Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-06-01

rive Inches an Hour Rain and Wind
Damaged Crops south of the City
Horses frightened aud Ran Away.
A severe hailstorm, which confined
itself almost exclusively to Whining
ton, came with little warning, shortly
before . o'clock yesterday afternoon
and left death and ruin in its wake.
Only one fatality was reported. The
victim was Albertini Antonio, an
Italian, aged about 40 years, who was
killed by bolt Of Lightning while at
work on the new city reservoir, on the
Weldin farm, in Brandywine hundred,
just west of the city limits.
According to the City Weather
Bureau, 06-lOO of an inch Of rain fell
in seven minutes, when the heaviest
downpour came, which was at the rate
OF ilve inches an hour, and il the rain
had continued as heavy for some time
it is likely that there would have been
serious food. AS it was, the water
choked the sewers in some parts of the
city and inlets we're overflowed, water
hlling cellars, yards and the streets.
The rush of water was so strong down
West Eighth street from Broome to
Monroe, that in some places gutter
stones were lifted bodily and carried
some distance.
People coming into the city from all
directions reported that the storm was
not damaging in the rural districts.
The rain was heavy for a few minutes
and the wind was strong, as a result Of
which branches were blown from trees
in some places, but the hail was con-
fined almost exclusively TO the city
and Brandywine valley. People COM
ing in from Brandywine Springs Park
on open cars had an interesting ex-
perience. The rain was heavy enough
to drench some Of the passengers, but
they did not know anything about the
hailstorm until they reached the city.
The hailstones which fell in the city
were Of unusual size and were rough.
Some were larger than walnuts and
they came down with such force that
window panes were broken in some
instances. As Thomas G. Hollands
studio, 40715 Market street, five panes
of glass, lsx40 inches, were broken.
They were in the skylight.
Skylights we're broken at the places
of business of Jeweler Charles Fell,
81 Market street; Photographer John
Rushworth, 40715 Market the j. Paul
Brown studio, 6l7 Market; j. r. Cum
mings' studio, 307 Market street, and
at other places in the heart Ct the
city.
Many panes we're broken in Odd Eel
lows Hall, a bulk window was wrecked
at Andrew Scheller's place of bust
ness, Sixth and Walnut streets, and
Joseph Neher of Fourth and Scott
streets, sustained similar damage.
Much glass was broken at George G.
Boyd's greenhouse, on Walnut street,
below Third, and greenhouses in other
parts Of the city suffered, though some
escaped, which indicates that the fall
of hail was more severe in some Sec
tions of the city than in other sections.
Several of the schools suffered. At
No. School, on Washington street
between Second and Third, % panes
we're broken; 30 at No. School, on
jefferson street between Second and
Third skylight and other glass at the
Friends School, Fourth and West
streets nearly all of the panes in the
west side of the Friends meeting
house IA panes in the home of the
Sisters of Charity; 40 at the estab-
lishment of Simmons & Bro.
Many houses suffered, having from
one to 10 panes broken. At Willard
Crooks residence, 604 North Franklin
street, pane, lsx30 inches, was
broken; three windows were wrecked
at 620 West Third street and six we're
broken at 621 Lincoln street.
Dealers in glass reported that they
had many orders to replace broken
panes and the rush was hardly at its
height at noon, as many had tele-
phoned that they would bring their
orders in later. 1t is difficult to esti-
mate the damage from broken glass
alone.
The storm was heavy as far south as
Middletown, the high wind and rain
leveling many fields of wheat and
doing other damage, but it is believed
that the crops will recover from the
effects. So far as can be learned the
hail did not extend below Bear Had
outside of the city it was not as heavy
as was the case here. The hail belt
was along the line of the Delaware
railroad, none being seen at either
New Castle or Delaware City. 1t was
pretty heavy up the BrandywIne.
Similar hailstorms visited Will
mington july 3lst, 1897, and May 10th,
1898.
A horse owned by james Mulrooney
exercised its instinct during the storm.
1t was on Fourth street near French
and when the hail came down sought
shelter under an awning in front of a
commission house there. The horse
succeeded in getting under the avn
ing, but the top Of the wagon was
torn of.
The wind did more damage in the
eastern part Of the city than in any
other section. At Second and Wal
nut streets a large tree was blown
down on a Peoples railway car, which
was standing there at the time. The
front of the car was damaged, but no.
body was hurt. The tree carried
pole and some wires with it and Grip
pied the trolley service in that section
until repairs could be made.
A large sign, hagpole and chimney
at the store Of the Wilmington Furni-
ture Co, at Ninth and King streets,
were blown down.
A tree on Church street, between
Tenth and Eleventh was blown down,
and two biliboards a short distance
away, one on Thatcher street between
Eleventh and Twelfth, and the other
on Eleventh street west Of Thatcher,
were knocked over
Two trees were blown down at Tenth
and Bennett streets.a a large crane at
the Edge Moor plant of the American
Bridge Co. was blown about by the