The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-03
and one:hundred trsss either uprootsd or
blown down BY the storm. Tho damage
will reach at least 5000.

and one:hundrsd trsss either uprootsd or
blown down BY the storm. The damage
will reach at least 5000.
THE STORM ARRIvEa
Tho first consignment Of the storm ar
rived shortly before o'clock. 1t was a
veritable cloud burst and fit introduce
ion to the tornado which was heralded by
distinct runblinR Of scurrying clouds.
The storm centre was then In the north
east betokened by tho bright glare In tho
heavens.
Then 1t seemed as II nothing was to fol-
law but tho psrfunctory thunder that fol-
lows day so close and hot But prog
nostications in this instance were wrong.
Tho storm gathering force every minute
swung westward, the flashes giving place
to vivid forks aud the gentle patter of rain
to terrific downpour.
Then the fury Of the clements broke
loose. Bolts OF pure white fire zigzaggsd
in mad succession against dull back
ground Of bronze-the angriest color Of
cloud. The thunder, at first runbling
quietly, with the duh sound Of distant or.
tlllery, began to keep step with the daz-
cling intermittent light. 1t seemed as "
the heavens were revealing in crazy joy.
The fireworks Of poor, weak man sunk
In utter insignifcance In comparison with
tho atmospheric splendor. Balls OF light
burst right and left, bolts and forks in.
obliged in every whim known in tho cate
CORY of weather disturbances.
Then the dreud enemy OF children and
persons with nervesincreased in speed and
volume, tried to reciprocate the dazzling
salutos, With singular success. In twenty
minutes there cane u lull. and those un-
fortunate enough to be away from home
essayed timidIy from their places of shelf
err. 1t y as only, hoaever, to encounter
another torrent OF rain, with an accom-
panilne mt Of lightning, though not 80 SOW.
ere as the first.
Passengers on trolley cars received
genuine fright. The lightning in many
cases. after striking the wires, decended
to the cars, burning out the fuses. Thl s.
Of course created much alarm among the
passengers, especially among the women,
bat no one was hurt beyond a nervous
shock.
Perhaps Of all, the house scrgeants in
the police station house had tho most ex-
citing timo. Lightning seems to have a
Partially for the city wires, for the cable
I,ny fr- h,
by tho score.
AT the electrical station the display Of
are was the finest from II spectacular point
of view in the history of the department.
Until long after midnight the system
was badly crippled. Hardly had the last
rumble of the storm died away when the
linemen. with number Of additional
helpers, left to repair tina damage.
HAIL STONES WERE LARGE.
The fall of hail was not rs heavy as it
was on July 20 1897. but it was as damag-
ing. The stones varied in size from pieces
smaller than n pea 10 chunks OF Ice as
largo as marbles. Some people declared
that hail stones as large as hen eggs fell.
but this was probably exaggeratlon. Tho
hail falling into the streets covered with
water caused spray to shoot w from the
stre5t beds, and tho effect was beautiful
to those who hal time to watch it.
When the hail began to fall the streets
soon cleared OF people. Those who were
on tho strses made for open doorways ard
got in out OF the hail and rain. The cars
were filled with people, and as the storm
came up suddenly, open cars were on all
of the lines. Many folk who were on the
cars rode further than they intended and
then rode back on the return trip of the
or to their destination in order to escape
tn, storm. In this many were dsappoint-
ed, for there was another feature to the
storm, which stopped travel Oil some of
tho lines.
The damage from fooled CELLARS cannot
BIZ told, 1t is known that number Of
sewers were over filled by the rain and
caused small floods in collars, but the
Street and Sewer Department has not yet
had time to find out what damage has
been done to them, or how many collars
were flooded, Most of the sewers in VIII
mington are sanitary Sewers and arc not
intended to carry off storm water. Whom
thoy arc full the surplus water has to find
It's way off by means OF tho streets. Tho
downfall Of rain vest rday was so great
that it was impossible for either streos or
| sewers to carry off all of IT. and in conso-
qusnce it bad to find its way into cellars,
West and Washington streets were lakes
while tho storm ragged
TIED CP RAILWAY Lines
Tho ticing up Of the street car lines was
| perhaps the first time storm of such
| brief duration effected them The East
| Eighth street line was put ou0 of service
| for some time on account of trees falling
across 1t and blocking all of the cars Oh
the east end of the line. This put the
other end completely ouT of service for the
| time being.
At Eighth and Washington st reefs
| tlee blew across the track and put that
| line out of service for few minutes. At
| sixteenth and Market stroets car jumped
| the track and this temporarily put tho
| Riverview line out of service. Other lines
! Of the Wilmington City Railway Com
| pany were not intcrferod WITH but tho
| line of the Wilmington and New Castle
Railway Company was intor(ered with by
| falling trees, but cars wero run on the
| open portions and passengers transferred
around until the line could DO cleared.
| The wreck crew OF the Wilmington City
| Railway Company and tho line repairing
crow were both kept busy during tho
| evening getting tho lines into shape, The
| railway officials said that tho storm was
most scyoro for tho time it lasted of any
| which hud ever come into their exper-
| fence,
AT BRANDYwINE SPRINGS,
Wlmingtonians who were at the Springs
when the storm broke say it was unusu.
ally severe
The rain fell in such torrents that 1t
dashed down the sides of the great hills
aud into the valley like waterfalls.
| The hail bad telling effect on tho many
electric lights in The park, and when tho
storm was over 1t Is doubtful if there as
u whole electric light globe in the park.