Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-26
Downtown Streets Flooded.
Traffic Tied Up in Near
Record 0oWnpour.
FIVE FEET OF WATER
AT FIFTH AND HAMILTON
5000 Marooned at Griffith Sta
dium-Nearby Communities
Escape Peak.

Heavy rains, which flooded many por-
tions of Washington. blocking streets.
tying up traffic and plunging large Sec
tions of the city into darkness, last
night brought this months rainfall
record almost even with the heaviest
months rain in the history Of the
Capital
Last nights storm was freakish in
character, exceedingly heavy rain fall
ing in the downtown and northeast
sections of the city, while Georgetown
and the Wisconsin and Connecticut
avenue sections escaped with only light
rain. Nearby Maryland and Virginia
suburbs had scarcely any rain.
Near Record.
When the Weather Bureau obserya-
tory closed at about 10 o'clock last
night the instruments showed there
had been a total rainfall of 164 inches
yesterday. which brought the total TO
date for August up to 1434 inches
There was a sprinkle still falling at
that time and a trifle in excess Of this
amount may have been recorded. The
l4.34-inch fall this month is only two
| hundredths of an inch short of the
heaviest months rainfall ever recorded
here. in August, 1906. when there was
total fall of 1896 inches.
As a result of last nights rain this
month passed the record of the second
heaviest month previously recorded.
August, 1875. when there was a total of
ft,A D..r.n
kiosk downtown a fall of 241 inches
was recorded up to 10 o'clock last
| night.
The heaviest food reported was III
! the vicinity of Fifth and Hamilton
| streets. where several blocks were food
| ed to depth of feet in some places.
/ The flood extended from Fifth to Eighth
| streets and from Ingraham TO Hamilton
| streets. Many cars were stalled, some
/ being flooded over the tops Of the
I motors and easements OF houses in the
section we're completely filed
The storm had cleared shortly after
! 10 o'clock.
Other heavy foods were reported in
the vicinity Of First and r streets,
| where there was feet of water in the
street and the Easements of approxi-
/ mately 25 buildings were flooded; and
J
| Island and Florida avenues where street
cars and automobiles were stalled. Po-
tomac, Park roads were under water a.
! several points
! Ball Fans Maro0ned.
Five thousand persons were marooned
Tor hours IN Griffith Stadium when
the rain halted the second game with
| Cleveland in the eighth inning. AT
O'CLOCK the last 100 persons made
their way TO their homes Scores of
automobiles parked near the base ball
PARK were put out of commission.
Firemen OF No. Truck Co. led by
Sergt, f, L. Best rescued Rev. William
Moore Al, Is E street. colored preach
er, Ill and unable to walk when the water
Hoooeo the cellar in which he lived
Inc hrenen reported the water was
/ rising about his bed when they arrived
III response 10 a summons.
Street car service was impaired III
virtually every section of the city at
times and damage TO electric cables put
out lights over large sections.
hundreds OF automobiles were stalled
throughout the city because Of wet lg-
milton. The American Automobile AS
Soclatlon was called upon TO start eos
stalled machines during the storm pc
ROD, The associations switchboard was
congeSted throughout the evening an
average of IS or so calls an hour be-
ing received during the heaviest rain.
Read Little Affected.
The storm did little or no damage 10
highways leading out of Washington.
though the water was rising az
6ladenSourg and Threatened to cover the
Washington Baltimore boulevard before
mOfnlNQ thRf1uh lNs
pede traffic, Roads in Southern Mary
land were not affected
street car lines were crippled early
III the evening IN many parts Of the
city as the rain flooded the under
ground eonduitS. Tie-upS were reported
at North Capitol street and Massachu-
SeltS avenue, Fourteenth and u streets.
the EcEngton pit which was flooded
curing tue greater part Of the evening,
Nortn Capitol and II streets. Eleventh
aho \ streets, North Capitol street in
nlooNiahd, Florida avenue northeast.
New YORK avenue near North Capitol
street and on the LeDroit PARK line
The Washington Alexandria electric
railway line was halted by grounded
power eonduitS In Potomac Park near
highway Bridge Most of the tie-ups
were temporary IN character and the
trouble was cleared UP after stops OF
ifom 10 minutes 10 half hour
Electric lights were put out as a re-
suit OF broken or flooded cables IN the
upper North Capitol street area, be-
tween Florida and New York avenues
tor distance of 10 blocks east and
west, throughout the AnacoStia section
along Rhode Island avenue northeast
city '''0
Sewers overtaxed.
torrents OF water rushing down Rhode
island avenue in two directions oyei-
taxed the sewers between First and seq
ond streets and formed veritable lake
extending for almost the entire block.
More than feet of water remained
IN tue street for several hours after The
storm aud IN some places it oycrfiowei
the curbs Fortunately. the nigh ter
races saved many cellars from being
Hooded. but the water did force It's way
INTO the delIcateSSen store OF Joe TaSh
Mt lia Rhode Island avenue and a uuan-
tity OF the stock was damaged
Several automobiles stalled there and
were either pushed or towed out, Chill
dren IN The neighocshood donned haths
ms suits and frollcked in the water,
Real Aids Motorists
A rowhoat was brought into use 10
rescue Is persons marooned IN
Railway & Electric Co, bus
and two stalled automobiles under the
viaduet at Sixth and Rhode Island
northeast
W. II, creevy. proprietor Of the