The age-herald., 1902-04-30
PROPERTY DAMAGE
 CANNOT BE ESTIMATED
Dazzling Display of Electricity Fol lowed by Opening of Flood Gates. One Negro Reported Killed
 Is the Only Casualty.
WIND storm followed by a ter

WIND storm followed by ter
 rife downpour of rain and hail
 struck Birmingham last night about 7:3O o'clock and did damage which it is impossible at this hour to estimate, Houses were blown down, trees uprooted' window glasses broken and the sewers flooded so they were entirely incapable or carrying off the water. It is reported one negro was killed in a store blown down at Eleventh street and First avenue.
 About o'clock the clouds became the canopy for a dazzling display Of cleo tricity. By 7:3O the sky was overcast by heavy clouds and the deluge began. So fiercely did the large hail stones beat upon the windows that for few mo- ments people were dazed. It was storm to be remembered. In the afternoon the weather bureau had predicted 'Far to- night and Wednesday," But as dark came portentous clouds gathered. Then the batteries of the air began to play and big, scattering drops of rain began to fall here and there. It was several nm utes before the clements made up the1r mind just what they were going to do' But the drops grew sullen and fell ht- tie faster and then all of sudden the hail came with rattling fury. Scores or men sitting in the hotel lobbies under skylights jumped from their chairs and rushed to the door to see what was the matter. s., <.
 The hail storm lasted only about five minutes but the rain continued in tor rents for 15 or 20 minutes longer. The electric display was singularly brilliant and persons who are not afraid of lightning reveled in it.
 The streets were flooded and the debris that foated to the mouths of the great sewers reminded one of scenes in river towns. Some of the crossings were i'm passable for a time, but so soon as people could get about they began to make in- ouiries as to the damage done.
 The greatest damage was on the South side and on the South Highlands in the neighborhood of Five Points. There the front was blown out of the Highland Pharmacy, the gable end of the Tomlin Grocery Company was taken away by the wind and chimney of MT. R. s, Mungers residence blown down, break ing through the roof and allowing rain and hail to pour into the house greatly damaging the handsome furnishings.
 TRAvERSES SAME TRACK.
 Two stacks of the steel plant at the Birmingham Rolling ---lis were blown down. The roof of the stock house at t..e rolling mill was partially destroyed and the contents of the building injured. The track of the storm seems to have been almost the same track as that talk en by the memorable tornado which visit ed Birmingham little over year ago. It did some damage at Fourth avenue and Thirteenth street north, struck next on First avenue an Eleventh street. It did considerable damage in the Rolling Mill district and extended as far south as Richmond rlace on the Loop car line It took off the roof of Concordia Hall at
 
 When it reached Twentieth street it did practically no damage north of Ave nue c. The northern extremity seems to have run along that avenue while 1t reached to Twelfth avenue south Win dows were broken by the hail in St. Vim cents hospital, which seems to have been about the center of the storm.
 From Twenty-seventh street and avenue F the storm seems to have jumped to Thjrty-ffth street and avenues F and G. Here two houses were blown from their foundations and other damage done.
 Little damage was reported in Wood lawn and East Lake One of the stations of the East Lake line of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power Company was blown down at Avondale.
 DAMAGE TO FRUIT TREES.
 One of the serious results of the storm will be the damage to fruit trees and ,,eastables, The hail was so heavy that q, heat the young fruit from the trees and in many instances stripped the trees of their leaves. Truck farmers report Their young stands of vegetables a total loss.
 . Iorga as the end of the thumb, and traces of it could be found for hours. At .venue E and Twenty-fifth street the hail washed together and was eighteen inches deep in many places by actual measure ment The drain pipes were entirely in- sdenuate to carry away the water and hail.
 The negro who is supposed to have been tiIled in Beerman's grocery store is Jas ner Mum. He was a porter in Slew 8 store at the corner of Tenth street and First avenue He took shelter from the storm in Beerman's store and his hat wss found in the debris after the storm hut he has not been seen since. Three others who were near Nunn escaped.
 A saloon near Fourth avenue and Thir- teenth street, north, is reported to have heen blown down and badly damaged.