The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-28
THREE INCHES OF RAIN
Fell from Z to s .. m.--And Il Did Not
Stop Then
suaf SECTIONS Of THE CITY INUNDATED
street Car Traffic Interrup'cd on
Nearly All the Lincs-A Reg,
uIar Downpour.

The foodgates we're thrown wide open
yesterday afternoon aud for about four
hours there was one OF the hardest rain
falls that Houston has experienced for
some time
Post reporter upon being RATED
across MCGOWAN avenue TO the new resi-
dence Of United States Weather Observer
McNabb at 2SO1 san Jacinto street, asked
him IL the shower then on was not a
record breaker
1T is pretty heavy" said he. my
rain gauge UP to p. m. registers three
inches. but we have frequently registered
at this station more than that in twenty
four hours. which is our regular division
of time for taking the rainfall"
"what makes this rain appear so heavy, :"
said he, lis that we have had so much
rain preceding this that the earth is SO
thoroughly saturated that none OF this
rain is absorbed and all OF 1t has to find
escape through the bitches and sewers,
which are inadequate to carry It OFF. thus
making 1t appear an Unusual downpour."
~
whether yesterdays rain was record
breaker or not 1t filled up the low places
and those sections of the city that are
poorly drained. particularly the southern
and southwestern sections OF the city, In
the Third and Fourth wards which are
always inundated after heavy rain.
There was ample premonition OF the
rain. 1t was threatening all the forenoon
and heavy clouds began to roll over the
city between IL and / o'clock that opened
up about an hour later and from that time
on for the balance of the afternoon it was
a race as to whether the water on the
ground could get away as fast as IL came
down. The cutters in the business part
OF the city were kept on boom and
while nearly all OF them flowed over the
curb line yet they did fairly we'll II
draining the business section. but there
were other sections that did not fare 81
we'll. The east end of Mckinney avenu'
was flooded so that street ears could no
cross without burning out their arma
lures, hence travel on the Arkansas Pas;
and La Branch and Caroline street linei
had to be suspended during the afternoon
cars running as far az Mckinney avenue
and returning.
McGowan avenue was a perfect lake
completely cutting of all trahlc on tn
south belt Of the Fannin and Travis ca
line. The cars on this line went as IA
as MCGOWAN on Fannln and Travis AM
returned without making the circuit
Water would have run into any car tina
crossed McGowan avenue. The south en'
of Main street beyond McGowan woul'
have easily accommodated a yawl with
load OF passengers FOR a half mile.
The Calhoun street ditch, which ha
an average depth OF from four to six fee
was over It's banks.
The cars on san Felipe street had I
stop at Heiner street, beyond which wa
a perfect sheet of water.
A stream like mill race cut off stree
car communication on Washington stree
at Sawyer, preventing street car connet
ton with the Heights and Brunner, Will
the Houston avenue line was also block
ed. thus was nearly every street car lin
in the city interrered with by the e.
cessIve rain, but beyond this no serlor
damage was reported in the city.