The Washington times., 1922-09-02

RAIN HERE.
IS. WORST 7
SINCE 1878
Streets Flooded, Traffic Tied
Up, and Thousands Of
Workers Delayed.

Washington was drenched early
today by the hardest rain storm
in forty-four years. Suburban
roads were washed out, traffic
was at a standstill, and the dam
age will run into the thousands.
Government department rolls
this morning bore names Of thou
sands of absentees and late COM
ers. Street cars from the out
lying districts crawled into the
city with schedules thrown to the
winds. rr-' ...- <
Rain An over East.
rhe weather Bureau reported that
virtually all the Middle Atlantic
States experienced heavy showers
last night. y.st =. M
The ram began at IS5 o'clock this
morning, and continued, practically
without abatement. until 1915. Dur.
ing that time Sic inches fell. This
figure, according to the Weather
Bureau, is the largest Washington
has known since July, 1878. when
record of $50 inches was established.
J. b. Gordon, District sanitary
engineer, reported considerable
trouble with sewers. Emergency
crews were at work early today
clearing sewers where the water had
resulted in a practical tie-up of
operation. The sewer crew expert
enced the greatest difficulty at
Seventeenth and q streets, where
the water was several feet deep,
flooding many nearby cellars.
Traffic Is Delayed.
A. H. Ferrandou, Of the Wash.
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany, reported a tie-up at Seventh
and F streets. due to the flooding Of
the conduit with water. Traffic was
stopped at 7:45 ard resumed twenty
minutes later. In other sections Of
the city service was delayed several
minutes by water in the conLuits.
Clifford Lanham, superintendent OF,
| trees and parking, said the storm
had little effect on the trees Of the
city. Only one was reported blown
down. Branches were blown from
many other trees, however. Usually
from twenty to fifty trees are blown
down during a storm.
In the outlying sections considcrl.
BILE mud was washed from terraces
into the streets. Streets of the city
which have not been improved today
gave the appearance of huge mud
puddles, and the highways depart.
ment expects to I've at considerable
expense to rut these streets In proper
shape. '.
Taxi concerns throughout the city
began a rush service early this morn
ing. BY O'Clock 1t was practically
impossible to get a taxi. all of them
being out carrying workers down.
town. .'r
A washout at Four Mile Run, near
Alexandria. at o'clock today
tied up practically the entire system
Of the Washington.VirRini Railway
Company. Cars are only running to
Four Mile Run and there is no
service from this point to Alexandria
or Mt. Vernon. At l o'clock TODAY
officials Of the company reported
that the line was still out OF service.
"a Harding Defers Golf.
President Harding planned to
play golf on the Chevy Chase links
today, but changed his mind on
learning that the Connecticut ay.
enue bridge. which he would have
to cross. had turned into veritabie
ford. The water was said to be
two and one-half feet deep on the
bridge. iE
Water undermined the founda.
ton Of wall In the rear of the
home Of c. Irving Wood. 1873 Wis.
consin avenue. 'resulting In the
collapse of the wall.
A wash-out near the Eleventh
Precinct police station, Morris road
and Nichols avenue, Anacost'a
caused temporary suspension Of
service on the Anacostia and Con.
Rress Heights trolley lines. A great
wafer-fifled gap on Morris road pro-
hibited street traffic.
At about the line downtown work.
ers were wondering whether their