-.
tirely denuded fields Of grain were laid pros
trate, as by the mowers scythe; green houses
public and private, were naturally stricken down
with a crash; and the rare plants in many instan-
Of buildings unprotected by shutters or blinds
werseompletely riddled even the heavy glass
some three,elghths OF an inch thick-in the roof
Of the new Halls Of Congress was broken by the
terrible blows inflicted by those falling masses of
ice. Houses Were unIoofed fire bells raug: cat.
lie plunged from point to point, believing in
plteous iIlght trees were torn up by the roots or
their limbs broken of like pipe-Stems; shutters
were twisted from houses the streets were del
uged with water, which moved with sluggish
currents, its drainage being impeded by the adj
mixture OF frozen sleet, which did not melt i'm
mediately, owing to the sudden and uncomforta-
BILE lowering Of the temperature in consequence
OF the falling hail. The red lightning, like an
attendant demon upon the storm king, played a
feaIfully active part. Everywhere was presented
something startling-something out Of the course
OF nature.
INCIDENTS OF THE STORM
The Smithsonian Institution lost 2 600 panes of
glass; Hughes. gardner, lost 500 panes and had
his garden flowers and rare plants ruined The
beautiful field Of oats in the public square west
OF the Smithsonian Institution is cut down as il
with scythe. Apparently not more than one
star. OUT o. nity rs leit standing, where was the
most vigorous field of grain we have seen this
season. IL Is cut of almost horizontally about one
foot from the root. In nearly all the private gar
dens, the grape vines, peach trees, strawberry
vines, and vegetables are entirely ruined
The Government Green House at the foot of the
Capitol IS a complete wreck; the United States
Hotel has lost 4OO panes Of glass and sustained a
damage OF some $500; the new Government Ar
Inory hes lost every pane Of glass its north
westerly font; the sky lights at the Capitol "a
specimen OF which is now before u.s. ,, Of an
inch thick, were cracked and broken; the roof Of
Pat Fleming's stable was so broken in as to ex-
pose the horses to the pitiless fall of hail and
fearfhl tnro'fiHs ensued among the horses the
American house MRS. BeveFidge's) was siruck
twice oy lightning, by which the top OF chim-
ney was demolished. the plastering torn off the
ceiling OF the private entrance, and the carpet
ripped up in one OF the pdrlors. A large tree at
the corner of FOur-and a-half street and the
avenue was torn up by the roots; a tree at the
residence OF Col. SeatOn was struck by lis htning
and the PaveInents along Pennsy lvania avenue
Ieayes Of trees
The lightning rod at the Rev. Mr. Teasdale's
church undoubtedly saved that edifice from de-
structiOn, as a hail of fire was seen to pass down
IL, causing q vivid light.
Rev. Mr.. Carothers's church, corner Of Fifth
Streets lOSl some Ddnes OF glass. the tin
roof Of the church was also badly bruised The
Rev Mr. CaTothers himself while in the neigh
borhood Of the church was much stunned by
the electric MUD as to be rendered unconscious
for time.
Grace Church, Island, (Rev Mr. Holmead's, )
also suffered severely from the hail.
The Presidents greenhouse, hitherto so at
iractive an object, under the careful superintend
ence Of Mr. Watt, was demolished
Mr.. Corco!an's green house. under the care of
another admirable hOrticulturalSt, Mr. Spence
shattered uRHyo II
down as certain that the green honSes along the
line Of The storm must have been the first and most
devoted victims 10 the storm.
The skylights and windows of Browns, Hotel
suffered not little, also did another exposed
building, the Catholic Orphan Asylum, on F
A house on G street, near Ninth. was struck by
the lightning.
The driver OF one of whaley's omnibuses got
terribly cut in the face by the hailstones in con
sequence OF his hat blowing off while he was
restraining his plunging horses. The gaslights
Were not lit last night in consequence of the gen.
eral destruction 10 street lamps by the storm. Ii
i estimated that the cost to the Government and
Corporation Of repairing breakages upon the
street lamps will not be- less than 5000 The
Odeon Building got some hard knocks, as was to
b% expected from its prominent position The
BuTnet House lost CD panes Of glass Mrs. Kings
street, 30; Trinity church some 500 or 500
worth OF stained glass. Capt. Birch lost I2O
psars Of glass from bis residence near the steam
boat WHAT. Much injury was done to the fine
plate glass of Mr.. George PaIkeT'S residence
One Of the boss mechanics OF the Navy Yard,
who started out yesterday morning with a spck-
span new hat, got caught between the city and
Navy GaTd on his return, and that hat was ex-
posed to the full fury OF the storm in such sort
thai II was reduced to a shapeless mass of pulp
In about Thirty seconds. The flooring (wOoden)
Of the bridge at Tenth street leading to the
Smithsonian grounds, presents acuriOusly spotted
aPpea ance, not unlike good - coming Out'' Of
the measles.
We mourn the demolition of our cabbages that
stood but yesterday in stately rows; now, alas,
they look like the last rotUS Of summer, Our
windows caught Il, too; and the writer thoug LIT
he did very smart and prudent thing in rising
al a. m this morning, to secure the services Of a
ylaZieT in advance of his gIasSless neighbors :;
but he found the glaZier already engaged for two
weeks ahead This glaxieT says that on Saturday
b. was engaged to replace two or three liyhts at
Island hail, but that On yesterday the amount Of
the job was increased TO one hundred and forty
llgh in that single building. In another case
d very sick family is left eX posed with some ifty
or sixty lights broken, IL half the houses in the
city average ten Panes Of loss each, we may set
down the breakage 1t not less fifty thousand
lights but in our opinion the average will be
much higher
Some Of the hailstones measured six inches in
circumference; and il was not difficult to make
up pound weight from ten Of them.
The storm, luckily, did not "cut very wide
swathe" in its course, and was not felt az
near the CITY the - halfway tree between
this place and Alexandria.
The last storm Of this description is said to
have occurred on the 18th OF May (also on sun
t2yD le34.
RIVER ITENs.-On Saturday the Long Bridge
was the scene OF much business activity. AT the
Washington draw, thirteen long boats and two
SchoOners passed up to the mouth Of the Canal,
al laden with wood, sand, and lumber for our
canal merchants.
This morning. the schr. Statesman arrived at
the mouth Of the canal from Salisbury, Nd. with
lumber for - Walker.
At Riiey's wharf, arrived schr. Jas. Nj. Stuart
fOm Havre- deGrace, with - tons Of slate roofing
Tor Mathew Waite.
At Magnder Stones wharf, Saturday
evening. arrived Schr. Mott Bedel, from New
fo'k. with the following list OF cOnsignnents for
the city and Georgetown: waShing ton-HoweIl
MoGsell, kegs and cases paint. bblS var
niSh; Geo. and ThOs- Parker Co, bale hops
Jackson. BIO x Co. IS boxes candles 50 bbls
a!ewiVeS: Campb-ll COyle, box mdze, box
hardware, lGi buEdlrs iron, 5 cases steel; WIN
yam, , pkgs nuts; L. :. Senate, IL bdls paper ;
Murray SenIines, - bbls whisky, - boxes cOf
Zee; ~ bbls liquor; - Stuart. % tons stone v
ACksr, 3 tons stone J. Il. Wilson. 25 Iockets