The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-29
DELUGE WAS ACCOMPANIED
BY HIGH WIND STORMS
Maximum Velocity of Fifty Miles an
Hour Was Attained BY the Wind.
Details of What Hap
pened Yesterday.

the night before by a storm that was a
record breaker in many ways.
The property damage was considerable
and more rain fell In the twenty-four
hours ending at 4 o'clock yesterday after
noon than ever before in the city's his
tory.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon 6.6S
inches of rain had fallen since the same
hour on Thursday. At 4 o'clock Thursday
.92 of an inch of rain had fallen since
the storm commenced early Thur51ay
morning. making q total in the forty
eight hours of 755 inches of rain, the
record by more than an inch. After
| o'clock yesterday an additional inch Or
more of rain probably fell The down
| pour was as heavy late yesterday after
noon and last night as at any time dur
ing the storm.
Fortunately the wind abated somewhat
yesterday morning and there was not the
additional inconvenience of wind and rain
combined. The only death reported and
| substantiated was that of a Greek at the
union passenger station who was run
over and killed by the Louisville and
Nashville train running between Birming-
ham and Boyles.
The union passenger station was mum
dated yesterday morning and passengers
from some of the trains had to be taken
off on trucks.
The street railway company here was
badly crippled, several of its bridges
were washed away some of its lines
washed away and In other places the
roadbed was softened considerably. 1t
was tied up for about three hours, the
water and the dirt on the tracks in all
parts of the city making it advisable not
| to attempt to operate cars.
| There was comparatively little damage
to the railroads in and around Blrming-
ham, All the roads without exception
report wire troubles, none of them hav-
| ing their wires in working order. There
were several washouts, but none of them
serious, although they delayed trains to
| some extent. Soft tracks, the lack OF
wires with which to operate trains and
the general conditions that existed caused
nearly every train into the city to be
late.
At midnight no wrecks had been re-
ported on any of the lines. The. slide on
the Seaboard between Woodlawn and
Avondale had been cleared and the slides
on the Alabama Great Southern at Iron
dale and at Trussville had also been
cleared. Both roads are. however, oper-
ating all trains on slow orders.
The Louisville and Nashville reported
bridge No. Y at Helena in bad condi-
ton and trains were held there until 1t
could be strengthened. 1t was standing
all right but the foundations had been
weakened by water and train No. l, due
to leave Birmingham at 1888 o'clock yes
terday morning was tied up there for sew
eral hours. There was also trouble be-
tween Oxmoor and Parkwood, but that
was remedied The train due at 11:55
o'clock yesterday morning was indefinite
ly late.
The Southern Bell Telephone company
has between 700 and 800 phones out or
order, and the Peoples Home Telephone
company reports about 300 not working
The Western Union had wires to At
lanta and several places north, and east
Yesterday, but nothing south of Birmng-
ham TOWARDS montgomery Lho NC'fNsAA@
was without wires In any direction Tor
while yesterday morning.
The Postal scompany had wires N sew
eral directions yesterday afternoon, one
to Memphis and one to Meridian. but 1t
YVES late in the day before 1t had any
wires at all. The building was Hooded yes
terday morning from heavy rains, one of
the escape pipes on the roof getting
stopped up. The water ran into the oper-
ating room and caused some damage and
delay.
Both telegraph companies have wires
to New York and the east, and they ex-
pect to be in much better shape today.
The local officers state, however, that
they do not expect to have wire into
Mobile and Pensacola for several days.
Wire crews are out in all directions. and
the local managers expect to be in fair
shape by tonight, provided the rain stops.
All messages are taken subject to de-
lays.
Street Car Troubles.
The street car system was completely
stopped Yesterday for about three hours.
The water was several inches over the
track in many places. and in some places
it was more than foot deep. Dirt, gravel
and other distractions were washed on
the track in places until it was COM
pletely impossible to operate cars on
those lines. In view of those conditions
General Manager Emery stopped the cars
until the rain abated and the water went
down. Then men went on the cars and
cleared the tracks where necessary.
The chief troubles experienced by the
company were its tracks near Village
creek. About three blocks of the track
on the Gate City line. between Thirty
seventh and Fortieth streets was washed
away. This will be repaired. 1t is expected,
by tonight and the cars can operate
through by tomorrow II the rain stops
and the water goes down sufficiently to
allow the use of the subway on that
line.
The bridge over Village creek on the
North Birmingham line was washed away
and all cars were turned back at Twen-
ty-frst avenue In North Birmingham. 1t
will require a day or two to repair this
damage.
On the East Lake line the track for
some distance was weakened badly, but
not washed away. 1t was under water
for some time near the cotton mills In