Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-11

anu CoIdttloI u water a. Q
floor. but big force of hands was put to
work. and there was no annoyance to
guests.
The floors of Snyder & Woods tailoring
establishment, iii Pennsylvania avenue
northwest, were flooded by the storm, but
it is not known how much damage was
DONE
The wires on the NJ street conduit east of
24th street were burned out, causing clog
trio lights to be extinguished all along the
circuit The electric lights aiorg 1tth
street were also extinguished. Severa!
wires burned out on the cars and at
the sheds of the Washington and Great
Falls railway, but were promptly repaired.
The sewer at 14tf and F streets north
west burst and caused considerable dam
age to the sidewalk and flooded the streets
for some distance about.
In the neighborhood of Providence Hos
pital q rumber of trees were uprooted. A
large poplar tree On the grounds of the old
Hollingsworth mansion, Georgetown was
struck by lightning and shattered. tree
was also struck On the premises of ]. w.
Claggett, 1924 Q street shocking Mr.. Clsg-
gett, who was seated by the window read
ing.
Georgetown Store Damaged.
The tobacco store of Charles Mueller No.
3o29 NJ street, Georgetown was damaged,
the stock being injured to the extent of be-
tween $500 and $1,000. There was no in
surance. There was considerable other
damage in Georgetown.
The patrol telephone system used by the
policemen on their beats in reporting to
the station disabled in the fourth,
fifth and ninth precincts last night. The
damage done by the storm could not be
learned because of the lack of means Of
communicating with the patrolmen on their
beats
Fatal to SpnrrOws.
On Jefferson street, which is lined on
either SIDE by tall Poplar trees, scores of
English sparrows which roost there nightly
| were drowned, and were picked up beneath
the trees by pedestrians. They were col
lected by men and boys in baskets. to make
potpies, while all the cats in the neighbcr-
hood turned out to have feast.
In the parks, where the thick foliage
trees afforded roosting places for the
srarrows. the sward and walks
strewn with the dead bodies of the birds.
The force of the storm had evidently
knocked them from their perches to the
ground. where the heavy fall of water
drowned them Sixty-two dead sparrows
were counted in space of about as many
square yards in the mall near the corner
of 9th and b streets southwest. The
| Waterman reported that the birds were
dead in all portions of the square covered
by him wherever trees of thick foliage
grew.
But there are plenty of EN- left alive
yet" he remarked.
Along Pennsylvania avenue from the Cap
itol to the treasury many of the smaller
trees were broken off, but elsewhere, in
the parks, there was but slight damage to
foliage.
After the storm had ceased last night
there was noticed blaze in the eastern
sky, and No. 10 f1remen were prepared to
| start out to investigate it, but concluded 1t
was outside of the District.
On BrightwOOd Railway.
The lightning struck the wires of the
Brightwood electric railway and burnt out
the motors of five cars. Campbell. the
little son Of Mr.. Charles P. Williams, the
manager of the company, had a narrow
escape from serious injury. He was stand
ing at the desk in the Office of the COM
pany when the lightning entered and broke
the wire of an electric chandelier caus
ing the latter to fall. The heavy article
barely grazed the boys shoulder in its
descent.
The Brightwood road was tied up for two
hours by the heavy wash of sand and dirt
from Petworth over the tracks. and re-
qured many employees to work hard for a
long time to clear the debris away. Mr..
Williams said this morning that the same
trouble arises every time a storm occurs,
and While the authorities have been notified
of the matter time and again. he added.
they have taken no measures to prevent the
washing of soil over the road at this point.
which is repeated every time rain storm
occurs.
The Glen Echo road had washout at the
bridge just above the Conduit road, which
delayed traffic for some time.
Lightning struck the barn of the
Georgetown and Tenleytown road, on SD
street. causing a fire, which was subdued
by the employees OF the company.
Rainfall Measured.
The official measurement Of rainfall
made by Professor NJ. F. Burrows of
Gecrcetown shows that over one and
seven-eighths inches fell within the brief
period Of the storm, which equals the
record of rainfall for an entire month Tn
der ordinary conditions. All of the cleo
trio lights on the Canal and Tenleytown
roads were out for a time and traffic on
the suburban roads was delayed for fully
half an hour. On the Great Falls electric
road there were several washouts, but
none so bad as to render traffi: dangerous.
The Georgetown sewers were incapable
of draining tho streets, and the water on
some highways became torrent. NJ
street was partly flooded. the water being
SO high as to knock out Of place the iron
manhole covers to the cable conduit.
Braces drug store was flooded. and also
the lower floor of George Meyers restau-
rant at 10Th and NJ streets. The telephone
OF No. engine company was rendered
useless. and the telephone Of Cropley, Bote-
used for the balance of the night.
The policemen in the several precincts
made reports to the stations this morning
Of the damage done by the storm. Reports
showed that In q number Of places where
buildings are being erected the loose dirt