Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-02

West End, burst from its bound, ara
swept across the narrow plain on bo,h
sides of it's bed. The sewer cons,ruo-
'ion recently begun by Contractor III.
H. George, was tossed aside and
smashed against the banks as IL II had
been only hardened paste. Tho food
backed into the shops of the Rich
mond branch of the American Locono.
1--WE works, and buried the floor he
meath fve feet of muddy water. Oils
and grease and the lighter tools wer.
washed away Damage was dono ..
the shrapnel machines, and others will
DC coated with rust when tho water
shall have rcccded.
Inc night shift which goes on at 10
o'clock. was called on, and $50 men
were put TO work sweeping the water
OUT and in repairing the damage tho
Iushing tide had done II was said
mat the day shift Will be able to 20
10 work this morning
REPORTS Or DAMAGE
FROM ALL SECTIONS
In Highland Park the Methodist
church was struck by lirh,ninr 1'ho
a'ecPle was rent from the roof and
p"r' Oh Inc front portion of the build
ing was blown in. Par, of tho ron,
anu portion OF an end OF the Baker
street school was blown away. TN.
large plat" glass front OF the Blue Rib
bon Garage, on West Broad Street. was
smashed In The Swift Packing Com
pany. Seventeenth and Marshal
streets. lost, it is said, meat valued ar
$4,000, when the water swecnnd In
ana drippcd to the cellar. In the First
Market several hundred chickens were
drowned.
ONE LIFE IS LOST
IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY
In William Byrd Park Ave bows TOOL,
refuge under a large tree The tree
was struck by lightning and shivered,
but none Of the boys was hurt. In
Nhes,ciheld County a toll OF one life
was taken. The home of w r. Mizen.
at Chesterfield Place, two miles from
petersburg. was struck by lightning,
the bolt dcmoiishing and passing
through the rear of the building.
carroll Brown. sixteen years old, a
nephew OF Mr.. MiZcn. who was sitting
In the hallway was struck and in
stantly killed. Mr. Mizeif and his wife
We're severely shocked. and physicians
wer" summoned to attend Mrs. M!zefr
O!dtown Creek and Swift Creek over
ran their banks. and the Virginia Rail-
way and Power Company was forced TO
transfer passengers at Swift Creek. the
ahutments Of the bridge having been
weakened by the water
y thunder clap hcraldcd the storm
shortly after o'clock. At 2:3o II began
TO rain. Half an hour later Richmond
settled down to watch the storm. II
was such Il storm as the city had not
expected.
WEATHER BUREAU RECORDS
2.2i INCHES OF RAIN
According to tho Weather Bureau. 1t
broke Into its greatest intensity exact
~ at GAS, when the rain came down in
slithering sheets and the wind rose 10
inches OF rain had fallen. and II was
still coming down. Tho total rainfall
measured up TO 6 o'clock was 22l
Inches. and II was still raining The
wind rose from forty-cght miles an
hour At 1855 o'clock TO nf-y-sx miles
an hour at $3.50 o'clock Thereafter II
blew in gusts. at times softcnIng 10
gentle breeze, at others running at hur-
ricanc rate. II was not quite so hot as
on Saturday the thermometer reaching
% degrees AT noon. The minimum was
6s degrees. and the mean temperature
50 degrees. five degrees more than nor
NAL
StunE to bitter resentment by their
severe losses. the merchants OF East
Main and Franklin Streets placed blame
upon the city, alleging that the city
had neglected properly 10 wall in
Shockoe Creek. and to provide for It's
overflow. They began Immediately
after the storm to discuss among them
selves whether they could bring suit
against tho city for its alleged neglect.
MAIN STREET MERCHANTS
MAY SUE CITY OF RICHMOND
That the damage was inflicted by tho
overflow from Shockoc Creek is beyond
question. The water was without free
way to the river. and II came down
with such rush that II walled up and
backed from the mouth of the tunnel
under Main Street. II surged around
Seventeenth Street and sought it's level
in front of Main Street station. 1t
backed up in Fifteenth Street until
there was deep waterway from Mar
shall to Brown. This morning the
streets where the water stood are COW
cred with silt and Shiny mud. Cellars
are still filled with water, and shops
are not yet thoroughly clean. The
water rose with tremendous swiftncss.
1t receded with almost equal rap!dity
But in an hour it had inflicted more
damage than is done by the James
River in ono of its summer or SPRING
time floods. IT has made destitute
three score negro families. II has
aroused bitter anger among the Main
Street merchants. IT may mean fnan-
cial loss to the city.