Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-19
THE STORMS PATH
Damage in This City and tho Sur
rounding Country.
MANY TREES BLOWN DOWN
Excitement Among Passengers on
the River Boats.
ESCAPES IN THE COUNTRY

The sudden thunder storm and gale of
wind which struck the city about $50
o'clock yesterday afternoon did consider
able damage in the country surrounding
Washington. In the short time that the
storm continued an unusual quantity of
water fell, and in some places the rain was
accompanied by hail. The storm beat so
Violently on the glass roof of the Senate
that that body suspended the tariff debate
and took a recess for ten minutes. The
gale did considerable damage in Alexan-
dria, where several houses were unroofed
No serious damage to property was re-
ported in Washington. In the city more
than 200 trees were damaged. In some in
stances the trees were uprooted, while In
others they were broken or suffered the
loss of a limb or two. The streets in some
! sections were terribly diSfgured, principally
| In the northwest section although con sider-
able damage was done in South Washing
| ton.
Along the river front in the neighborhood
| OF the fish and oyster wharves pieces of
| timber from the wharves and lumber piles
| found their way to the river and gave some
OF the river men an opportunity this morn
Ing to gather plenty of driftwood. The police
made reports OF the broken trees, and this
morning wagons were sent out to gather
up the broken branches and get them out
OF the streets. In some parts Of the city
| several cellars were flooded, but little II
any, damage was done in this way
Fortunately the thunder storm did not do
the usual amount Of damage to the fire
alarm and police telephone wires The fire
alarm wires were not injured, while only a
lew telephones were cut off from use be
cause Of the storm. , -
There was one fire caused by the storm
This was about o'clock, when a flash of
lightning found its way to the residence
Of Mr.. Thomas Stewart 2010 18th street
Inc n n
or any timbers but from the roof the cur
rent followed the woodwork toward the
ground and set fire to one of the curtains
No. 9 Engine Company was called and ex-
tinguished the flames before much damage
was done.
Along the River.
Passengers on the river steamers Charles
Manchester and River Queen felt uneasy
during the storm. but the boats passed
through the gale without any trouble. The
River Queen seemed to be in the path of
the severest of the storm and sustained lit
tie damage Capt Beacham saw the storm
coming, but he hoped to reach a point far
enough north to escape it. But he did not
succeed in doing so. and when the gale
struck the boat Capt. Beacham was well
aware that II was the severest gale through
which he had ever taken boat. Along the
river front the storm covered a path be-
tween Alexandria and a point somewhere
below Marshall Hall and did considerable
damage. On the River Queen the hail stones
broke glass from the pilot house the same
as a shower of stones would affect the top
of greenhouse. Then, too, the awning was
carried away and the passengers had to
leave the deck and go in the saloon. The
glass of the Macalester's pilot house also
gave way under the pressure of the large
hail stones, but no other damage was sus-
| tanned The ferry boat Belle Haven had to
remain at the Alexandria wharf twenty
minutes over time because of the fury Of
the gale. ..
th1 ~, 40,
done by the storm, but owing to the alb
| sence of telegraphic communication reports
are slow coming in, 1t was learned that at
Marshall Hall benches and tables were
| tossed about the lawn beneath the apple
| trees and the Photographic instrument was
| sent some distance from where ii was sta
| toned. Several Of the large trees near the
mansion were unable to withstand the wind
| and were blown down, broken or uprooted.
! No information had been received from
River View this morning.
| The fish nets in the river suffered from
| the storm. and a number of boating parties
had to drop sail and seek shelter in the
| woods, and it Is reported that one boat was
blown away after its occupants had reached
| the shore in safety.
In Prince Georges County.
Prince Georges county seems to have suf-
fered worse than the District or any of the
| adjoining counties, and a number of farmers
have lost their entire crops. One farmer
/
| market this morning shedding tears because
| Of his loss. Yesterday his crop was worth
| several hundred dollars and today he has no
| crop. All he saved was what he had gath
| cred during the afternoon for today's mar
ket Near Upper Marlboro the stormpath
was left almost barren, and number of
| barns, fences and vehicles were damaged
On the farm of VIM. j. H. Traband the
| roof of the large barn was taken off and
| blown some distance away, landing IN an
open field. The man who lives on the farm,
! Mr. Harrison, was near the barn at the
| time and he was painfully injured by the
| flying timbers. In the vicinity of Marlboro
| the storm ragged for fully twenty-five min
| utes and 1t is reported that some live stock
on farms not far from the county seat were
| killed.
The property Of the Prince Georges Agri-
| cultural Fair Association was also badly
damaged. The roof of the grand stand was
| blown away and the seats were scattered
| over the field. The fences were also dam
| aged
| A Narrow Escape.
| Between Anacostia and Fort Foote the
| farmers feel the loss to the extent OF sever
al thousand dollars. and number OF per-
| sons narrowly escaped death. The most
miraculous escape was that of a DOZEN or
| more school children who sought shelter in
| the barn on the farm OF John OwneS, near
| the District line.
| They were on their way home from school
at the time, and. seeing the black clouds
and flashes of lightning, they hurried to the
barn and succeeded in getting in before the
rain came pouring down. But they did not
| remain in the barn many minutes, for the
| cracking of timbers warned them of their
| danger and, Notwithstanding the rain they
rushed out into the road. Hardly had the
last one left the building when the crash
| came. The roof was blown off and the
| loose timbers sent flying about like pieces
| of paper in q whirlwind
| The children escaped injury, although
they got a good drenching. A horse in the
| barn was killed and two vehicles demol-
| ished.
| A large willow tree more than sixty years
| old, in front OF the residence Of Mr. w. D.
Barber, was uprooted and number Of
| other trees on the place Jared the same
fate. His barn was also damaged. The
barn on the farm Of Mr.. Lintner was also
destroyed. In the neighborhood of Oxon
Hill considerable damage was also done. a
number of barns and vehicles being destroy
ed, as we'll as a few cattle.
Told by Indicators.
| During the storm yesterday the branch
weather bureau in the House wing of the
Capitol was center of interest to the Con-
! gressmen, who fiocked around the register
ing instruments watching the developments
of the storm as portrayed by the electrical