The Washington herald., 1907-05-28
STORM SWEEPS CITY
Record breaking Wind and
Rain Play Havoc.
TREES DOWN; MANY ROOFS GO
of 40 Inches in 10
Minutes Establishes New Basis for
sprinr CaIcuIniions-Dama to
Parks HeaVy-LincOln Square and
the Capitol Grounds Suffer.

AhEAN = -AsAN'NAAH
the Capitol Grounds Suffer.
Another weather record has been
smashed. Washington was swept yester-
day with an early season thunderstorm,
that. according to the police and the old
est inhabuant." was a marker. Never
before. they say, has thunderstorm this
early in the season been so severe or
caused so much damage. The rainfall is
officially reported as 40 inches in fifteen
minutes. The electrical display was ac-
Companied by a forty-knot breeze that
put the finishing touch to the work Of the
lightning. Reports came to police head
quarters all afternoon and evening OF
trees uprooted. roofs carried away, and
buildings struck by lightning. The biotter
at headquarters contains a chapter OF
accidents a yard long.
The storm broke shortly after noon.
when department clerks and the thou
sands employed in mercantile houses were
out to luncheon. Eyes were turned TO the
heavens watching the unusual atmos-
pheric phenomena. The storms course
was rapid. passing over the city I'm jlg
time. Il was presaged by mass Of fear
some looking black clouds. hanging low
on the western horizon. II came up with
n rush not unlike the corresponding
tropical typhoon. The city was IN tenn
porary. semi-darFness, that added to the
effect of the awe-inspiring play of the
lightning. The storm broke with a sud
denncss and fury that sent pedestrians
scurrying TO cover.
Trees went crashing to the ground
awnings and flags snapped omiuously,
and hats. umbrellas, unfastened sign
boards. and everything else unattached
went flying into the heavens The rain
came down in a torrent that made the
streets running rivulets In a few minutes
The damage 10 park trees and shrubbery
is reported as great. The damage by
haiIstones TO truck gardens in the vicinity
Of Washington is also heavy. No loss Of
life was reported.
John Cook. seventeen years old. and
Jesse Taylor. fifteen years old. both liv-
ing on Half street southwest, were
out sailing on the Potomac off Giesboro
Point They tried to run ashore when
the storm broke, but the first fury Of the
gale capsized their boat. Both were good
swimmers. and. with some difficulty, they
succeeded in getting ashore.
caas poo- CanSfze
Theodore Sezenhuysen. of 9l7 Twelfth
street southeast. was standing on the
shore Of the Eastern Branch when the
storm broke. and saw the craft capsize
and its occupants disappear in the first
binding sheet Of rain, just as the boat
PASSED the Arsenal Point headed for
shore.
When the rain ceased he launched a
small boat and went out 20 the over
turned craft in the hope Of saving the
Occupants They Were nowhere 10 be
seen. and he returned to shore with the
overturned boat I'm tow and notified the
police The launch Maj. Sylvester, Of
the Harbor police precinct, went to in
vestigate and drag the river for the men,
whom 81 was thought were unable 70
reach shore on account OF the heavy
seas.
During the height Of the storm the roof
of a house at % Eighth street south
east was blown of into the street, dam
aging the premises 20 the extent of so.
/ The house is occupied by Rose NJ. Nc
Dade
/ Lightning struck the tower on the North
/ Capitol Methodist Episcopal Church, at
North Capitol and K streets damaging II
/ 70 the extent of 50. The tower on the
/ house Of Dr.. I. L. Frederick, 5-s East
/ CapitoI street southeast was also struck
/ The damage. it was said. will not exceed
/ S25. The cupola on the house Of John +.
/ Davis. col Ninth street northeast, was
1 also slightly damaged by lightning.
PIate-gIass window Smashed,
/ The plate-glass show window in the
front Of the establishment Of J. f. Jarvis
/ on Eleventh street, was blown in. The
window was filed with souvenirs OF
Washington and other bric-a-brac, and
/ the damage is placed at $50.
II was estimated by Superintendent
/ Truman Lanham, of the District Parking
/ Commission. yesterday afternoon, that
/ several hundred trees in the citys parks
! had been blown down. Four big trees on
/ B street between Sixteenth and Seven
teenth streets. were bOWled over. Judi
ciary Square. Lincoln Park, and the
/ Capitol grounds also suffered. About fifty
! trees in the Capitol grounds suffered dam
/ age. and two big elms in Lincoln Park
I were lifted out bodily by the roots.
/ It was stated that clerks in the Dis
/ trict Building became much excited and
/ left their posts during the fury of the
/ storm. for the reason that there was q
! noticeable rocking Of the structure wher
/ the wind was at its worst
! Four horses belonging 70 the Od0Tless
! Excavating Company became frightened
! while standing at the corner Of Nichols
and Howard avenues, Anacosda, and rar
away, breaking a wheelbarrow.