The Washington herald., 1921-07-16
Nearby Property Loss Es-
timated Nearly Half
Million Dollars.
CAPITAL TIED UP
OVER TWO HOURS
White House Guard Hurt.
Havoc General Along
Seaboard.

stock damaged to the extent Of near
ly half a million dollars when the
most severe rain. hail and electrical
storm since 1913 swept Washington
and its environs shortly after ,
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Government and private business
was disturbed. Easements OF build
ings In various parts Of the city were
flooded, telephone and telegraph ser
vice was interrupted. electric lights
were out. street car trafhc was de-
lsyed and the city was in darkness
and a state Of decentralization for q
period Of more than two hours
Creps suffer Damage.
Farmers in agricultural distrIers
surrounding the city reported the
storm as the most disastrous In
many years. and expressed the be-
lief that 1t would practically mean
the ruin Of potao and corn crops in
this section. Livestock was report
ed killed and injured
Opening with yiyic flashes of
lightning. deafening peals Of thunder
and a deluge Of rain shortly after
O'Clock. the storm cast a pail Of
black clouds over the city, which,
ewing 20 the cessation Of electric
power made the city as dark as
night. which did not subside until
reariy 5:3o o'clock.
struck Dead by LiEhtnisE.
Hurled seventeen feet in the air
as the result Of being struck by q
bolt Of lightning while standing be-
meath q tree at Seventh and X
streets northwest, an unidentified
negro boy. 1s years old. was killed
at 3:3o o'clock yesterday afternoon.
He was pronounced dead by Emer-
gency Hospital physicians who re-
sponded 70 the call. The body was
removed to the District morgue.
The victim OF the storm wore a
white striped shirt. blue serge
knickerbocker trousers and patent
leather shoes. The police were un-
able to find any marks on the cloth
ing which would lead TO the idey
tifcation of the body.
white Hes.e Guard I.J.red-
During the most severe part of
the storm lightning struck near the
White House and Special Oficer
John d. Hauze. Of the Second pre-
cinct. who was telephoning at the
time in the small guard house at
the east entrance to the White
House grounds. was bowled over
and shocked. Aside from a painful
strain, Hauze escaped without in
jury.
President Warren c. Harding was
sitting at his desk just a short dis
tance from the place where the
bolt struck and Afterwards Rd-
mitted that IL startled him greatly.
siI Hurt st Csnp meade.
Six soldiers were injured. one Sc
riously. when a bolt of lightning
struck the mess hall at Camp
Meade: however. all are expected
to recover. One OF the men was
painfully burned about the chest.
while another was hurled through
window and was severely In
jured about the arm and oody.
The building was only slightly
damaged.
Upward OF thirty trees were up
rooted by lightning bolts in Va
rious parts Of the city. in many
cases seriously obstructing traffic
Some OF the obstructions were To-
Gated at Second and Elm sJreetr
northwest, North Capitol and Lin-
coin road northeast. Ninth and o
streets northeast. Lincoln road and
Q streets northeast, Second and
Florida avenue northeast, NJ street
between First and North Capitol
streets northwest, First sreeet be-
tween n and c streets northwest.
North Capitol and o streets north
east. in front OF 150S Third street
northwest. IS o street northwest
50 o sreet northwest, IL s street
northeast, l7l2 Second street north
west. and l2l2 Florida avenue
northwest
Power station Cut on.
Almost simultaneous with the
darkness caused by the storm, the
Benning power plant of the Poto-
mac Electric Power Company suf-
fered a breakdown which incapsc-
itated all of the various sub-sta-
tions throughout the city stopping
Capital Traction Company crs and
leaving business places. stores and
the city streets in darkness.
Lightning striking the trans
formers at the BenninE plant caused
a reduction in the voltage sufficient
to render all OF the sub-stations
helpless, according TO officials at
the plant Service was interrupted
for two hours before the damage
could be repaired. owing to the fact
that the company does not have
storage batteries to care for such
emergencies.
Practically all once buildings
were dsrkened to such an extent
as to make the continuation OF
business impossible. while depart
ment stores were forced TO give
their patrons candles so that they
could ind their way to the streets.
BUSINESS Loses Heavily.
An investigation into the stop
page Of electric power yesterday
and in an effort 10 Improve the
service in the future will be con-
Quoted by Charles J. Columbus, sec
retsry Of the Merchants and Msau-
facturers' Association. in conjune-
ton with the associations cammfts
tee on lights and power. I'd
The loss to business through me
occurrence is inestimsble.' said Co
il lumbus last night. The fifteenth
day Of every month is the busiest
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.