Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-12
Turns Loose Three and One
Half Inches of Water in a
Single Evening.
HAD FOUR WEEKS VACATION
Rain, Wind and Lightning Rather Wei
come than Otherwise to the
Parching Community.

Anything that was not soaked, sat
urated and soused last night is imper
vious to water or alcohol. All articles
lying loose were rained on from the
top. blown upside down and rained on
from the bottom. Not a few were split
open by lightning and rained on in
side.
1t was the dampest occasion in the
history of the year 1908 TO date. and
will go down as a marker unless La
Dor day produces something to beat it.
The dust was completely laid, as
was a good share of the corn crop
hereabout, the grain still in the shock
and in many cases the hay in the
stack Jupe Pluvius was on the job
for fair, and he had pocketful of
parlor matches that he kept touching
off every second or two to work by.
Water came down from the hills and
up from the bottoms, once operations
were fairly on. 1t rained on both sides
of the street at the same time.
started Early in Evening.
1t was about $50 last evening when
all preliminaries had been disposed of
prior to the big doings. First the illu-
limitations was turned on accompanied
by a salute something heavier than
was fired AT Lincoln in Bryan's honor
this morning. Then the fans We're set
to going, there was a voley of hail and
the flood gates were opened. From that
time ON till after all sensible folks had
gone 10 sleep there was a constant
swish and roar. fash and bang. The
earth drank its fill and then threw
away the cup and kicked the bucket
over.
This morning when Observer Sherier
of the local weather office took IN ac-
counting of the results he found that
just three and one-half inches of
moisture had been precipitated upon
rs. and that's on the level. On the
hillsides and on the lowlands taere
was more, up to several feet.
Telephones went out of commission
from lightning or dampness. street
cars We're tied up from grounding of
the wires or wreckage floating upon
the tracks, sewers backed up into the
Easements in places and the water
ran over the curbs into them in others
So far as reported. however there
was no really serious damage infict
ed, while the benefit 10 growing
things may be figured by the thou
sands or the millions, depending upon
how large an area one is taking into
account.
Barring Sundays shower. which
barely laid the DUST. there has been
no rain here for just four weeks
Naturally, the farmer and some others
mad begun to murmur. But there is
no danger of drouth now. This will
last MS till fall. and then we won't
care
Many Cars DeraiIetl
About 10 street cars were derailed
during the evening on account of the
rubbish getting into the switches and
making it Impossible for them to be
turned far enough TO admit the ear
taking either track. The Long View
line suffered as much as any of the
lines oneaccount of the mud. At the
crossings along Eleventh avenue the
tracks were covered with as much as
three or four inches of mud. which
had TO be shoveled off before the cars
could pass
AT Fourth avenue and Twentieth
street the water was so deep during
the downpour that it was almost i'm
possible for the motormen to find the
switch with their switch rods, and one
car waited there quarter of an hour
or more while the motorman was out
searching with the rod for the switch
AT the street car barn there was fully
TWO feet of water covering the tracks.
making the avenue resemble a muddy
river.
Carnival Company Hit Hardest.
The strong wind which accompanied
the rain did nearly all the damage
that was done. A number of trees
were blown down and the tents of the
carnival company located on Twenty
fourth street. felt it's force greatly.
me largest tent of all, the one hons
ing the Mundy animal shows. was
blown to the ground. and the other
rents were only kept upright by the
diligent work of the show people. The
poles on which the electric lights were
strung were in a number of cases
blown down and the show place was a
scene of confusion this morning.
The street car line to WATERFOWL
was completely knocked out as a result
of the electrical display which came
with the rain. At times the trolley
wires seemed to be on fire from the
charges drawn from the Skies All the
lines were in running order this morn
ing, however, thanks to the men who