The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-23
STORM BREAKS
CITY'S DROUGHT
Troubles Over Water Scarcity Are
Apparently Ended For Present.
LIGHTNING DOES DAMAGE
STREET CARS HAVE COLLISION
POWER INTERPRETED WITH.

fCALT LAKES water situation"
became thing of jest last night
when the long-prayed for heavy
downpouT of rain arrived, following
lighter showers earlier in the day. 1t
was about the only thing that could
inspire humor, so severe was the
drenching which the city received
gratis. Starting about 10 D. m. the
heavy downfall continued for about
thirty minutes and was succeeded by a
less boisterous downfall lasting about
twenty minutes. The shower appeared
heavier in the down town portion of
the city than farther east, in the bench
district.
Saltair experienced one of the worst
summer storms of its history Many
had gone out to the resort for the pur-
pose of helping the civic Improvement
fund outing of the Ladies Literary
club. Beginning about u. m. the
severe showers forced them to huddle
under the pavilion. from which point
they could watch the lightning playng
first TO one side and then the other Of
the resort while the water formed in
pools on the floor. One particularly
brilliant bolt struck just south of the
pavilion, and was grounded at that
point 1t was accompanied by
thunder clap which fairly shook the
Mercury Falls Quickly.
There were two remarkable features
of the afternoon showers. One was the
sudden fall of the thermometer which
marked the coming of the first rain
drops. the other the jumps which the
center of the storm area locally
speaking, made from one section of the
city to another
When the first big drops splashed
down the mercury began dropping at
once. From 80 degrees just before the
rain it dropped in eight minutes to 90
degrees. As soon as the showers
stopped the temperature jumped TO 81
degrees, waveTing about that point I'M
Til ~ m
Many observed during the course Of
the showers early in the afternoon that
the downfall was limited to one 10
cality for q few minutes at a time and
that it would then shift its position
northwest or southeast. This continued
for thirty minutes, a dark haze mark
ing the route of the rain
Regarding the rainfall for the
twenty-four hours ending at midnight
figures were not obtainable last night
UD 10 y. m. the fan had been only
about. 90 INCHES. Last nights fail.
however. doubled this figure several
times at least.
Lightning Brings Accidents.
Lightning flashes brought a number
of accidents in Salt Lake last evening
and left the city in darkness during
two short intervals. a street car col
hsion, a fallen trolley wire splitting out
sparks on a business corner. and a
burning tree the flames of which en-
dangered a dwelling house kept things
lively in different parts Of the city.
Darkness came after d binding fash
which burned out the terminals o. the
Utah Light & Railway cOmpany's old
est transformer at the Old Jordan
power plant. This kept the north com
mercial circuit dark for a few minutes,
and then the south circuit while the
power was switched on The trans
former was to be moved out this morn
ing and the damage to company prop
erty amounted to nothing. At different
intervals the power was shut off from
the car lines.
Cars in Collision.
During one of these intervals a Sixth
street ear, running at the time on
Third street, collided with a Calders.
park car going in the same direction.
The front veStibule of the Sixth street
car was badly smashed but no one was
hurt. The Sixth street car was al
lowed by its motOrman to coast along
while the power and light were on. and
while going in this manner at a good
rate of speed it ran into the other car.
Lightning struck a tree at 232 East
Seventh South street and flames leaPed
up among the branches. The fire en-
dangered the roof of a frame dwelling
nearby and. the department was called
out. A hose wagon from the head
quarters station responded and the
flames were soon quenched.
4 trolley wire in front of Hills drug
store. Second South and West Temple
streets, fell during the storm and spit
fire in all directions. \ com Dany re-
pair wagon made a hurry up run TO the
place and repaired the damage. No one
was hurt.