Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-06-12
|precipitation of 3.45 Inches
in 90 Minutes Heaviest
In Years.
LARGEST PART OF
COUNTY ESCAPES
Grpotest Rainfall Occurs in City.
Where All Traffic Ceases, Streets
Becoming Like Mountain
Torrents.

The heaviest rainfall in several
years occurred within an hour and-a..
half yesterday when a cloudburst de-
lged Pine Bluff and the immediate
vicinity. Lightning during the storm
burned out switches at the plant of
the Pine Bluff company, and the city
was without car service, and cleo
tricty for power and lights for
several hours.
The rain totalled 3.45 inches, ac-
cordng to L. S. Weather Observer
W. P. McGeorge. The annual normal
rainfall for this section is 40 inches.
The rain was confined to small
belt of about 10 miles around the
city. Altheimer, Sheriff., Tucker,
Wabbascka, and other towns on the
north side of the river had a general
rain no heavier than the usual rain
Streest Become Rivers.
Pine Bluff probably suffered the
heaviest rain. For over an hour, the
rain fell in torrents, washing away
one street, and flooding practically
every part of town. Olive street,
which usually suffers even in the
gentlest rain, was completely washed
away, and blocks from the pave
ment, were stacked up in the south
end two and three feet high. An
automobile in front of Mrs. W. z.
Iankersley's home was wedged in by
the blocks, and it will be impossible
to bulge the car until the blocks are
dried and picked away. Blocks from
Walnut street at Fourth avenue,
were washed over to Main street.
All the picture shows discontinued
operations. The vaudeville perfor-
nance at the Orpheo continued, two
performances being given by "Slats"
Allard and his troupe. Lights were
furnished by candles, auto lights, and
numerous Their means. The drug
stores and other stores which habit
lually keep open at night were lighted
by candles and lamps until the bust
ness lights came on. Restaurants
equipped with gas lights maintained
a bright interior.
Corn Crop Suffers.
:, Une plot of corn near the city was
llattened by the driving rain, and
crops on other small tracts suffered
similar fate. The damage to the far
mers close in to the city is indeed
serious, information from some of
Chese districts stating that the fields
were deep in water, and that the
crops would(be a total loss.
North Side of River Escapes.
), information from the north side of
lne river is more encouraging, Althei-
1 asr was visited by several rains at
u. Inherent times yesterday, none of
ias unusually. B. L. Wiley, a
Urge planter near Aletheimer,. stated
Sst night that the crops had as much
ram as they could stand, and that
aa1ny more would mean a great loss.
ne stated that he was planning to
plant corn on cotton land within the
n na: lew days should there be more
AAdvlces from Sheriff. last night
,nacated that no more than the usual
~ nad fallen yesterday, and that
~ uahage to crops was no greater
s4s would be under the circum--
ss1Lance Stances. The crop conditions at
n';.h however. seem identical
Nun those at Altheimer. At Wab-
No" "sek k, there was a rain, but it was
Lightning Damages Powcrhouse.4
n.n Inc rain in the city was accom-
p panled by very little electrical dis
Day aay' the only serious Tightening
s st reported was the bolt which
a all E, the power plant. AS result
I'll thoi iights in the city were off, while
s ste power for motors caused the
s a,ree5 cars to stop. The cars re-
strne4 traffic about 9:45, while the
o,cloa S Nights came on about 10
ON ,'1 h Other business lights were
th by 1880 o'clock. At ii o'clock
were r. still off.
Of me NJ Graphs suffered as a result
W " me E It, trouble at the power house
and and XII killed, and both the mechanical
ont t ia e;oltorlal departments were with
Sut lights until 1O,En .,z1-J