Evening star., 1934-09-12
Commerce and Archives
Easements Overflow as
Waters Sweep Streets.
LOCAL RECORD BROKEN
BY HEAVY D0WNPoUR
Workmen Fight Tide After Down
town Storm Sewers Are Gov
ered--Motorists Stalled.
Pictures on Page A-5.)

Three ana quarter inches of rain
more than the normal total rainfall
FOR the month of September-today
flooded the Capital.
The Sewer Department, Fire and
Police Departments we're swamped
with calls from all sections of the city.
Among the places reported inun-
dated were the Commerce Building
basement, the Archive Building base
ment, the Mayflower Hotel basement.
the cellar OF Phillipsborn's clothing
store and the press room of the Times.
The Sewer Department was receiv-
ing an average of three calls q min
ute reporting flooded cellars. All fire
apparatus that could be spared was
dispatched to pump out flooded base
ments.
Rock Greek was reported overflow
ing and park police were preparing
to block of all fords and roads made
dangerous by the rain.
Up to Mail Boxes.
Water was reported up to the mail
boxes in the vicinity Of Fifth and
Ingraham streets. Street car and
automobile travel was temporarily
halted on Connecticut avenue near
Porter street.
Another report said an automobile
was completely submerged at Thirty
eighth street and Reservoir road.
The normal rainfall for September
Is 3.24 inches.
The 3.25 inches of rain was recorded
between l and O'Clock and set an
au-time record for rainfall over a short
period. In 1874, 5.66 inches fell in "a
hours. Up to today the rainfall for
the month totaled 539 inches. The
record for September was set in 1877,
when 10.S1 inches fell in a month.
Storm sewers along Constitution
avenue and Fifteenth street were in
sufficient to carry on the torrent and
as result water backed up into the
cafeteria in the basement of the Com
merce Department. Building. Half a
dozen workmen we're kept busy with
shovels and brooms fighting the tide.
The water reached a depth Of close to
an inch, but officials said there was
no damage.
Strangely enough, the cafeteria is
next door to the Bureau of Fisheries
aquarium, which escaped the Aood
altogether.
Rises Over Curbs.
Manhole covers in Constitution
avenue at the Commerce Department
were washed up as the water backed
up In the sewers and solid columns
OF water rose 2 feet, rapidly flooding
the avenue and rising over the curbS
and across the sidewalks.
The automobile parking tunnel now
being constructed under the new La
Dor Department Building was flooded
to within a few feet of the ton. No
one was trapped, but it is believed
considerable damage was done to new
concrete work.
The basement and the Pennsyl-
van1a avenue station in the new Post
Oflce Department Building at Twelfth
street were flooded, the water coming
In so fast that clerks were forced
to pile mail sacks on top Of racks to
protect them.
No Damage Estimate.
Oficials would make no estimate of
damage nor admit there was any
damage at all.
A number of patrons of the postal
station were caught by the rain and
some of them were forced up the
stairways to keep their feet dry.
The basement of the M. B. Frazier
Manufacturing Co., Thirteenth and
Upshur streets, was flooded with 3
feet of water.
The American Automobile ASsocia-
ton and motor clubs were deluged
with calls from stalled motorists.
More than two score polo ponies,
belonging to the Mexican polo team,
had to be led out of the stables of
the Riding and Hunt Club when their
stalls became flooded.