The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-07-31
GALE HITS CAPITAL;
TWO PERSONS DIE
Reported That Property Loss
viii Be Big.
U. $. BUILDINGS DAMAGED
Bolts Of Lightning Tear Big Holes In
Structures at Washinston-Panic
I Is Averted at Ball Park-Most
Severe Storm In Years.

Washington, July 31.--Several per.
sons were injured, two persons lost
their lives and many small buildings
were demolished and a large proper
ty loss was caused by terrific wind,
rain and hail storm which swept
Washington. The wind blew seventy.
two miles an hour and more than one
and one-half inches Of rain fell in an
hour. }.i
Senate Stampeded by Storm.
When the thunderous hailstorm
struck the din in the senate cham
Der was so great that recess was
ordered. 1t was in the midst OF a
roll call for a quorum. SO loud was
the noise that Senator Kern, with his
hands to his mouth, ran to the ros-
trum and had to shout his motion for
q recess. .....
The temperature almost instantly
dropped forty degrees -...
Walter e. Hilton, vice-president Of
a local real estate company, and one
unidentified man, were killed in. the
collapse of building.
Holes Torn in U. s. Building.
Several persons were reported in
jured in the wreck of another demol-
ished building, not seriously. The
pension Office, post Office and other
government buildings had large holes
torn in their roofs by lightning.
Four painters working on a swing
ing scaffold atop the dome Of the
capitol were caught there in the gale,
more than $50 feet above the ground.
AS the storm abated rescue parties
went to their assistance.
AS the storm cleared, reports Of
houses unroofed and demolished be-
gan to trickle into police headquar-
tiers, but without definite information
of loss of life or Injury. 1t seemed
that the property loss at least would
be large.
Panic Averted at Bali Park.
An immense crowd gathered at the
American league park for the Wash
ington-D Detroit game and was caught
in the gale.
Cool heads kept the crowd at the
baseball park from starting a panic.
No one was hurt there. The water
was two feet deep in the field.
AS all telephone operators aban-
doned their switchboards in panic. re-
ports of the actual results Of the
storm were slow in coming in.
One house was wrecked in the
northwest section of the city. A
woman and three children took refuge
In a large refrigerator and escaped
injury in the ruins.
Capitol Grounds Devastated.
The capitol grounds and other Of
the citys parks looked as If some
giant reaper had stalked through, cut
ting down trees. In the wet grasses
lay thousands of birds killed by the
hailstones. Motor cars left unguard-
ed in the streets were overturned and
demolished like toys; horses, terri
fed by the pelting of the hail and the
shrieking of the wind, dashed driver
less through the streets until col
lision with some other fleeing thing
stopped them. The floor Of the IA
nous old aqueduct bridge at George
town was ripped from the Orders and
the passageway will be useless for
some time. ..
1t was the most severe storm In the
memory of those familiar with the
electrical disturbances Of torrid
Washington summer.
City In Almost Total Gloom.
The storm, which was at its fury
probably twenty-five minutes, was ac-
.companied by almost total darkness
As soon as the telephone systems be-
gan working and the police and fire
alarm systems were restored calls be-
gan to pour over the wires. The fires
were insignificant, but the police pa
trolls rushed squads Of men to search
the wrecked buildings. There were
reports that others were in the build
ing where Hilton and the unidenti-
fed man were killed, and rescuers
worked diligently to find them.
The excursion steamer Charles War
ner, with 100 people aboard, was blown
aground without casualty and four
people were rescued from sinking
tug opposite the naval magazine.