The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-09
Merning Shower Yesterday Does
Seine Damage.
High Tides and Big Seas
in the Harbor.
Commercial Street in Bad Shape
for q While Yesterday.

A heavy .Afectrical storm visited Port
land yesterday forenoon. It was accom-
panied by strong wind and heavy fall
OF rain. The streets were flooded and
some OF the sewers being over taxed by
the surface water were unable TO care for
all or It and the result was the flooding
Of cellars and other damage In some SEQ
lions. Between nine and 10 10 there was
a rain fall or one and half inchen, and
bafore it stopped raining &c inches OF
rsan had fallen.
When the rain came without much
warning there were many people ON the
streets and these made q rush for the
suest cars In sight, which were packed to
suffocation.
Commercial street during the downpour
was sight to behold. Water ran In
rivers down the cross streets on to the
water front thoroughfares and the sewers
proved inadequate to carry 1t OF. Steadi-
" the food rose until there were eight or
more inches In the street and then 1t
flowed over the sidewalks From Center
to Union streets 1t was Impossible to get
along the walks without stepping In
three or four inches Of water.
The situation was rendered still worse
by the incoming tide. This tides this
week are running very high "a 1t is the
full OF the moon and this materially as
sisted the rain Hood. AS the torrents
poured downthe cross streets and into the
sewers they were met by the incoming
flow from the ocean and forced back. or
course everything was flooded and water
poured into cellars by the hogshead.
Big holes were left in the street where
the made land had washed away. The
drays from the wholesale houses drove
clear over their bottoms
1t was not high tide until nearly noon,
and many of the wharves were fooled,
planks ripped mp, etc. The water front
looked strange on account OF this unusual
tide as it brought all shipping SO high
that 1t seemed as though vessels were
coming right out upon Commercial
street.
Hackmen reaped harvest for an hour
or two in carrying people to and from
their places of business.
At the foot of Union street when the
l4O0l was hb 1lS ACAbA1S % ASAAESAOA
started to Cross the read He had ON
heavy brogans and spIashed through the
water regardless of wet feet. Suddenly
he slipped ON hidden electric car rail
and down he went full length In six
inches OF muddy water. Although he
was soaked to the skin the guying of
some comrades soon put him in good
humor again.
The Western Union and Postal messen-
ger boys got Just as wet as 1t WIS possible
to get and then splashed desperately
through the deepest pools evidently think
ing that they were just as badly of as
they could be and that a little more water
wouldn't hurt them.
Scores of cellars along the street had a
foot of water In them and goods were
damaged to a considerable extent.
A tremendous sea was running outside
and tins display of breakers along the
Cane shore and the outer islands was
magnificent. Spray broke ovar the
islands many feet In height and was
plainly visible from the water front when
q telescope was used.
The cellar of Thomas Browning at the
corner or Franklin and Commercial
streets was folded and part OF the cellar
wall caved In. A fire engine was worked
at this point some hours pumping the
water out OF the cellar. me damage was
quite heavy here. A low piece of ground
at the foot OF Maple street ON Commercial
was flooded TO the depth OF several fest
"a M a ffro ap0ina xUarkad fhara unffI dark
pumping out tine water It was one Of
the most severe downpours while It
lasted Portland has known In months.