The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-18
Town Got Nearly Two
Inches in Less Than
Four Hours.
THOUSANDS FLY
TO ANY SHELTER
Much Damage Caused Around
Buildings Under Course OF
Construction - P o st-Office
Foundation Like Raging
Lake - But Mercury
Drops.

The floodgates OF the heavens open
ed right over Richmond yesterday at
ternoon and let down deluge like
the one which is identified with Noah.
This was by far the heaviest rain
fall of the summer. the exact precipi-
tation from o'clock to being LIZA
inches,
A big change In the atmosphere be-
came apparent early yesterday morn
ing. when a fierce wind-storm ragged
In the city, signs and Showcases were
torn from their r11oorings and many
window panes were shattered by the
force of the gale. In the suburbs trees
were jerked up by their roots and
other damage was done, none OF se-
rious nature, however. While the
Weather Bureau report shows that the
wind blew with velocity Of but twen-
ty-five miles an hour, it resembled a
hurricane
Almost without warning the storm
broke yesterday afternoon about 1
O'Clock, following a day of partial sun
shine. With it came thunder and
lightning and more wind The streets
ran rivers from curb to curb. and all
of those who were on the streets found
the usual shelters inadequate and were
drenched to tue skin.
Damage May lie Heavy.
The downpour yesterday afternoon
caused much damage. especially
around new buildings under course of
construction High water got into
the American Locomotive Works, but
the exact damage there could not be
ascertain last night. as the telephone
wires were affected, it being impossi-
BILE for the watehman TO get into COM
Inunication with anybody.
AT Main and Tenth Streets water
poured into the new post-oface exca-
walton from three sources. filing the
grave-like places which had been dug
for steel and concrete anchorage foun-
dations The wall on the Bank Street
side caved in slightly. It will be nee
essary to again remove the earth and
pump the water out of the eScava-
tions which were about ready for the
cement.
Caught in Chamberlayne Avenue
during the heaviest part of the rain.
a forty-horsepower motor car had to
plow hub-deep through the water.
The avenue was like lake. Water
got into the carbureter, stalling the
engine. The rain came SO unexpected
ly that thousands Of people In the
streets and parks were caught una
wares and drenched
All Came at Once.
While the Weather Bureau figures
show that liza inches fell between 4
o'clock and o'clock, the bulk of it
came down in less than one hour,
which was too much for the streets
and sewers to handle effectively. 1t
was the best cleaning, however, the
city has had in months. Ninth Street
at Main was like river. and In other
parts of town the freshet was just as
bad. People travelling in the open cars
could not sit down.
AS result of the storm there was
big drop in temperature, the rer-
curry shrinking from 81 degrees at
O'Clock to 10 toward night. For the
first time in a long time people got
a good nights sleep. and thousands
who had laid awake through many
weary nights on account of the ex-
treme heat made up for lost time and
retired early. All night long strong
breeze blew, and the wind could be
heard with glad satisfaction to whis-
tie through the trees. Surely, 1t was
grand night for sleeping.