The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-12
STORM
s. Sweeps I |. II CITY |
5Dr. wv. III. Parket's Residence
Il Struck, and II Lightning Plays. 5
Unusual Tricks. asa !. u.
e RAIN FELL I'M TORRENTS
Streets Washed iii Manner That
Made Superintendent Henry "a
Collins Heart Glai. ss

d y -
Lightning, thunder and rain fercest
elements of tho heavens clnshed to-
getl,er yesterday afternoon and night
and the result wns "a doWnpour and cleo
sytrical display such as Richmond lins not
Y seen before this summer Nh XII
Beginning Mt q :23 o'clock II tho after
noon, the ranS ephtnued Internationally
until after ii 6clock last night, and
during that time tic rain poured down
#as II tho cumulatcd clouds had some
dire vengeance to wrenk upon the EARTH
the lightning flashed and played around.
svery pinnacle, tlirrct and gplre In tho
< city, as lfi In mercf walton sport; and
&the5Ethunder rcvcrbcrtrtcd In long con-
H tinuous roars, rs though to add n grand
\ harmony In accompaniment II tile5tsvart
ring OF 1.-The elements. S Hundreds IOft
,ransicnts and foot passengers were
caught In X the Is earlier showers and
d arencted through and through IN the
A passing OF q q Ii few eeconds III the streets
were flooded and awasil IN every portion!
Z OF the city whore the low levels afforded
space for tho rushing waters, and soon
the showers had the city to themselves
save where some belated foot traveller
was found far from shelter OF street car.
n or ovcriIanging roof. where other shelter
could not be found. &i #
sSS Though there was no real or permanent
damage done. there lies more marvel in
that Act than there would have Gbeens9lf3
mattt,rs had been otherwise, for the storm
was centred directly over the city ana
hung closely to the ground. Thirty-fi IS.
minutes after the gtorf1l had begun the
II precipitation shnd renched d depth OF
q eighty-elght hundredths OF an inch. and
B by $50 o'clock there had beenEa rainfall
TO the dcpth$of an inch and twelve hum
3 dredths. During the heaviest par Of the
showers the &prccipitatlon was excessive,
though, not unprecedented. s
Brilliant Electric Display.
The greateat severity Of llle 81 orm wis,
more noticeable In the electrical forces
4 ats work: the lightning at times was
&nercely lurid and yi.Id. and flashed so
Il closely to the city that at every moment
there was the fear that It had struck5
\ somewhere near and inflicted untold dain-i
age.qThe rain came $doWn&heavily In driv-5
ing. sweeping showers, and soon every
II roof In tho city was sending down TO the
street It's full quota OF tho storm. In
. many places the trees were badly
stripped Of the branches and foliage, and
S the upper portion Of the Capitol park
the gravel IN the pathways presented q
4 spectacle as of a. quilted and rain wished
mountain side. Over on Church Hill. the
highest portion OF the city. the lightning;
{ played a peculiar freak nj pr. l'arker's;
residence. 22l5 East Broad Street #
4s3 a brilliant flas h was emitted from the:
clouds. and. descending. vented its force
4; upon the lightning rod a affixed on " DR.
L Farker's house. raj down, the side 5ot the
building: and then lea ped clear acrosss
the yard to the lamp post In the corner,
: whereSit found Its way into tho electric
globe. and flared up lu.id and sttai4s
IT lasted only fo.s a few $ seconds t!iop.s!i
Gns the&8wires soon burnt out. and 4 the
whole house was Immediately without
light. he same fash also divided and
stripped and made &lifeless. 5
Section in Darkness
ta21ntermittent flashes played ana ca
{vorted along the wires east OF T wenty-
Sixth Street and south OF Broad. all OF
which were soon burnt out and 5yall OF
ness. which the lightning intensified With.
Sits occasional flashes or brlilAine MI
other parts OF THE city was observed the
same effect. though with Tess attendant
saverftrs5S 55l & .t5sEIEl TH
I lean from wire to tree, flashing into
brilliant arc, as soon dying out and
lreappearing at some other farther spot
in Leo District pile of lime took part
ments and Jared up In spontaneous Gem
bust lon. "A truck wagon wa $ s.n. 10 t,c
scene: but no other damases mad been IN
afucted ~ here was DE- only q n emptiness
where the lime had BEEN
s5 For a time the storm RACED with nil.
the fury and lntnesity OF bose $Of trop-}
trical Influences died ont, ma at O.
espsS 9nH dense rn so n!s5
had practically lessened It's sway, and
soon after silence and darkness rcigned
supreme. 5 If NM {5i q 81 rs q #