The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-12
DELUGE OF RAIN
 FLOODS STREETS 0ownpour Almost a CIoudburst
 in Its Intensity BUILDINGS ARE FLOODED Water Ran Into Hlllman Hotel, City Hall and Postofflce Building, But No Serious Damage Was Done.
 Traffic Was Suspended.
BUILDINGS ARE FLOODED

A heavy downpour of rain, almost a cloudburst in it's intensity, fell in Birmipg- ham yesterday morning, flooding q the streets and lower floors of buildings and suspending street car traffic for nearly an hour
 In one hour and five minutes there was 2:s3 inches of rain which was something over .0i of an inch each minute of the time. This breaks any previous, record in Birmingham. the previous figures being oS of an inch a minute.
 The rain caused great alarm, although tbe damage was very small. The streets in number of places were blocked for a while, street cars were delayed and every incoming and outgoing train had to be stopped to allow the water to flow off the tracks.
 The lightning was vivid throughout the time. and peal after peal of thunder fol- lowed each other in rapid succession. A number of telephone and telegraph wires were damaged slightly by the storm. but most of the damage was only temporary and was lighted 8 short time after the storm was over
 The most serious damage was threaten ed in .he main room of the postoffice, the cafe and engine room of Hotel Hill man and the stores which are on the first floor 'of the city hall building.
 Cutters Too Small.
 Soon after the storm began the gut ters around the skylight of the postoffice proved to be too small to carry the water | off and a stream soon poured into the nlain room below The clerks and em- rloyes of the building went to work at once sweeping the water out of the back Gc or and removing all mail to place or safety
 At times tho water was fully three inches deep in portions of the building, l.ut no material damage was done, as all the mall was kept dry. Work was sus- pended in the carriers department of the office for some time, and the attention of all was turned to preventing the mail from being ruined or damaged.
 Had the rain continued ten minutes longer the Hotel Hillman would have been heavy sufferer As it Is the rain dampened the floors slightly, and water was backed up several feet in the front of the building. Had 1t risen two inches higher on the Fourth avenue side of the building it would have poured down into the engine room and caused serious damage.
 City Hall Suffered. There was more or less water in all the stores on the east side of the street in the city hall building In the lobby there was more than an inch and in the stores on each side the water was above the door sills It was ten minutes after the storm had subsided before the sew CTS were able to carry off enough water to cause it to fall in that section of the city.
 Third avenue and Twentieth street promised to be a flood center, but the | ground was high enough 10 prevent the water from getting into the stores.
 At the union passenger station the wa ter was nearly foot above the tracks. People were unable to cross the tracks a-foot at either Twentieth street or Eighteenth street. and the only way to get over was on wagon or street car. for While the cars were unable to get across the tracks.
 At Eighth avenue and Twenty-seventh street the water was eight feet deep in places and delayed the Gate City cars for some time. The tracks were finally clear of water about 1 o'clock, and traffic was resumed.
 In front of the Hillman the water was so high for some time that no cars could pass. The loop cars were stopped at Eleventh avenue and Thirteenth street, south, on account of the high water.
 Another striking feature or the rain was the fall in temperature. In less than one hour the mercury dropped 12 degrees, which is a phenomenal fall for that length of time.