The Irish standard., 1913-08-02
ICYCL0N|C STORM
HITS WASHINGTON
SCORES INJURED; THREE KILLED
MUCH PROPERTY
WRECKED.
VELOCITY OF GALE 70 MILES
Holds City HeIpless-Ftftssn Persons
Buried In Wreckage Of Demolished
Three-Story Buildlns-$ $1,000
Bills Carried Away.

Washington, July 31.-Like a giant
hail, cyclonic storm of wind, rain
and hail whipped back and forth across
the nations capital, leaving death and
ruin in its wake.
Three dead, scores injured. and hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars worth of
property ruined were the toll recorded
In hurried canvass made when the
city reused itself from half an hour of
.helplessness in the grasp of the Gle
ments.
Temperature Was 100.
Out Of a blazing sky, under which the
city was sweltering with the temper
allure at The 100 point, came the storm
roaring from the north, driving mass
OF clouds that cast . mantle of dark
ness over the town.
The gale. reaching velocity of near
ly 70 miles an hour, swept the streets
clear, unroofed houses, tore detached
small structures from their founda-
tons. wrecked one Office building,
overturned wagons and carriages in
the streets and swept Washingtons
hundred parks. tearing huge branches
from the trees. and even uprooting
sturdy old elms, the landmarks of q
century.
Wash1ngton's well-kept streets, with
their wealth OF trees, were Uttered
with broken foliage, roofs, debris and
dead birds. a. il q playful giant had
carelessly swished his club up and
down the city.
Temperature Drops to 80.
As the wind wreaked its havoc the
rain came and In i've minutes the tenn
perature had dropped from the hum
dred mark to between 60 and 10. Then
the rain turned to hail and hailstones
battered on roofs and crashed through
skylights and windows.
For half an hour the city covered.
paSal1zed, under the beating Of the
storm. every activity suspended. Troll.
ley lines. telephone lines and street
trafdlc were halted and the government
departments suspended operations.
The wind wrecked q three-story
brick otaos building occupied by the
B. 8. Saul company, real estate deal
ers, and IL persons were carried down
In the crash. w. e. Hilton, vice
president Of the real estate company;
Thomas B. Fealy. IS years old, clerk
and an unidentified man who entered
the building trying to rescue those
caught in tho wreck, were taken from
the wreck, dead. Half a dozen more
were treated for slight injuries.
White House Lawns Devastated.
The neatly kept lawns of the White
House were devastated. Three huge
elm trees, uprooted by the wind,
were thrown across tho lawn and up
to the very portico Of the building,
blocking the drives.
President Wilson was seated in the
executive offices when the wind crash
cd through several windows in the
house porch.
Secretary Tumulty hurried the
president and Representative Korbly
Of Indiana, with whom he was con-
ferrinE, to . sheltered interior room,
away from the searching lightnine
flashes.
The capitol set high above tho
city. caught the brunt of the wind,
hail and lightning. The senate was
In session when tho hail swept down
with daafening roar. beating on the
glass roof Of the chamber. The tn.
mutt made further business impos-
sible. and ~urrying to the vice presi-
dents desk. Senator Kern. megaphon.
ed With his hands q motion to re-
cess. The motion was put, and al.
though the senator's could hear moth.
ing. the senate quit work for IL min.
utes In pnfusion.
Palnter> Caught on Capitol Dome.
When the storm broke. IS painters
were at work on the dome Of the
capitol, swarming over the curvins
surface or swinging high on shaky
sceffoldinE.
At the bureau Of printing and en-.
craving, ~hr-s hundreds Of women
are employed, the wind, sweeping
through huge window. sent a storm
OF broke~ glass hurting through the
big press r>oms. Eight or 10 women
were cut by falling glass and one
printer, John Rhodes, received severe
scalp wounds.
While the excitement was at its
height, the wind caught bundle Of
1000 ono dollar bills. half finished,
and swept It through the broken win
dow. The bundle was ripped =, pieces
and the bills scattered far a vide.
Democratic and Republican, Clash.
Washington. July S1.-Democrata
and Republicans Of the senate clashed
again In debate on the Underwood