Evening journal., 1897-08-02
PLUvIUS WAS ANGRY.
Saturdays Hail Storm Did
Much Damage in Wilmington.
UNPRECEDENTED FALL OF HAIL

THE STORM WAS THE WORST |
SEEN HERE IN YEARS, AND OLD
RESIDENTS SAY THAT THEI
HAIL STONES WERE THE LAR
GEsT THAT EVER FELL.
Jupiter Pluvius must have been an
CRY when he caused the Sc
we're electrical hail storm to pass over
Wilmington Saturday. The st. Swithin
legenn. that if il rains on the 18th OF
July It will rain for forty days, is hav
ing some authenticity, even to the most
pessimistic. The storm which swept
over rhe city yesterday did considerable
damage, and as far as could be learned,
several thousand dollars worth OF dam
age was done The darkness of the
heavens was first observed in thenorth-
west. and in few minutes the entire
western sky was in deep mourning.
The rumbing of thunder began, ac-
companied by short and sharp vivid
flashes of lightning. The freaks of the
lightning were beautiful at times, re-
sembling arches. forks and various
other pyrotechnic panOramas. The rain
began to fall slow at first, but as il in
creased it was accompanied by hail
Some of the hail drops were as big as
eggs. and the old residents say that
nothing like them were ever seen be-
fore. The hail stones afforded much
amusement to the small boy, as that in
dividual was ont in force gathering in
the icy marbles.
At the nursery Of Samuel c. Penrose,
suDerintendent of Riverview Cemetery,
over 5000 worth of glass lights were
/ broken by the hail stones. In the ceme-
| terry the storm played havoc with the
/ flowers, and many of the rose bushes
were torn up by the roots. The plants in
| the nursery were also damaged.
Probably the heaviest loser by Sat
urday's storm is Charles E. Sparks
! Jr.. who keeps a hot-hOuse at No 2l4
i Walnut street. At this place over l,OOl
glass lights were broken by the hal
stones. Great damage was also done tc
the potted plants and flowers. The loss
will reach about 500 or more. Mr
Sparks told a reporter Saturday nigh
that the hail stones were as large as
eggs. They fell with great force, max
ing d gun-like report.
n II. c. Brown, who keeps a nursery II
South Wilmington, is also loser b!
the pranks of the hail stones. Mr.
Brown reports 200 glass lights broker
3 and great damage was done to TN
flowers in the nursery.
A horse attached to a buggy driver
, bv Ernest Melton of Talleyville, tool
fright during the storm at Twelfth
/ and Madison streets and rai
on the pavement for considerable dis
j tance. The driver was thrown out AM
[ in falling he caught the animal by tn
/ neck. bringing it to a stand STILL IN
fight of the horse on the pavemen
/ scattered pedestrians in all directions
t The animal escaped injury, but the car
} riage was slightly damaged
During the progress of the storm
t runaway horse with only part OF tn
e harness on passed Shelipot Park a
d record-breaking clip. The owne
e could not be ascertained. The animi
D wildly dashed in Market street and sew
eral children who were seeking shelte
r from the storm had a narrow escap
e. from being crushed by the maddene
a animal.
D From many places throughout Wi
= mington come reports of the storm
/. damage Most of these are the total di.
d portation of flower gardens and
many places rose bushes of valued w
riety were torn up by the roots.
Nearly every nursery in Wilmingto
suffered more or less from the storm
The Eot-houses of II. p. Potter,
D Twenty fourth and Market streets WEI
T damaged considerably, about 2,5OO glai
lights being broken.
The heavy fall of hail stones brol
u 25O glass lights in the car shops OF Il
, Harlan and Hollingsworth CompaI
II and zoo in the car shops Of the r., y
= & b. Railroad Company.
y The hail stones did not contine the1
- selves to battering manufacture
- plants and hot houses, as several OF u
public schools suffered greatly. Near
20 an Of the windows of the High Scho
were broken.
The flower conservatory of James M
20 Comb, at Twelfth and Market stree
was also damaged by the hall-suones.
The lighthouses Of II. c. Common, \
m 613 French street, were damaged. ADO
= sixty-eght lights were broken.
j. The storm did some damage to I
studio of Artist Chalfant, at Eigh
N and Market streets.
Rollo's nursery. at Eighth and Ro
new strees. got its share of the stor
I6ttle damage was done here. It
Haggerty nursery, at Sixth and Dupo
Us streets. had several glass lights broke
- DAMAGES ELSEWHERE.
he The conservatory of J. Taylcr Gau
g was wrecked.
ed The lighthouses of II. L. Bayhs n
y,I NJ. r. Hayden were damaged. Bo
cr florists lost many blooming plants.
ay The morocco fatcories of Tadman
s. Mitchell and the American Leatf
Company suffered slight damage.
ed Several of the churches were a
IS damaged.
ay The returning passengers on
re Philadelphia steamboats, report I'll
en- they encountered a rain storm, but
10 hail.
ar Several lamp shades of The arc ligl
es about Wilmington were demolished.
d- al Penny Hill two hail storms W.
his seen.
i'll Farmers in the rural districts rep
ar great damage TO crops