Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-02
SUMMER STORM
OF GREAT VIOLENCE
SWEEPS OVER CITY
Much Damage Done by
Lightning and Heavy
Fall of Rain.
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Continued from First page.)
many times. and he had had experience
In buffeting with strong currents
But this current was stronger than he
| had thought. and the rope they had
! tied about him was large and heavy.
! He had gained hardly half the distance
when he flung up hand. With some
difficulty they hauled him back. Moth
| ing dauntcd, he volunteered to try
! again.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
RESCUED FROM WATER
This time they strapped a lighter
rope about him, attaching one end to
the larger rope he had jus, discarded
Police and firemen tcthercd themselves
to this end. and Ding bat" lcapod into
the rushing tide. He battled nightly
against the current. swimming with a
strong and steady stroke. He gained
his mark. AS he reached the sill of u
sccond-story window and pccrcd inside,
he found two women and three chill
! dren standing on the top of a table.
! The women were holding the children
IN their arms. The water was rising
about their necks. Between them and
the ceiling bare six inches remained
They were too tired to scream again.
They only looked at their rcscuer In
the window and nodded their thanks
"Dingbat"-he is better known by
| that name-tied the rope TO the win
dow sill. and. pulling himself hand
over hand across the manila. strovc
for his way back.
III the meantime Chief RATIO had
impressed into service truck of the
Street Cleaning Department and sent
it down to the rivers edge in Fulton
for n boat. The boat was brought
Captain Dawson and the negro swan
with 1t to the marooncd house, and
after hole had been cut in tho side
OF the house. the women and children
were lifted to safety. Still using the
rope. and with the aid Of other frcruen.
who had discarded everything but their
Undertaking, the boat was lowed to
shore The wet and bcdraggled women
and children were removed to the civ
Jail. where they dried their clothes
and where every attention was given
! TO them.
The women rescued from this build :
ing gave the names OF Lucy Harris and
Rachael Johnson. Three small ch;ldre n
were taken from the roof Of n near by
building and carried to safety in the
boat Those assisting the police and
firemcn In the rescue work were Lee
Lane. Christopher Columbus, Albert
Williams and Frank Baughan.
NEGRO FAMILIES ARE
| RENDERED. DESTITUTE;
Between nifty and sixty other fam
| lilies were rescued from houses higher
UP the street Here the current was
not so strong, and 1remen were able
10 use oars in taking tho boat back
and forth. Within little more than an
hour every man. woman and child on
the three blocks were rescued Many
of them were taken TO the First Police
station. where Captain Sowell and the
house officers cared for them. The sta
ton was ransacked for dry clothing
and every garment was given away.
All the negro families rescued are
poor. and the food rendered them desti-
tutc. Whom they were able to crawl
! INTO their homes again they found their
desolation complete. What had not
been washed away was ruined They
had not even crumb to eat \ move
ment to raise funds for their relief
has already been begun. The police
hwcre the first to help. Fireuen and
police were first and ioudest In their
praise of the heroism OF James Jones,
nick named "DinEbat." and Major
Werner said last night that he was
deserving of Carnegie medal.
SHoCkoE CREEK FLOODS
INTO MAIN STREET
With the marooned people of Fif-
teenth Street rescued and safely housed
the Police and Fire Departments turned
! their attention to other calls Main
street, between Fifteenth and sixteenth
was flooded with three feet of water
Every cellar was trimming The tide
! had risen above sidewalk, and from
| Iony Panatonis confectionery al 1873
| East Main Street, to the saloon OF D
mailman and Brother, 1861 East Main
every floor was covered in water vary
inG in depth from three inches to half
foot Men rolled their trousers above
the knee, and worked for hours ladlIpg
the water ont with big dppers or
sweeping it out with brooms. QUAINT
ties of merchandise were ruined. Much
was saved by piling it on shelf and
counter when the merchants realized
| that destruction was imminent
! Several hundred people had come
/ down 10 look at the wreck and ruin
ana were about to turn away when
/ there came sudden roar and crash
At o'clock the building at 1888 East
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