The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-06-25
Wind Resembles Small Hur-
ricane and Leaves Consider
able Damage in Its Wake
BIG ELECTRICAL SIGN
ON HOTEL BLOWN DOWN
Falls on Broad Street But No
One Is Hurt-Establishment
Of Jacob Umlauf Is Almost
Demolished

Richmond suffered considerably
yesterday from one OF the most ter
rife thundersto ms that his struck
the city for some time. Wind travel
ing at a rate to resemble small hur-
ricane swept the city. leaving dam
age In its wake, and sharp lightning
struck number OF places Ram zen
in tor ents. overlooking sewers ana
causing several small washouts about
the city 1t is estimated that the dam
age in the city will go high in the
thousands OF Collars, in addition to
great damage done in the outlying
sections, where buildings were blown
down. and crops were destroyed ny
the heavy fat Of matt.
In every part of the city tnnumer-
able trees were pulled by the roots
from the ground by the wind that left
q mark of It's visitation on practically
every street Where the trees were
not uprooted entirely. they were be
-rs.ft- of their branches. which we're
piled high In many sections. Small
houses were totally demolished, roofs
o. others taken from the buildings and
carried some distance. many places de-
naoiished by bolts of lightning. tele-
phone and telegraph wires laid on the
ground. and around eco OF the city
telephones pat out of cimmisson.
Big Electric sign Falls.
The creates damage wrought in the
city was the total destruction OF the
big electric sign on the rof OF Muir
phys hotel. and the practical de-
moi;shment Of the store of Jacob TIM
Haauf. at 1926 West Broad street. The
caqer Of the big steel water tank on
the roof CT the Broad Street annex Of
Murphy's hotel was canEat Mp by tsss
wind and hurled across the street
crashing into the roof OF ST. Peters
Catholic church. at Eighth and Grace
streets The wind. which travelled at
q maximum OF sixty miles An hour.
tore a number OF roofs from houses
A remarkable thing of the storm. one
years was that no report was made OF
Of the worst visited this section IN
any persoa he.sg Burt. n
The large Sign on the roof OF Muir
phys hotel was brought down Just
when tn estorui was al its zenith. The
wind. as X playing with paper, caught
&hA heavy steel framework OF the
sien. and crumpling 1t up. dashed 1t
70 the roof OF the hotel Fortunately
none Of the pieces fell to the street
hut two Of them fell through the sky
aiah4 Of the kitchen OF the hotel.
lhreaktnx some large glasses but other
than exc4ung the kitchen attendants.
did no damage. The electric sign an
Nurphy's hotel avs placed on the top
= 49, 49,, .isvstors r. vss valued
sSnnc
Tnrrrh II Damaged
w. shcnt The tina frat the hrn
was brought down the wind caught
- thn Cove 81 the huge steel water
49,, ~ thA roof Of the Broad street
scrSr a. the hotel. and hurting IL
nf9h n the air, brought 1t down on
~ roof Of 81. Peters church. A
.Aah was cut in the roof. Just at
shaf dime. about 4 o'clock, a funeral
49, scheduled to take place from the
church, and the crash delayed the
funeral until the extent OF the dam
40 was ascertained. II II estimated
4hat the damage to the church will
,nroeed 81, 900.
while the damage to the store OF
Jacob umiAuf. of West Broad street.
could not BE- arrived at last night. 1t
Il believed it will amount to several
nsdiy damaged. and the stock was
also destroyed. Lightning struck the
front Of the store, demolishing part
of II entirely. Rain afterwards pour
"a into tho building, flooding the cel-
lar ana damaging the stock and fur
a5nhinG.
The telephone company reported
that the wind and lightning had put
something like zoo telephones out or
order. Flying housetops had pronght
Sewn wires IN various paris u 'ne
lightning had burnt out other instru-
0snts = speciai lofee 81 men vas
put on following the Storm. ana last
n,sna nam hasr nn, IN w arau .e nr-