Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-07-20
FIERCE STORM
STRIKES CITY
Rain, Hail, Thunder and
Lightning Yesterday
Afternoon.
DAMAGE BY HIGH WIND
Many Sections of City Flooded
Sewers Become Choked and Wa
ter Pours Into Cellars


ten days suffered a setback yesterday
after the storm which visited this
city and reighborhood had spent it.
self. Early in the night there was 4
continuance Of the rainfall minus the
storm feature, when the wind turned
from the south to the north, causing
the temperature to drop considera-
bly,. The wind has continued in that
quarter today and the weather has
been cool, in marked contrast to that
of yesterday when the power Of the
suns were pierce.
The storm of yesterday afternoon
was akin to that of July so, 1918, as
the rainfall was heavy and some hail
fell. The wind, however, did not at
tain the same velocity. Two years ago
it blew at the gait Of 72 miles an
hour, and many buildings were GAM
aged. The cloud yesterday was ore
of the the blacklist that ever settled
over the city and it was heavily
charged with electricity. The light
ming was for some time almost in
cessant and the heavy crashes Of
thunder were startling. The electric
fluid, however, caused no damage, as
far as can be learned.
The wind, however, was at times
high, and this element and the heavy
rain fall caused considerable damage.
The rain was one of the heaviest
in many years. Cellars and sewers
were flooded and streets were con-
verted into rivers while roads in out
lying districts were badly damaged.
The worst damage, from a none
tary point of view, was the wreck
ing of the big hydroaeroplane Clare,
which is a complete wreck at the dock
off the old Pioneer mills. The wind
picked up the machine. inverted il,
wrecking one of , the pontoons and
smashing the frame work upon piles
near which it was moored.
The storm started at 2:25 o'clocl:
and it was 3:25 o'clock when the down
pour ceased.
Most of the cellars of merchants in
King street, as well as I'M many other
streets. We're flooded, most of the dam
age being. caused when the sewers
became clogged. ~
S,Upper King street looked like q
lake. Hooff's run, near Union Station
oyerf1owed, and the railroad tracks in
that section were covered with wa
ter. All: along the ;line of the electric
railway company's tracks considerable
damage was ,done when the rain
loosened up the ballast. Property in
every low section of the city was bad
ly flooded, certain sections resembl-
ing miniature lakes.
In <Rosemont the roads were badly
torn up and cellars flooded, while in
certain parts of this place sidewalks
were ripped up by the rain and the
bricks were carried a considerable
distance by the downpour.
Large numbers of merchants re-
port much damage to goods stored IN
their cellars.
In the city hall building there were
several leaks before the storm subsid-
ed, both the Offices of Commissioners
of Revenue Callahan and City Trea-
surer Robinson being soaked. Smali
houses on the outskirts of the city
were flooded, especially'those in the
vicinity of Princess street. between
Fairfax and Royal streets.
The wind in the city did not as
sumo any great velocity, although q
number. OF treeSt were razed by the
storm. Roads of both Alexandria anc
Fairfax counties were made impas
sable in certain parts