The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-26
City Plunged in Midnight
BIackneSS; Streets Are
Muddy Torrents.
TRAFFIC IS PARAL YZED
Wind of CycIonic Violence
Accompanies Flood
Along Lake.
By United Press

By united Press
CLEVELAND, June 26-A water
spout, accompanied by wind OF cy-
clonic velocity, struck Cleveland
shortly before noon today.
Preliminary reports said heavy
damage had been inflicted in the
residential section of the metropoli-
tan area.
Hundreds Of cars were stalled as
traffic became paralyzed by the tor
rent which weather bureau officials
said was believed to be unprece-
dented.
The waterspout struck less than
an hour after the skies had cleared
from storm of lesser intensity.
! Skies were blackened and the entire
city plunged into the darkness of
midnight. Moderate winds swept in
with the first downpour, which con-
tlnued for nearly an hour. The
skies cleared momentarily and then
became overcast as the tempest de-
scended with the fury of tornado.
City Is Lashed
Telephone and telegraph COM
panieS reported hundreds OF miles of
communication lines were down in
the outlying districts.
The storm dashed the city for
nearly thirty minutes before its
fury was spent. 1t sped up the east
ern Lake Erie shores toward Con-
neaut ard AShtabula, which, re-
ported its arrival shortly after noon.
Reports said that area felt the
force Of the cyclonic winds in the
same manner as Cleveland.
AS reports trickled through from
the suburban districts, it was esti-
mated that the property damage
would mount into thousands of
dollars.
Power lines were shattered for
a while and local radio stations re-
ported they were shut out for nearly
ten minutes as power went of.
IN che downtown area, hundreds
OF cars were abandoned at street
intersections as motors refused to
carry on through the lashing winds.
Tops were torn away and scattered
N@SA4S CAAC ObkCCISs
Streets Are Flooded
Storm sewers were unable to ac-
commodate the heavy flow Of
water and curbs were running
brim-full and overlooking into store
fronts
Lightning and heavy blasts of
thunder rode in with the tempest.
adding to the general confusion aad
fear Of inhabitants. Firemen were
kept busy answering numerous calls
to places struck by lightning.
Windows in stores and Office
buildings were shattered Trees
were uprooted and telephone poles
were snapped of. Because of the
conditions OF communication lines,
it was impossible to Immediately
ascertain the extent of damage to
other sections in northern Ohio.
The storm, however, was reported to
have struck nearly as far south as
Columbus.
Roads Are Blocked
Roads were blocked leading into
S%-NS 0S\S4O4A anu dlSO 10 DOlIJS
ing both east and west Of here. at
Sandusky the storm struck before
sweeping on to Cleveland and ex-
tensive property damage was re-
ported in that area. Coast guards
men feared for the safety Of any
small craft that may have been out
in the lake.
Cleveland Electric Illuminating
Company reported that the storm
was the worst in years and that
10000 homes were affected. Fuses
were blown out as fast as they were
replaced.
Tug men were making frantic eff
forts to capture a partly laden ore
boat which broke loose from its
moorings in the Cuyahoga river and
was drifting helplessly toward the
lake. 1t was feared the freighter
would ram into bridge piers before
it reached open water.