Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-05-15
PRIoE ONE GENT
A HARD AND SHARP STORM
MADEGUSHING STREAMS OF
THE CITY STREETS.
Midshipmen Have a Narrow Es-
cape And Much Damage
Is Said to Have
Resulted.

Out OF the northwest there swoOped
down upon Annapolis and the surround
ming county yesterday a storm of the
utmost strength and volume. To the
accompaniment of thunder and light
ming rain and hail fell hy the bucket
.inls. After threatening all day with
succession of heat and cold the temper-
ature took a decided drop as an indi
cation of the hail stones that followed
close ON the forefront of the storm.
Untold damage was done in the
country districts and early vegetables
were given severe setback. The
city streets We're filled curb high with
surface water (which the Inadequate
drainage facilities of the city were nm
able to care for. Several runaways
were reported in the county as the re-
suit OF the hail, but no one was in.
Jured. The wind which preceded the
storm, and which blew while the rain
and hail was falling. was of great
strength. IIrees were denuded of their
foliage in many places, large limbs
were torn oil and many panes of glass
were broken by the large hailstones.
As there had been ample warning
OF the storm most persons were enabled
TO seek shelter. In the sandy soil
were washed ont and peas and other
high standing crops were beaten 10
the ground, where they were covered
by the shifting sand Hundreds of
bushels OF peas will be lost and many
acres of corn land were washed out.
Fruit trees of every description were
badly damaged and i'm many orchards
the ground was covered by the fruit.
In Annapolis the inefiioienoy OF
surface drainage was plainly exem-
Dliiied. The sewerage facilities were
unable to care for the great amount of
water and for long time the streets
were flooded. Many houses were well
filled with water as the result of win
dow panes being broken by the hail,
which was large in size and great in
volume. The thunder and lightning
was almost incessant and half an hour
later after the storm had been thought
&c have subsidized, there was particu-
larly heavy clap of thunder. During
the course of the windstorm large
sign containing upward of thousand
feet of lumber at Braun's meat market
was blown down IL made a terrific
crash and many thought that the
bridge had been blown away. At the
same time the fence and wall sur
rounding Barnes bathhouse at the end
of the bridge was blown away.
narrow escape from death was had
during the storm by three of the third
class midshipmen at the Naval Acad-
emy. They, as we'll as number of
other midshipmen, we're out in catboats
and other sailing craft, but when the
storm came up all were able to beach
their boats in time TO prevent n cap
size excepting the three who are
Harold V. McKittrick, Frank p. Nc
Carthy and William III. Walsh, all of
New York. They were caught in the
blow when almost off Bay Ridge and
upset The storm rose rapidly in
strength and volume and they would
have Jared Jill had il .notsbeen for the
quick work on the part of the authori-
ties at the Naval Academy. AS soon
as it became imminent that q storm
would strike the various boats outside
the tug Standish aud several of the
launches were sent out in search of the
boats.
The three men who were capsized
were finally found and rescued from
their perilous position. Nothing could
be done to save the boat at the time,
and it was finally washed ashore at
Bay Ridge. Other boat crews were
rescued by the tug and launches and
returned TO the Academy several hours
after the storm had passed. One boat
containing three middies drifted TO
Kent Island, but the party was res
cued