Evening star., 1938-08-18
COOLER WEATHER
CONTINUES today;
WARM TOMORROW
Seven Children, One Man
FeIIed by Lightning in
Sudden Storm.
TWO TRAFFIC INJURIES
TRACED TO DOWNPOUR
Temperature This Morning 10
Degrees Less Than During
Recent Hot Spell.

Continued cool weather was in pros
pect today after protracted hot spell
was swept away by violent August
thunderstorms yesterday, during
which seven children and one man
were felled by lightning and the city
was drenched by 2.24 inches of rain.
The mercury plummeted downward
e degrees in two hours yesterday
afternoon from a peak of 95 at 2
o'clock. The spectacular change came
after thousands of Federal employees
had been sent home early for the
third day in succession, and at least
three persons had been Frustrated by
the heat.
Roy Baker, assistant coach of the
Washington Redskins, was bowled
over by lightning yesterday at about
the same time that bolts felled seven
children and started one fire. The
wind accompanying the electrical
storm was comparatively light, reach
ing gust velocity of "a miles an
hour, but many trees, weighted by
rain, were toppled on the streets.
At least two traffic injuries were
blamed on the storm, which broke
here at 3 o'clock. When the drench-
ing downpour let up As minutes later,
.86 of an inch had fallen, about half
of it in fve-minute period.
The rain began again at $50 p.m
In time to spoil another National SYM
phony concert for some $4,000 music
lovers, and continued with occasional
p let-ups most of last night. The total
rain in the last "a hours was 224
inches.
Washington awoke this morning to
comfortable temperatures, we'll under
the average of the last four days. The
minimum this morning was 10 degrees.
The temperature shortly before noon
stood at n, which was 13 degrees
under the figure recorded at the same
time yesterday, the Weather Bureau
announced.
The forecast called for fair and
continued cool weather tonight and to-
morrow; slowly rising temperatures
tomorrow; gentle north and northwest
winds"
Redskin Coach FelIed.
Assistant Coach Baker of the Red
skins was felled by a bolt yesterday
afternoon while in the showers after
football practice on the field at
Ballston. Va.
Spectators said shaft of lightning
coursed through tin roof just over
Bakers head, knocking him down.
Groggy but fighting mad, Mr.. Baker,
former University of Southern Cali
fornia star, reeled to his feet and
squared off in fighting position. He
thought some one had clipped him
from behind.
Three lightning bolts hit on and
near the buildings on the field. One
of them ripped into concession
stand under which George Preston
Marshall, owner of the Redskins, had
sought shelter
Mr.. Marshall was uninjured.
The weather added a final blow to
the summer series of Sunset SYM
phonies" put on at the Water Gate
near Lincoln Memorial by the Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra.
At least $4,000 music lovers had
braved an omnious threat of rain to
hear the concluding program. Scud-
ding storm clouds banked high over
the Potomac, torn from time to time
by lightning flashes. The crowd stayed
on and several thousand still were in
their seats when a driving rain swept
the arena.
Drenched at Concert.
DR.. Hans Kinder, the orchestra
leader, was forced to terminate the
program while the orchestra was play
ing Clair de Lune" tMoonlight). .
Those who remained in the audience
scurried for cover. Not enough taxi
cabs or buses were available, and many
were drenched while streets around
the concert arena jammed with traffic.
Rain had caused four postponements
in this summers series of IL concerts.
The seven children burned or
shocked by lightning bolts were re-
ported recovering today at Casualty
Hospital. Five small colored girls
were knocked unconscious when
bolt. descended on a tree at 1918
Delaware avenue S.W, where they had
collected for shelter from the pre-
liminary drops of the rainstorm
One child, spectators said, was
knocked completely out of her moth
er's shoes which she was wearing at
the time. Spectators were Mortified
to see the five children felled and
their calls brought police and ambu-
lances dashing to the scene.
The colored children injured were
Anna May White, 13, of Al G street
S.W., shocked; Louise Walker, 13, of
1923 Delaware avenue S.W, shocked
and cut above left eye; Flessie Walker,
1908 Delaware avenue SW., shocked;
Beuleh Lee Walker, 6, a sister Of
Flossie, shocked, and Estelle Gibson,
13, Of 1912 Delaware avenue S.W.,
temporarily paralyzed.
The same bolt felled two young
colored boys, who leaped up a mo-
rnent later and fled toward their
homes, apparently uninjured.
Boy Hit by Lightning.
Fourteen -year-old William F. Well
and of 1923 Ninth street NE. was hit
by lightning near his home. The boy
was reported recovering at Casualty
from shock.
The seventh child treated at the
hospital for shock was Norma Yates.
IS, of Baltimore, who was stunned
while talking to friends at 42O East
Capitol street The girl was dis
charged after treatment.
Two employees of the District tax
assessors office were felled by the heat
shortly after noon. They were Mrs.
Sue Mason of 812 H street NE. and
Miss Florence Stark of 1923 North
Capitol street. Mrs. Mason fell and
suffered slight cut on the head.
She was taken home. Miss Stark
tainted, but was revived and later re-
turned to her desk.