The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-08-25

The New England Fair ran into an
other big thunder storm, yesterday, soak
ing the fair grounds and many of the
people gathered there, and causing post
ponement of most of the afternoons pro-
gramme.
Fortunately for the management, the
clouds did not gather till the middle of
the afternoon, after nearly everybody bent
on attending the b ig show had passed in
through the gates. Had it come two
hours earlier,a it would have made ID
difference of $4,000 or $4,000 in the weeks
receipts.
The attendan ce was the largest Of the
three days the fair has been open, and
about equal to the biggest day of last
years fair. The number of people inside
the grounds was estimated by the man
agement at Is, 600. More than 600O ii okets
to the grand stand were sold, and more
than that number of people were moving
about the main thoroughfares and among
the stock yards when the rain began to
descend.
Hon. Thomas B. Reed was among the
distinguished visitors. He was accom-
panied by his dau ,hter. Their stay was
very limited, for they had hardly taken
their seats in the epresident's box when
the downpour began.
Portland s business men were taking
halt holiday, and most, of them and their,
families and employees were putting in
the afternoon at the fair Up to the time
the shower began everybody had been
sweltering under the Girect rays Of the
midsummer sun. It was about 95 in the
shade, but more than half the people in
the grounds were unable to find any
shade. The cooling breeze that came in
from the sea few minutes in advance of
the shower was Eaiied with appreciation.
Big black clouds came rolling in with
rapidity that betokened cloudburst.
few wise ones began an immediate hunt
for shelter and found 1T, but the first fall
of rain caug ht unawares about everybody
outside or the grand stand.
The scene that followed the prelimi-
naries Of that shower was decidedly in
teresting to watch, from the reporters
stand and other sheltered points OF
vantage. Thousands of people, fully one
third of them ladies in light summer
gowns, stampeded for cover. Some found
shelter under the tents, amid the hens
and cows, others took possession of the
cattle sheds and stables. Every nook into
which human body could possibly be
squeezed was occupied while the shower
was on. The grand stand, already we'll
filled when the shower began, resembled
a beehive after several hundreds from the
ground had rushed in to get out of the
wet The apartment space beneath the
grandstand were densely populated. Over
the club stables the people were crowded
in SO thickly that it was all the managers
could do to get out to attend to the duties
which the coming of the storm had
multiplied.
Hundreds were unable to find shelter
anywhere. They scurried toward the
railroad platform, in hope of getting i'm
mediate passage for the city, but the
Rigby special happened to be at tie other
end Of the route, and they vera forced to
wait ten minutes in the pelting rain be-
fore relief came. The Cape eleotrics made
the most of the situation and carried big
loads to town, but it was slow work at
the best.
A cesstion of the shower gave people
slight breathing spell, then the rain
started in again and kept it up till after
dark. It tcek the electrics and steam cars
about three hours to transport all the
people back to the city.
Only four heats Of the races were run