Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-12
HEAVIEST In YEARS
TWO INCHES OF RAIN DESCEND
ED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.

The rainfall during the violent thunder
storm yesterday afternoon was the heavi-
est that has occurred In this city for many
years In the brief space of about forty
minutes nearly two inches OF rain descend
ed. The exact figures are 1.T9. This means
weight of 195 tons of water to the acre.
Being this afternoon asked as to the
weather outlook. Prof. Frankenfield of the
weather bureau said tomorrow viii be
warmer than today and that there Is pos
sibility of another thunder shower this
evening
The official temperature today lowered up
about the 50 mark while the downtown
temperature was 81 at 2:30 o'clock this
afternoon.
Many Persons Frightened.
Many persons were frightened during the
thunder storm which passed over the city
yesterday afternoon. but not much damage
resulted. The electrical display the
severest of the season. and the loud noises
Following the flashes OF lightning caused
people to believe that considerable damage
had been caused and that human life had
PROBABLY been sacrificed. No fatalities
We're reported, however but as stated in
the star. the lightning struck several
places Many new houses in course of
construction were flooded. In the suburbs
the roads were washed. and vegetation suf-
fered.
Clerks In some of the departments and
office buildings We're made nervous by the
storm, fearing the buildings would coll
lapse.
Il know the building is going to tumble
down." a female clerk in the Treasury De
partment declared. for 1 felt it shake"
She was anxious to leave, but the heavy
rain was deterrent. A leak occurred at the
Agricultural Department building and
caused the clerks to abandon one of the
rooms for short while. The clerks and
messengers formed a bucket brigade.
In addition to the damage done by light
ming at the several places mentioned In
the Star. the fiagpole on the pension office
was splintered. When the lightning struck
the pole, persons living In the vicinity of
thing had happened. They were greatly
relieved when they found that only the
pole had been damaged Very few reports
of damage caused by the storm were re-
ported by the police.
The tower the barn of the Capital
Traction Company. Both and NJ streets.
was struck by lightning. Some terra cot
ia and brick work was slightly damaged.
The steepe on the Fifth Baptist Church.
Ga and streets southwest, was struck
by lightning during the storm and spin
tered. About $40 damage was caused.
Narrow Escape of Orphans.
The children at the country home of ST.
Johns Church Orphanage, near Arlington
Virginia, had an exceedingly narrow escape
from death yesterday afternoon during the
height of the thunderstorm. All the chill
dren were in the house and most of them
on the top floor when the lightning struck
the southeast corner OF the main building
making a large hole in the side of the
house and knocking great number Of
states from the roof. The children and the
attendants were horrorstruck
Had the lightning struck a little more 10
f1n CT L. E~l,1, >k,..II
of the little ones would have been hurt or
even killed. Carpenters were out early this
morning repairing the damage, which
amounts to several hundred dollars. Several
years ago during a thunderstorm at night
one of the large houses in which the boys
lived was hurled to the ground by the wind
and rain. Fortunately the boys had Just
moved to the city.
Musical Thunder
During the severe electric storm yester-
day. In the midst of the heavy peals of
thunder. could be heard at times distinc-
tive rolling sounds. as If 1t came through
high walls In consecutive peaIs
The peculiar phenomenon was heard and
spoken of by several department clerks
employed in one of the public buildings, in
which all the windows of the room where
they were stood open at the time.
rs there such phenomenon as musical
thunder" correspondent asks. IF there
Is. the rolling intonations yesterday an
swer the question:
The musical portion of the peal lasted
several seconds In each case. plainly heard
during the storm. 1t is noted that a peal
OK thunder from lightning near at hand
frequently sounds like a quick succession
of raps or volley of guns.
Gould the successive raps have followed
one another SO rapidly In this case that
they combined to form note?" 1t is asked
II SO, and If this note was due to a special
conhguration of rejecting surfaces in the
Clouds which was to be observed at the
time Of the gathering elements, possibly
to others in slightly different positions
considerably different frequencles of the
phenomena may have been observed
The reverberating peals at short inter
walls was decidedly musical, and seemed
to Indicate that they were due to some
rapidly changing source. such one might
expect the rejecting surfaces Of cloud
to be.