Evening star., 1925-09-07
HOUSES UNROOFED
IN FREAK STORM
Woman PIunges Down Stairs
With Baby-Another Is
Hit by Flying Limb.

frea kish local thunderstorm. de-
scrihed hy the Weather Bureau as
similar 10 that which wrecked the
Shena ndoah.' swept down on Sout h.
east Washington last night and left
in it's Ike trail OF unroofed houses.
demolished chimneys and walls and
broken trees There We're no serious
Injuries reported. although many mar
row escapes were being talked about
today
The white cloud which was the
only warning tho section had of the
impending wind and rain storm,
seemed To touch most of the city, hut
superfcially until it reached the cliff
overlooking the railroad tracks and
Eastern Bra nch. when it proceeded to
vent its wrath on A row of brick
dwellings on l. street between Thir-
teenth and Fourteenth streets south
east.
Houses Unroofed.
Half dozen of the houses in this
block were completely unroofed by
the fury OF the gale, the heavy tin
covering being rolled up like SO much
foil in some places. while in others
the entire covering, S-inch rafters and
all. was wrenched loose and hurled
hundred feet down the railroad en-
ha nkment.
Leaping from the cliff to the op-
pOsite side OF the river, the storm
struck the new Government recreation
building in Anacostia Park in course
OF completion. and pushed in the en-
tire entrance wall Of brick. with it's
doorways. Continuing on it's way. the
disturbance leveled scores of large
trees along the road to Marlboro and
on into Maryland.
The storm struck Washington short
ly after o'clock and had spent itself
in about half an hour.
Piunges Down Stairway.
Mrs. Irene Gray. 36 wears old. was
in the bedroom Of her home at 1875
l. street. with her infant DAUGHTER
Ethel Marie in her arms, when the
roof of the building was torn away
almost without warning. Amid a
shower of bricks md plaster from the
walls and chimney she rushed to the
rear stairway and jumped the fun
length of the staircase to the first
floor. The baby miraculously esca ped
injury but the mother had TO he re
moved to Providevce Hospital for
treatment of a wrenched back. She
her home this morning.
Steven A. Russell who had just
returned TO his home at l311la l.
street yesterday after an operation,
was carried to safety on a stretcher
by police and firemen who hurried to
the scene in response to several emer-
gency calls His condition was said
to he not serious today.
Alfred Rollins. who lives at 1877
l. street. insisted on spending the re-
mainder of the night in his home. al
though his fa amily was warned by fire.
men that they should stay out of the
structure. The rest of them STAYED
with neighbors last night, but ] pre-
ferred home. sweet home. such as 1t
was Mr.. Rollins rema rked today.
Struck by Flying LiAb.
Mrs. Bernice Burton. 30 of 722 A
street southeast was struck on the
head by a falling limb in front of 1926
Bladensburg road during the storm
sustaining severe bruises to her hea d.
Mrs Burton was in an automobile
with her husba nd during the storm,
when large limb was blown from a
tree in lot at the side of 29l4 Bla-
densburg road. The force of the wind
hurled the limb through the air until
it descended directly on top OF the
Burtons' machine, crashing through
the top.
Mrs Burton was taken home by her
husband after she had been revived at
a nearby grocery store.