Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-10-14
On the Isthmus They Know What
a Real Rainstorm Means.
LIKE SOLID WALLS OF WATER

1t Comes Down In Torrents So Dense
That the Rest of the World Seems to
Be Blotted out-One Three Hour
Downpour That Established Record.
Before us spread the reposing, pow
srful, sun shimmering Pacific. Across
the bay, clear as an etching, lay Pana-
ma, backed by Ancon hill. In regular
cadence the waves swept in on the
sands. Such was the scene described
by Mr.. Harry A. Franck in Zone Po-
liceman 49, when he and three COM
rades went one day for swim in, the
ocean.
We dived in, keeping an eye out for
the sharks, although we knew they
never came so far in and probably
would not bite if they did. The sun
blazed down white hot from cloud
less sky. The lieutenant and Sergeant
Jack had not been able to come, but
we arranged the races and jumps in
the. sand, fer all that, and after our
swim went into them with will and
A raindrop fell, then a few more,
then many more Before we had I'm
ished the hundred yard dash it was
undeniably raining. Half a minute
later "bucketfuls" would have been
weak smile. The blanket of water
blotted out Panama and Ancons hill
across the bay, blotted out the distant
bathers, then even those close at hand.
Werentained under water for time
to keep dry, But the rain whipped our
faces as with thousands of singing
lashes. We scrawled out and dashed
blindly up the bank toward the saw
mill, the rain beating on our all but
bare skins. 1t felt as it might feel to
stand in Mifaflores locks and let the
sand pour down. upon US from sixty
feet above When at last we stumbled
under cover and up the stairs to where
our clothing hung it was as If weight
of many tons had been lifted from our
shoulders.
The sawmill was without side walls
and consisted only of sheet iron roof
and floors. The storm pounded on the
roof with a roar that made the sign
language necessary. 1t was as II we
were surrounded on all sides by solid
walls Of water and forever shut off
from the outer world-if, indeed, that
had survived
Sheets Of water slashed in farther and
farther across the floor. We took to
budding behind beams and under saw
benches-the militant storm hunted us
out and wetted us bit by bit. "The
admiral and climbed up and tucked
ourselves away on the forty-flve degree
I beams up under the roaring roof. The
angry water gathered together in col
umns and swept in and UP to soak us.
At the end of an hour the downpour
had increased some hundred per cent
That was the day when little harmless
streams tore themselves apart into
great gorges and left their pathetic lit
tie bridges alone and deserted out in
the middle of the gulf That was the
famous May IL, 1912, when Ancon re-
corded the greatest rainfall in her his
tory-723 inches. virtually all within
three hours.
Three of us were ready to surrender
and swim home through it. But there
was 1.-THE admiral to consider. He
was dressed clear to his scarfpin, and
Panama tailors tear horrible holes in
a policeman's salary. So we waited
and lodged and squirmed into smaller
holes for another hour and grew steadi-
ly wetter.
AT length dusk began to fall, but in
stead of dying with the day the fury
of the storm increased. 1t was then
that 1.-THE admiral" capitulated, seeing
fate plainly in league with his tailor.
Wigwaggfng his decision to US, he led
the way down the stairs and dived into
the world awash.
Wet? We had not taken the third
step before we were streaming like
fire hose. There was nearly an hour
of it ,splashing knee deep through
what had been little, dry, sandy hoI-
lows; steering by guess. for the eye
could make out nothing fifty yards
ahead, even before the cheese thick
darkness fell; bowed like nonagena-
rians under the burden Of water, stag
gering back and forth as the storm
caught US crosswise or the earth gave
way under US. 1.-THE admirals'' patent |
leather shoes-but why go into pain
ful details?
The wall of water was as thick as |
ever when we fought our bowed and
weary way up over the railway bridge.
When we had gathered force for the
last dash we plunged toward our sew
eral goals. As the door Of III slam
med behind me the downpour suddenly |
slackened AS paused before my |
room TO drain IL STONED raining