The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-07-21
Baltimore Loss Heavily
by Yesterdays Storm.
PECULIARITIES OF THE WIND
Some Of the Strange Freaks Developed
In the Atmospheric Disturbance.
Death List Has Not Increased, But
Many Narrow Escapes Are Reported

BALTIMORE. July 2L-Yesterday's
Storm was the most destructive this city
and section have known for decades. and
al today additional reports OF the
storms fury have been received.
The list Of dead has not increased, but
many narrow escapes from death have
been learned of, and it would not be sur
Drising If mere drowRiHgs on the bay
are brought to light. So man. people
were out IN small craft for Sunday
pleasure that it seems improbable that
none should have been lost
How the Storm Came.
The disturbance came upon the city
with rapidly that was astounding.
The first rafndroDs fell at 1.2T O'Clock.
and as late as l O'Clock the skies. While
they showed that a thunderstorm was
approaching. vere briggs with the sun.
and many thought that the cloud world
pass around BY I:I5 o'clock the clouds
had assumed a threatening aspect and
began 10 advance rapidly over the city
In a few minutes more the skies were
anLiTely. overcast TO the west and south
vest. the temperature fell > degrees.
IS though a kaiIstorm we're coming, and
a cool breeze began to stir
Just before the storm broke there was
a slight lull. and then came q blast
which warned all that the blow would
be one to be remembered This blast
was marked by the whiriWind features
peculiar 10 the Advance wind of & thun-
derstorm but the rotary motion vas
n q moment came the ma bedy OF
wind II blew FIVE and thTee-eighths
miles IN Eve minutes, or an equivalent
CT siZty-foUr miles a hour. Tcis is
the speed of q hurricane. bat tie Blow
Of yesterday was by no means hurTi-
cane, being simply an extraordinarily
vicious thunderstorm
Wind Blew Perfectly Straight.
Driven before the wind at hurricane
speel the rain appeared in sheets which
hit buildings with Tremendous force,
driving their way through every ereviee
and taking advantage 81 the smallest
opening At times ous side Of a street
was almost hidden from the other. and
in the harbo-. Iife-saving work vas
rendered the more hazardous and dif-
Icult because the rescuers could not
see the objects Of their search and had
their open beats filled with rain 50
fast that bailing was constantly neceS-
saTy
While the preliminary wind had
pronounced whirlins tendency. which
threw light particles Of waste high into
the air. the main windstcrm blew per-
fectly straight and carried objects as
fFr set4f ~ Sc
had been fred by a gun. Trees. tele-
graph and telephone poles were blown
down with great violence all over the
city and in the suburbs noticeable !
feature was that these trees and poles
were snapped OF arf showed none Of
the effects Of a pufs2s twist which dis
tinguishes those blown down BY a hurri-
cane They fell IL a general easterIy I
direction, which clearly indicated the /
destructive blast was from the west
With such a remarkable downpour
the cutters of the city were soon turned 4
into rapid streams. which in some cases {
extended .Jea- across the street on I
streets when have never before had .
such an experience In the fiat and /
low sections OF the city the water IN /
some cases reached from curb 10 curb, I
the sewers being entirely inadequate 70 +
carry of the Iood- The sudden stop
ping OF the rain soon allowed the water
10 leave By the regular outlets. and
much OF the damage from water that
was anticipated did not materialize.
Places of worship Injured +
The stceDle Of st. Nary. Star Of the
Sea. Catholic Church. which. win lis
surrounding light il the shape CT a
star has been the pride Of the congre-
CATION for years. was DANCED by the
tearing away Of about ten feet Of the
brick wall in the northeast end Of the
forming its support
The steepIe was built about twelve
years ago twenty years after the cree
ton Of the church proper Since then
the light or the Top has been q beacon +
for mariners.
Half Of the tin roof of the William
Street independent Methodist Church,
William Street. near Gettings. was IisJ-
ed OFF. carried over q three-stGry house
and dropped in burst Alley, half
square away
The rear part of the roof Of Trinity I
Protestant Episcopal Church, Rev ".
T Snead. pastor. Broadway and Pratt
Streets. was blown of and fell into the
center OF Pratt Street.
i small pinnacle or the steeple of the