Evening star., 1909-07-17
RAIN DRENcHES CITY
Accompanying Wind Uproots
Trees and Lops Off Branches.
SEVERAL HOUSES DAMAGED
Streets Flow Swift Rivers From
Curb to Curb.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
Roof Blown Off Home of Miss Reid
at 222 New Jersey Avenue and
Much Loss Occasioned.

| The floodgates of the heavens opened
right over Washington yesterday after
noon, letting down a deluge that did not
come in drops, butwas as compact mass
as tidal wave; and the wind chose that
very moment to blow it's utmost and it
also hailed some and there were vivid
lightning and heavy thunder.
The side of one house was blown in.
and several others were damaged. Trees
were yanked up by their roots and
branches were Topped off. Streets ran riv-
ers from curb to curg. Signs and show
cases were torn from their moorings and
cast to the pavements, and all who We're
on the streets, found usual shelters in
adequate. and were drenched to the skin.
With hardly a warning the s: orm start
ed in at about $40 o'clock in full force.
Then when It was all over. a few min
utes later, it became delight fully cool, al
| though the sun came out. This minia-
ture cyclone was the worst demonstration
of the elements that has been visited
upon the vicinity during this year.
Narrow Confines of Storm.
The storm was confined in it's theater
of action. Starting at the river front. it
assailed the center of the city, and after
biting a small section out of the arehitec-
ture, mounted aloft again and .scuttled off
down the river
Whether or not the storm landed again
between here and the capes has not been
reported.
| Just how concentrated the disturbance
was is indicated by the fact that the an
| emometer on the weather bureau at 24th
and NJ streets northwest registered only
fuepfV-f1p mi1eS while 20 ok
| of one house on New Jersey avenue was
caved in by the blow. and Judiciary
Square looked when the storm had passed
| like a national convention hall the morn
| ing after a nomination., and blocks on
either side of 7th street were filled with
| limbs of trees, broken from the parent
stems.
Roof Blown In.
| The most serious damage reported by
the police was TO the house of Miss Ina
Reid, 222 New Jersey avenue north
west. Houses on either side also sustain
ed slight damage.
! Practically the entire roof was torn
| from the Reid house. Considerable dam
| age was done in the three buildings. One
| is occupied by W. A. Engel and the
other neighbor is William Williams.
| Miss Reid was in room on the sec
| Ond floor of her home putting away some
curtains when her attention was attract
ed to the storm BY the crashing of d
window. This was followed by the tear
Ing away of most of the roof and the
| falling OF the debris through the openn g
made Water poured in through the
opening.
Miss Reid believes the damage to her
house resulted from the strong wind
and not from lightning. She noticed the
vivid flash of lightning. she says. but
was not stunned or thrown from her
feet.
Capt Byrnes of the sixth police pre-
cinct responded with several members
aged buildings. They removed some of
| the tin and timbers in order 10 render
| ii safe for occupants of the house to en-
| ter or leave the building.
Miss Reid found II necessary to remove
bedding and other portable property from
rooms on the upper floor. Sleeping ac-
IcOmmodations were provided her boarders
OH the lower floors. This morning Miss
Reid was arranging for repair of the
| damage. and was kept busy answering.
telephone calls, her friends having be-
come alarmed, she stated, because of the
publication OF exaggerated reports of the
occurrence.
At 31i Indiana avenue the roof was also
attacked by the wind and damaged Con-
siderable damage was caused to the roof
and it was necessary for the occupants
/ of the house to protect their property
| from the rain.
Horse Takes Fright.
/ A horse attached to mail wagon be-
came frightened during the storm and
ran away. Near the intersection of
Pennsylvania avenue and 11th street the
team was struck by street car. The
wagon and car were slightly damaged.
but no one was hurt.
A display show case belonging to DR..
Evans, 1901 Pennsylvania avenue, was
blown down and demolished. Pedestrians
were hurrying along the sidewalk near
| the corner at the time the accident hap
pened, but none was injured.
| Many persons were, in Union station
| during the short while the storm was In
| progress, and some children were fright
ened by the roaring noise of the thunder.
| Papers and magazines were scattered
through the concourse. The water came
| from the west in such quantities that
umbrella sheds afforded but little pro-
lection 10 those who boarded trains al
that time.
The police OF the several precincts We're
kept busy last night advising the street
cleaning department of the damage sus-
| tanned 70 trees during the storm. Their
reports indicated that the severest of the
wind visited the southern section OF the
lntt o.I eAI 20 . tn4 net