Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-21

IN DIAMETER, BUT FORUM
ATELY NO DAMAGE WAS DONE.
THE RAINFALL WAS VERY
HEAVY FOR A SHORT TIME.
There is an ancient theory that it
never halls after dark
That old theory and saying was
proven fallacy last evening, for it
hailed throughout this city and vicin-
ity until there was general apprehen-
sion that serious damage would be
done.
That no such result followed is not
the fault of the elements, for it is evil
dent that preparations had been made
for big demonstration.
The day throughout was peculiar
one. From midnight Monday night
until half-past two in the morning it.
was pleasantly cool, with indications
of storm, which actually broke over
the city about four o'clock, the result
being a drenching rain, which came
straight out Of the west, accompanied
by much sharp lightning and heavy
wind. By daylight or little after the
storm was over, the sky was soon
cleared, and the morning and early
afternoon was clear and hot, the mer-
curry going to as high as ninety-four.
About the middle of the afternoon the
sky began to cloud up again, and there
were indications of coming trouble,
but the rain held off, only few drops
falling at intervals along about seven
o'clock. A little later there were some
indications of a clearing sky, but by
eight O'Clock heavy clouds gathered in
ming. The gathering storm gradually
spread until complete darkness set in,
and little after half-past eight it
broke. Many sharp flashes of light
ming preceded the storm, and then, to
those on the watch in this city, there
came that familiar and dreaded sound
of hail upon tin roofs, sounding like
the trampling of many horses feet over
a wooden bridge. This came nearer
and nearer until the hail stones began
to PUNK! PUNK! PUNK! down on the
sidewalks in the central portion of the
city, and there was general rush for
shelter on the part of pedestrians. The
hail stones ranged from the size of
peas up to large marbles, the largest
being rather more than half an inch in
diameter, and were followed by a del
uge Of rain which speedily made the
streets impossible. In fifteen minutes
the storm ceased to drizzle, but was
followed in twenty minutes by second
storm, in which the rain was as heavy
as in the first, but without hail This
was in the central portion of the city,
north of the creek, and in the north
ern portion of the city and in Martins
Ferry, the effects were less than in the
central territory or farther south, our
northern suburb having but a moder-
ate rain, while the Island, particularly
in the upper portion, escaped pretty
we'll
The storm came from the southwest,
and appeared to be hardest on a line
drawn from a point midway between
Bellaire and West Wheeling to Elm
Grove. At some points in Bellaire and
thence as far north as Kirkwood the
hail stones were as large as half an
inch in diameter, and about Thirty
third street, in the Eight ward, they
were sometimes as big as an inch
through. In Benwood it was not as
bad, at Altenheim there was no hail,
while there was quite a lot at Elm
Grove, which is farther south. AS far
as could be learned no windows were
broken, except in Kirkwood, where
some damage of this sort was inflict-
ed, and where the hail stones were
nearly an inch in diameter, but there
was general alarm over wide section
of territory, the fact that the storm
came after night adding to the appre-
hension of the people
By half-past nine matters had
quoted down, and the remainder of the
night was much cooler and reasonably
calm, although there was lightning on
the horizon at times all around the
city.