The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-07-05
Nearly Every House in Saeo Had
Windows Broken.
THE BIG MILLS AT BIDDEFORD
ALSO SUFFER.
Races of the York County wheslmsn
Have To Be Postponed ON Account Of
the Phenomenal Fall of Hail-Stones q
Half Inch in Diameter Rattle Down on
the Grand Stand.
Especial to the Press. !


SAco, July 4.-The York County
Wheelmen's Fourth of July race meet
at Saco Driving Park today was post
poned until Saturday afternoon after
two races had been run.
The tremendous hail storm broke in
Vulnerable windows in nSaco, as hardly
house in town escaped without, damage.
In one .house 80 panes of glass were
broken. Growing crops were also in
jured. A number of hail stones nearly
as big as small hens egg were picked
up. In many places the ground was COW
cred with the white pellets. The air
was very warm throughout the storm.
The crowd at the driving park did not
see as muchsracing as it had expected, it
witnessed, instead. wasthe biggest hail
storm that ever visited Saco. At $50
o'clock, just as the men in the second
race were beginning to start, rain began
to fall from threatening clouds that had
come up in the northwest. Before the
men were started hail the size Of cherries
back to their tents.
The hail came down faster and faster
and ratified against the grand stand roof
like bullets. The storm ended in twenty
minutes with drenching rain People
in the grandstand suffered not bit from
the storm and enjoyed a magnificent
sight which they will long remember.
Nearly all the hail was more than half
an inch in diameter.
1t was decided to 60 on with the races,
as the track, although flooded, had COM
menced to dry rapidly, but another
heavy shower following soon after settled
the matter and postponement was
ordered. A large number of Portland
wheelmen with ladies were in attendance.
The first race, the mile novice, open,
was won by S. S. Lent, Maiden, with W.
j. Chisholm, Maiden. I'd; Geo. NJ. Gil
len. Saco, Sd; Henry Rhodes, Saco, Ah,
and Justus B. Cobb, Saco, 9th. Rhodes
held strong lead until the third guar
ter, when the others passed him. The
finish was exciting. Time, 2.5Bl.
The 100 yards amateur dash was won
by E. A. Henderson Of Jamaita, n, Y,
in 10s seconds; Linwood Berry. the local
favorite, who had never beafsn before,
I'd; Bert Davis, Great Falls, 3D.; Willie
Davis, Biddeford, 4th. Berry got
poor start but made great RAGE and
was only beaten by a Short DISTANCE.
P. j. McDuffee and the othefxs Maiden
men who were entered will remafn until
Saturday, as will also SWEET Of Norway,
and Dyer of Lewiston.
Damage in Biddeford
Especial to, the Press.]
BIDDEFoRD, July ulyfs5.--Lightning en-
tered the central telephone Office here
during the hail storm and burned ont
the switch board, totally damaging it.
The Office was also seton fire ahd the
fire department was called out. 1t will
take the rest. of the week to get the tele-
phone lines into working order The
damage here has not been estimated but
was probably $1,000. Frank y. Tracy,
shoe dealer, Mrs. Berry, fancy goods and
N. w. Kendall. stationer, were all dam
aged by water, loss estimated probably
$500 or $500 each.
The hail stones caused large damage
by breaking glass. The windows In the
French Catholic church were badly dam
aged and it will take $1,000 to repair
them. Greenhouses and the Pepperell
and Laconia mills also suffered much
damage in this way. Windows in many
residents throughout the city were
broken.