San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-10
CLOUDbURST
IS PRECEDED
]. BY BIC HAIL
h - ~
Score Endangered as Tide
Sweeps Across Selma
~ Bridge.
WINDOWS SHATTERED
Dozen Cars Are Blown or
Washed Off Road
in Storm.
WINDOWS SHATTERED

49, -
hail storm with stones as large as
apples which broke hundreds of wind
dows, cloudburst fell northeast of
San Antonio at IL SO Monday night
and a score of persons narrowly es-
capped death as the flood waters broke
across the Selma bridge.
DR.. c. NJ. Gotham, GIG Patterson
avenue, Alamo Heights, who was re-
turning from a professional call, was
the first to approach the Selma bridge.
He could not stop his car in time and
the flood waters swept the heavy car
off the bridge into the rock bed of the
stream.
Another car approached from the
! other side sand it was swept off into
the stream. Shortly after this Red
/. Ball Cadillac came along and the
driver applied additional power and
the car ploughed across the bridge,
without going into the stream. Guards
were then placed at both ends of the
bridge.
A dozen cars were washed off the
road before warning was given and
the escape of the passengers was moth
ing short of miraculous. Doctor CO.
than said that he expected The flood
to wash his car down the stream
every minute.
Storm Seen Here.
A Ford car was blown off the road
into an adjoining cornfield by the
wind and many cars were blown into
bitches. Hail created havoc where
il fell and one farmer reported &c
windows broken in his home.
Residents of San Antonio watched
the almost continuous lightning as
the storm visited the section.
Six persons narrowly escaped be-.
ing trapped in fifteen-foot wall of
water which swept SLEEPY Hollow"
fourteen miles from San Antonio on
the Austin road. -
Chief of Police Van Ripper, station
officer, and Deputy Sheriff Charles
Peters were among those who respond
ed when reports reached central head
quarters that flood waters were sweep
ing the settlement. W. ra,s.... D.,
Damage TO growing crops in the
Cibolo valley will reach several thou
sand dollars. Titled ground, officers
say. was washed out carrying young
truck, corn and other plants away.
Fences Of pastures adjoining the CT
bolo valley and in the SLEEPY Hol-
low district were torn down by the
rush of water. The flat concrete
crossings at both places were made
dangerous of passage By reason of the
piling up of mud and gravel.
Rise Was Rapid.
"Slecpy Hollow" is situated on the
Austin road, practically midway be-
tween Frat station. 10 miles from San
Selma. which is is miles from San |
Antonio. 1t consists of nothing more |
than big low depression about which |
is small settlement of farmers. Its |
entire length, east and west. is es-
fimated at four miles and empties on |
the east end into wide flat country |
The high banks Of the Cibolo creek |
at the Selma crossing, it is believed. !
prevented the flood waters from |
spreading at that point and sweeping
the nearest farm houses and business |
establishments along the stream. The \
hanks lying TO the north of the flat |
crossing. which is apparently 200 feet |
in length. are about 80 feet above the |
bed Of the stream. The spread of
waters did not occur. it is said until |
after they had passed beyond the CEN
ter of Selma.
According to information given Off
GERS the rise OF the waters was un-
usually rapid. 1t followed several |
hours Of vivid display of lightning,
some thunder and at times the falling
of hail.
Telephones Are Cut.
d No reports came from Bracken,
Situated in the Cibolo valley TO the
northwest of Selma. Telephone com
munication was severed shortly before
The absence of reports from
other sections of the Cibolo valley to
the northwest. however. led officers
10 believe the cloudburst was confined
70 that section of the country lying
between "Sleepy Hollow" and Selma.
. territory embraced in square ap-
proximately five miles square.
The high wall of water. seemingly.
was of no great length for after sweep
ing through the valley at the Austin
road crossing. it subsided rapidly.
though the lowlands in the valley and
in the hollow to the south were COW
cred with from one to near three feet