Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-13
ATLANTA HARD HIT
BY STORM AND HAIL
AVID TERRIFIC WIND
Stygian Darkness Brooded
Over the City at | O'clock
Which Was Followed by Ter
rifle Storm of Hail Stones
VELOCITY OF WIND
AT TIMES TERRIFIC

A storm of rain and hail quite equaling.
IL not SURPRISING in fury that OF year
| ago, when all records for a fall of hail
were broken, burst on Atlanta and its vi
| cinity at lis o'clock Thursday afternoon.
Almost without warning, the sky dark
ened with storm clouds, and a moment
| later the downpour came.
Heavy wind blew the rain in sheets
across the buildings in the streets ard al
most literally swept people and traffic
eff the pavement.
An instant later hail in stones as large
as marbles fell, crashed against win
dows and sky-nghts, and made deaf
ening roar.
STORM WAS TERRIFIC.
70 storms fury lasted but i've min
utes, when it began to slacken, and q
| steady downpour of rain began
The hail was not as large in size as that
Of the previous fall. but the storm made
up for it IN fury, and the intensity OF the
accompanying wind and rain.
Lightning added to the spectacular eff
| feet of the outburst.
| Early reports of the damage following
/
ments are to the effect that many win
dows were smashed by the rain and hail.
Damage was also done by water.
PHONE SYSTEMS DAMAGED.
The telephone systems were badly dam
aged, although it will be several hours
yet before the extent Of this damage il
known.
The street cars stopped during the be-
ginning of the downpour. but I'VE minutes
later resumed service. except in places
where the water had washed dirt over
| the tracks.
II the storm was more than local in
extent incalculable damage has been
done crops, already hurt by frost and
other unfavorable weather conditions
One of the worst features OF the storm
was the terror caused horses caught by
the fury Of wind, hail and rain In the
streets.
People disappeared from the streets as
II literally blown away.
/ 1t will be later in the afternoon before
the extent of the damage is fully known.
but Office buildings will be the worst
sufferers from broken glass.
4
reports that its wire service is all right.
as does the Associated Press.
AUsTELL WINDOWS BROKEN.
Among the office buildings, the Aus
| tell reported soon after the storm that
several windows had been broken.
| One report from a north side residence
district said that no windows wsre
broken
w. II. Venable telephoned from Deca-
| tur that three minutes after the storm
! began the ground was a white as snow
| from hail stones the size OF the end or a
| mans thumb. Heavy wind accompanied
/ the downpour.
| A heavy cloud and wind were reported
| below Decatur, and 1t Is feared that eS-
/ tensive damage was done there. The
/ hail also did tremendous damage TO
crops.
FORTH NATIONAL SUFFERS.
| At 1:fo o'clock the sun came out In
| Atlanta, with a warm temperature pre-
vailing.
A report early in the AFTERNOON said
that more than half thine windows on
the west side of the Fourth National
Bank building were blown out or smash
ed by the hail.
Mrs. c. c. Lee, of 10 Dunn street, West
End, reported to The Journal Thursday
afternoon that all her peach trees wers
4
Many inquiries were received at The
Journal from people who asked about the
phenomenon at Chattanooga. where mid
night darkness prevailed at IL o'clock In
the morning as the result OF the heavy
storm there.
WIND BREAKS RECORDS.
A SO-mile wind was the most terrific At
lanta has ever known. ONCE windows
were smashed out. signs were blown
re In plaCPS h.
ed badly.
The weather forecaster says that he
thinks the storm, at least in its great
severity was local. He does not believe
that II extended over any great part OF
the state and therefore, is not of the
belief that IT did any considerable dam
age to cotton.
If IT was general he believes that the
part Of the cotton crop surviving the
recent cold was hurt badly.
PEACH TREES STRIPPED.
Peach trees could not have stood be-
fore the heavy wind without having limbs
stripped off.
Only once before has the terrific wind
that prevailed been approached. In Oc-
| tober, when Atlanta was visited by
storm of bail in which hail stones fell
of enormous size, the wind reached
maximum velocity of 56 miles an hour
This established a new record. When
Thursdays storm broke. this veic-ty Of
Sc miles an hour was the record OF the
heaviest wind Atlanta had ever known
BY miles an hour, Thursdays terrific
wind surpassed this record.
The fall of rain Thursday ancouEss@ -
as inches.
RAINFALL VERY HEAVY.
Rain lasted about fifteen minutes. II
began atI:15 and tasted until 1:3O.
The center Of the city. after the
storm, looked as though Atlanta were de-
serted For a while no living person
could be seen, then heads began to peer
In somewhat frightened fashion from
office windows and from doorways.
There were signs of destruction on diff
ferent sides.
On Marietta street, in front OF Fol-
SONS, a buggy was standing to which
two horses were hitched, at the begin
ming Of the storm.
The owner began to unhiteh these and
got them loose from the buggy when the
storm burst in its fury. He ran for
shelter and the horses were left stand
ing alone Through all the terrific wind
and beating hail they stood quietly, and
when the storm subsidized their owner
came back and found them exactly where