The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-29
Cent for Shoes Without Visiting Richards & Hue
You Won't Get Your Moneys Worth.


cars ran In a disjointed fashion, the
cars being unable to make through
trips because OF the flooded subways
and having to transfer passengers
around these.
| With the street car service on the
Crosstown, West Warren and Jeffer-
son-Grand River lines blocked by min
iature lakes which formed under the
two viaducts near Warren and Grand
River-aves.. thousands OF persons liv-
ing in the extreme northwest end OF
the city were forced to walk down to
Fourteenth and Grand River-aves..
where street cars were jammed to
suffocation as soon as they made
their appearance. and hundreds of per-
sons were left on the corners.
Hundreds Of cellars In the north
west end of town were flooded to
depths ranging from two to five feet.
Vacant lots were veritable lakes.
Floods Of water poured down side
walks, and rushed TO sewers which
were already choked and only turned
the floods back. to pour into cellars
and low stretches Of land.
Picturesque Flood Scene.
At the early hour when the majority
of the population sets out for its daily
work. the busy intersection OF Grand
River and Warren-aves.. which car
lines and railroads make an import
ant center of traffic. presented pic
turesque flood scene.
Men. women and children, many of
whom had already walked ten or TWEEN
ty blocks toward the spot where all
street cars were blocked by the food
ed viaducts. climbed over the high
railroad bridges, and walked along
narrow lodges to the pavement on the
other side.
Drivers Of wagons urged their
horses into the ponds under the rail-
road bridges. Often the wagons were
filed with women and young girls.
laughing at the oddity OF being fer
ried across" to Warren-ave.. with wa
ter swirling above the wagon hubs.
Householders were up at daylight,
wading around in water which was
sometimes waist deep, rescuing can
ned fruit. old pieces Of furniture.
trunks full OF winter clothing. and 9TH
er articles which floated TRANQUILITY In
their cellars. Hundreds of dollars will
not cover the damage done in the
northwest section. to goods stored In
| easements.
'Phone Companies Have Trouble.
Not only was the street car COM
pany in trouble. but the telephone and
telegraph companies had difficulties
on account OF the electrical features Of
tho storm. Cables were struck by
lightning and wires were down In all
parts of the city. Inspection and re-
pair gangs were sent out In response
to numerous calls early In the morn
ing. The eastern exchange Of the
Michigan company was completely out
Of commission for several hours.
The city gangs also had several
calls to clear away trees that had
been struck by lightning.
Highland Park was not as great a
sufferer during this storm as Is usual
! in times OF flood, but there was some
difficulty In the draining away Of the
water. owing to the inadequacy Of the
northern district sewer system to ac-
commodate the torrents that poured
in from every sewer crate.
Property loss through the floods will
be considerable. although an exact es-
innate cannot be made owing to the
fact that It is largely in the nature OF
damages to hundreds and hundreds
of houses through the backing up and
flooding from sewers.
A trip through the Fairview district
from Crosse Pointe to the Water
Works early Thursday morning was
an aquatic carnival without the gay
ETY. All the low-lying land near the
river presented vista OF watery
sheen. At the entrance to the old
Crosse Pointe race track there was a
pool about two feet deep and two hun
dred feet In length which stretched
from side to side OF the road. Way
farers had to ford It on foot or wait
for wagons or automobiles to take
them through.
Sidewalks Afloat.
At the Belt line crossing. In front
OF the ChalmerSDetroit plant, the
food was three feet deep in Jefferson
ave. and spread into the fields on each
side. Wooden sidewalks we're afloat
and served as RATS for boys. The
Chalmers-Detroit management put a
big motor truck at the disposal or
pedestrians and ferried them through
to where a single car service was run
along the avenue to ST. Clair-ave. in
Itersection. where stretched the deep
est lagoon OF all.
Automobiles found II very hard go
ing, as the water came up to the en-
gines and some machines were stalled
in their attempted dashes through and
had 20 be hauled along. Beyond this
point. people trying to get down town
had to depend upon the plug" SER
vice on Jefferson-ave.. It being posi-
BILE to use only one track as far as
Field-ave on account of there being
no switch at which cars could be
turned
Sleep Almost Impossible.
There are tens of thousands OF tir-
ed and sleepy people in Detroit as a
result Of the heat and storm of We'd
nesday night. Sleep was a luxury
that few could obtain for any length
OF time.
While II was not as warm. by the
thermometer, during the evening as
Il has been at other times this sum-
mer, the dampness OF the air made
conditions most unpropitious for sleep.
The coming OF the rain late In the
evening did not bring GOODNESS at once
and by the time that the temperature
had lowered. the electrical storm was
on with a violence rare here. "A
| Crashing peals OF thunder awaken
ed those who had dropped OF into
slumber. and II was not until well