The Portland daily press., 1899-07-27
DOWN POUR OF RAIN.


Portland was treated the other evening
to one Of ths finest electrical exhibitions
ever Witnessed in the heavens about here
aud yesterday she got the most thorough
drenching OF tho season. For several
hours the rain came down In torrents and
run in streams down the cutters making
rubber boots almost necessity to the
way faring man. Down High, Maple and
other streets terminating at Commercial
the water seemed to run In rivers aud tie
sewers were taxed to their utmost. The
water In one sewer near the foot Of Maple
street backed up aud lifted the cap from
the man hole near the store of Thomas
Dyer g. Co.. $40 Commercial, ana through
II the water poured causing a good sized
hood all around foi square or more and
almost drowning ont the employees of the
beef company.
For a time the electric cara along this
portion of Commercial street were Obliged
to make their trips through pools of
water Of sufficient depth to reach the
motor boxes and steps OF the platform.
The water was Of sufficient depth TO afford
bathing facilities for some Of the smaller
fry and boys with water almost to their
Waists were to be seen disporting along
the street.
AT the Union station the main sewer
was found not large enough to carry OF
the great volume OF water which the ini-
mense roof Of the traiu shed collected and
poured into the conductors from the
caves. The overflow flooded the cellars.
and then began to pour down into the
train shed. The news stand was mum
dated, and asmall sized brock flowed
across the tracks in the train she'd.
The worst damage caused was as the
bottling establishments OF Murdoch and
Freeman ON franklin street, just around
the corner from Commercial street. Here
the water rushed into the CELLAR frcm o
sewer located nearby. The cellar was
completely flooded. 1t was at least two
feet deep at the lowest point while in one
part 1t reached as high ms i've feet. The
fires In the furnace were extinguished
and it took the workmen all of the fore
noon before they were able to get the
stock out. Mr.. Murdoch says that IL win
be two or three days before the cellar win
be dry.
The round house of the Grand Trunk
was also flooded to quite large extent.
All Of the pits were Tiled and the water
arose to such height that the rails in
the house were also covered.
From s.l5 O'Clock yesterday morning
until l2 % o'clock at noon, the amount of
rain that had fallen in this CITY was 2.e5
inches. This was wonderful large pre-
cip'pation. In one hour the precipitation
was 1870 inches. One inch an hour Is con-
sidered very largs so that It can be seen
that during one of the hours Of yes
terday fcreroor there was perfect
tunult of drops fr3ni the heavens. In
fact this precipitation was the greatest
that has occurred Ia Portland since Au.
gust z. 1877.
/ There should moi havo been cielr
weather this afternoon,'' laughingly re-
marked Superintendent Jores of the
weather bureau last night al mean tn I
officially we should not lava had fair
weather directly following such fierce
thunder storm. We wers reckoning on les
raining, or at the least, being stormy ali
day"
Snpsrlnt sndent Jones said that in all
probability this storm WAS tho sane one
that has lean raging on the coast OF
North Carolina for the last few days 1t
had moved up alon2 the New England
coast and In the opinion OF Mr.. Jones It
was the same ons as that on tn, southern
coast.