Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1938-07-14

The Middletown company respond
ed to two other calls during the
storm. Stacks of straw were de-
stroyed by fire after having been
struck by lightning on farms of
James Mullen and Willard Briggs
near Middletown. All street lights
and half the residential lights were
out for nearly two hours at Middle
town. Water collected two feet deep
over the road at the railroad sta
ton. Other roads in the vicinity
were flooded so badly that one mo-
torist said he counted 100 stalled
cars between Middletown and Glas-
gov. Limbs from trees were blown
off by the high wind or split off by
lightning in the Middletown area,
while Christiana only few miles
away had little rain and less wind.
At Lewes, Coast Guardsmen de-
scribed the storm as ''the worst
electrical disturbance so far this
year" The wind ripped limbs
from trees, smashed window panes
in some homes, and broke the
glass globes on Rehoboth Beach
light standards. Two power boats
which threatened to capsize were
towed to safety by the Lewes Coast
Guardsmen. A few small boats
were run in behind the breakwater
where a half dozen boats of the
menhaden fishing fleet were riding
at anchor. Hailstones as big as
walnuts pelted Rehoboth Beach
during the worst Of the storm.
from 5:15 to $50 P. N. They fell
SO hard that they slashed four
holes in the top of an auto owned
by Fred Hudson and did similar
damage to other cars. Lightning
struck the Rehoboth Beach town
fiagpole at the edge Of the green
and split off piece of the wood.
Several streets were flooded for
a short period as storm sewers be
came overtaxed. The temperature
dropped 80 degrees when the 60
mile wind reached northeast just
before the storm broke. The mer-
curry had been lowering in the nine
ties all morning. Lewes, only five
miles distant. escaped the brunt Of
the storm, but felt the full force of
the wind that persisted after the
worst was over. There was heavy
rainfall at Lewes. Lightning split
a telephone pole at Bethany Beach
further south along the ocean front
and cut off the towns power sup
ply for three hours. The heavy
rain at that resort flooded some
low street sections Some hail fell
at Georgetown. where state police
reported scores Of autos stalled be
cause of soaked carburetors. Traf-
fic was brought to a standstill for
awhile on some roads southeast of
Georgetown. Storm sewers became
overtaxed in Milford with the re-
suit that some streets were flooded
to a depth of two feet. The worst
flooded section was in front of the
Community Building. Between Mil
ford and Slaughter's Beach, corn
was badly battered down, though
the loss is not thought to have
been great Seaford reported a
light electrical storm with little
rain" At Bowers Beach, in Kent
County, there was no rain at all
and only freshening wind. Dover
also escaped. Small hailstones fell
for two or three minutes in Elkton
and a low section on Route 40 just
outside Elkton was flooded, but
cars were able to get through at
all times. Heavy wind proceeded
the storm at New Castle, where a
large willow tree was blown down
and other trees damaged. There
was heavy wind and driving rain
at Summit Bridge. but at Newark
there was only light wind and rain.