Evening star., 1928-06-10
Sudden Disturbance ScatterS
Picnickers in Panic-0ne
Victim Is Pinned Beneath
Falling Tree Limb.
BOILING FIELD PLANES
AND HANGARS SMASHED
nrenchirg Rain Follows High
Winds-Ambulance Turned Over
in Storm-Several Have Narrow
Escapes at U. S. Aviation Depot.
Hains Point Hit.

Swirling across the Potomac River
from its point of origin in nearby
Virginia, an unheralded hundred-mile-
an-hour line squall yesterday afternoon
cut path of destruction through Po-
tonac Park, the eastern part of the CITY
and Boiling Field and left in its wake a
toll OF half dozen injured and more
than 100000 in damaged property.
The spectacular storm, scudding over
the river IN the form of an angry black
cloud bllloW1ng out of sunny skies, scat
tered picnic parties and leveled trees
on Hams Point, reached across the
channel to Boiling Field and wrecked
100000 worth of Government planes
and hangers, and apparently spent it
sen IN the southeast and northeast sec
tons Of the city.
Mrs. Aida M. Wertman, 49 years old,
OF 529 Seventh street northeast, was
pinned beneath falling branch Of a
large willow tree at Hams Point as she
ran for shelter with her husband and
son. She is in a serious condition at
Emergency Hospital from conclusion
OF the brain, two broken ribs and COM
pound fracture Of both legs.
Other Victims.
Others. less seriously injured, were:
Miss Ethel Van Der Linden, 90. 1899
y street southeast, treated at Casualty
Hospital for injured hand, due to slam
ming door.
John Erdman. 81, 1909 Trinidad ave-
nue. northeast. treated at Casualty for
cuts on hand received from broken
window pane.
Fred Munchmeyer. IS, 2 Seventeenth
street southeast. treated at Casualty
for cut over left eye and bruised shoul-
der. received when nit by a falling
signboard
John Copes, colored, 81, Al II street
southwest, apartment 3, treated at
Casualty for injured leg. He was hit
by falling tree In Judiciary Square.
According TO r. Hanson Weightman.
local forecaster. the storm was a tyoi-
cal line squall. of local origin. It
scarcely was felt in the northwest part
OF the city and at the Weather Bureau
the wind velocity was less than IS miles
an hour at the height of the blow
ABOUT 4:3O o'clock. The aerographer
reported, however. that the squall
reached a maximum velocity of 100
miles an hour at Boiling Field.
The rainfall that accompanied the
nrst gusts OF the storm was light, but
the Squall was followed shortly after
ward by drenching rainstorm, SEEM
ingly the result of second disturbance.
dozen airplanes at Boiling Field
were destroyed or damaged as the wind
ripped its way through the hangers
and buildings The roof Of one hangar
was blown of and two others were
damaged. An Army ambulance with
Tour passengers was whisked upside
down, but no one was injured
Trubee Dawson. Assistant Secretary
OF War for Aviation took of for New
York Just a few minutes before the
storm broke.
A vivid description OF the storm was
given by Motor Cycle Officer H. w.
Brown, who was stationed at Hains
Point at the time.
Clond Accompanies Disturbance.
A heavy. black cloud, moving direct
~ up the river from the direction of
Alexandria. first attracted his atten-
tion. The cloud seemed to skim over
the waters surface from bank to bank.
On either side was sunshine.
THE Swirling mass was approaching
rapidly" Officer Brown described. II
stood fascinated by the unusual sight.
In less time than I could tell the story
the cloud came upon the point, churn-
ing about with Swishing sound Of the
wind. The wind was driving the rain
ahead Of the cloud. and the rain was
along nearly horizontally.
Il jumped on my motor cycle and
drove up the speedway for short dis
tance to get away from the rain. The
wind was so terrific that my machine
Swerved 70 the side. The rain lasted
but minute and then everything be-
came black 1t appeared like night
Following this a thick mist enveloped
Hams Point and the Potomac about II.
The sun continued to shine through
all of this on either edge OF the path
the storm was cutting out"
Stores OF picnickerS narrowly escaped
serious injury when the storm was at
Its height Men, women and children
made panic-stricken rush for the tea
house dodging falling trees and
branches In the scramble. The grove
about the tea house was badly dam
aged. more than halt dozen of the
large willow trees having been leveled
The place generally was Uttered with
branches covering the ground 70
depth Of three feet and the same gen.
eral condition was In evidence over the
entire speedway, The tea house itself
escaped damage. Some of the cherry
trees suffered,
Is picnickerS from the Bureau OF En-.
craving and Printing. Her husband.
William H. Wertman. an employe OF the
bureau, and her son. William II. Vert
man, jr. were among the party.
Limb Hits Woman.
According TO Mr., Wertman, the storm
broke without warning. The men ran
for their parked cars with the cushions
on which they had been sitting and
the women Scurried for the teahouSe
for shelter. AS Mrs. wertmAn passed
beneath u huge old willow tree im-
IN back OF the teahouse,
limb was snapped of In the wind and
pinned her to the ground,
Her husband and son and severel
hqstanders ran 10 her assistance. A
trained nurse from Columbia Hospital,
Miss X, Mueller, who was on the scene
look charge and directed that the ln-
lured woman be taken TO Emergenoy
Hospital Ia Mr., Wertman's car. 1t Was
nfst thought at the hospital that one
" her legs would have to be amputated.
aut II was later said that this would not
De necessary,
The principal damage was along the
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