The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-05-22
Yesterdays RAIN.

The Heaviest Rain Fall ofthe Season
Heavy clouds gathered over Palatka
yesterday about noon, and the rolling
thunder and keen flashes of lightning
soon drove all our people in doors. Dur
ing the thunder storm an unoccupied
portion of the Carleton House was struck
by lightning, but no serious damage was
done. A hole about six inches broad
and some six feet long was knocked
through the ceiling of an upper hallway,
panel shattered in the back door, and
the plastering cracked in the rooms on
either side was about all the damage
done.
The lightning also struck the tower on
the Presbyterian church, knocking out
two or three of the rafters and shatter-
ing others, and badly frightened the
workmen who were at work beneath.
They lost no time in getting out of the
building after the stroke.
The rain came down in torrents and it
was but q short while before the streets
were flooded, and pedestrians who were
compelled to be on the street had to wade
through water from one to six inches in
depth or else walk around squares to
strike elevated walks.
Great gullies were washed in nearly
all the streets, and the large volume of
water that rushed down Front street cut
very large ditch across Adams street
and covered the j. T. & X. w. r. R.
track along there with sand and saw
dust. At the junction OF Adams and
Front streets a huge lake was formed,
making the street impossible and com
pletely surrounding the shops of Mar
wick & Gerke and r. Kurtze. When the
reporter passed by, our friend Kurtze
was taking things philosophically as he
was standing on an elevated platform,
with bare feet and pantaloons rolled up,
while the floor of his blacks NTH shop
was more than a foot under water.
Capt. r. j. Adams says that the light
ming made things pretty warm about
his house, though it struck nothing. His
cat was very much excited, and rushed
about the house uttering the most pitiful
''meows" in its fright. Nearly every
flat rooted house in town leaked during
the rain, but none of the merchants
goods were damaged.
In a conversation with a public spirit
ed citizen of Palatka yesterday he gave
us a good hint, which we impart to the
public, in regard to identifying oul
streets. The first thing to be done, b,
says, is TO establish a uniform system Of
grading, and then cover the streets witt
clay or shell, which can be done cheaply
Then comes the shade trees, and his idei
as to how they should be arranged will
strike every one as being the very thing
Put down plank, or make a brick OF
stone wall, say four feet from the edge
of the sidewalk, and fill it with dirt t.
the level of the walk in the center OF
this set the trees, and put down on al
the surface Bermuda grass, which al
ways hOurishes here and is constantly
green. There would be no chance fol
the grass to spread beyond the. limits Of
its bed, because the carriages and carts
would Eeepit out of the street. This
would give our streets a beautiful APP
pearance if the idea should be carried
out, and the expense to each property
owner would be but a trife.
But didn't it rain2 Lake Griffin, OF
Water street, fairly outdid itself. ant
Lake Falk, on Lemon street, crowded
over the sidewalk and made pedestrian
wish for rubber boots, while old LAX,
Griffin blocked out all persons who di,
not have vehicles or boats. There Is n,
city in the state that can show as beau