Evening star., 1912-09-08
Heavy DoWnpour of Rain, Ac-
companied by Lightning.
SCARE AT THE NAVY YARD
Building Filled With Explosives
Thought to Have Been Struck.
VERY LITTLE DAMAGE Is DONE
Streets FILLED With Water and
Cars Are Delayed-Theater-
goers Suffer.

Sonsfoeraple uneasineSs was experience
ed by persons In the navy yard a few
| minutes after O'Clock during last nights
heavy thunderstorm. when lightning
struck near one OF the buildings in which
high explosives are stored There was a
bright light following the flash OF light
ming. and ii was feared the building had
| been fired
The calling out of the fire department
| In the yard was quickly followed by the
sounding OF an alarm from box 5cs the
private box in the yard. s,lm1noning sew
| eral fire companies Chief Wagner also
| hurried to the scene
| Ffremea who responded to the alarm
were unable TO find any blaze 1t was
explained that the bright light seen in
the building was caused by the blowing
out OF fuse. No blaze followed, how
ever. and no damage was done
Naval officers and their families occ1I-
pants OF houses In the yard. were great
| ~ relieved when informed there was no
| nre. Had a fire started in the building
| In which high explosives were stored IA
ts probable that the other buildings on
the reservation would have been deserted
| without delay.
Capt. Schneider's Home Struck.
Police Capt. Henry Schneider of the
seventh precinct came near being render
ed homeless during the storm II was a
| fortunate thing for him that he hurried
home when he realized storm was ap-
preaching. for lightning struck the side
OF his summer home near Little Falls
| station on the Cabin John electric line
and started a fire.
His house was struck by lightning about
| ten minutes after the fire scare al the
navy yard. The Misunderstanding was
torn from the side and a blaze. started,
! and had 1t not been for quick action on
the part Of Capt Schneider and his son,
Harry. the house probably would have
been destroyed
A message was sent to No. 8 engine
company. the company nearest the scene
or the blaze, and while waiting for the
firemen to respond the captain and his
! SON extinguished the flames Capt.
$50.
Theatergoers Drenched.
Last nights storm. while it brought
most welcome GOODNESS after the heat
or the day, CAME at q most inopportune
time. The theatergoers were on their
way to the various amusement places
when the storm came up. and many q
pretty frock was ruined before its wearer
could find a place of shelter.
The storm had threatened for several
| hours. heavy clouds banked in the north
i
The weather man, however. had predicted
probably fair weather for the evening.
and the streets were crowded when the
rain finally began to pelt down.
| Within few minutes the downtown
streets were miniature rivers. The slots
OF the car lines filled with water bring
ing about tie-ups of varying length At
14th street and New York avenue the
| condufts spouted water like fountains, the
water pouring down the incline from 18th
| and H streets in torrents and tying up
the cars on all lines at and near that
| Intersection Georgetown and Mount
| Pleasant cars were held for about half
an hour. while cars on the New York
| avenue lines were unable to proceed for
an even longer period In other parts
| of the city the same thing occurred, and
street car delays gave excuses for many
broken appointments.
Heavy thunder and brilliant display
of lightning accompanied the downpour.
Little wind accompanied the rain.
Not in Bureaus Calculations.
The forecaster at the weather bureau
said last night that the storm was pure
ly local in character. and that IL did not
enter into the bureaus calculations when
yesterdays forecast was issued While
the storm Is characterized as local it
extended over considerable territory in
| this immediate region. At Baltimore al
most an inch of rain fell during a severe
thunderstorm about o'clock while heavy
| rain and plenty of thunder and lightning
visited Rockville shortly before o'clock.
The weather bureau reported last night
that 176 inches of rain fell between 7.45
and 0:46 O'Clock. The rain was practically
over at $40 o'clock. however. indicating
| an inch and three-Quarters of rain In Q
flittle less than two h0urs.
County Roads Washed Out.
number Of washouts on county roads
in this vicinity resulted from tho storm.
but none OF them was reported Is being
serious enough to interfere with tra1nc.
Many residents Of Maryland and Virginia
who were attending tho local markets
were detained By the storm. and the
damaged roads In some cases gave them
trouble In reaching their homes.
Numerous excavations in the city filled
/ with water. An excavation on 18th street
north OF Florida avenue not only filled
with water. but the walls gave way in
several places, making the conditions ap-
pear dangerous. and the police advised
the sewer department that 1t would be
we'll to have the excavation looked after
i No trouble was experienced on the river,
so far as the police were advised, ana no
accidents of any kind happened to the
small craft.
The heavy rains caused a washout near
| the south end of the Piney Branch bridge
over 18th street northwest. The dam
age however. was reported by the police