Evening star., 1938-04-30
0RDERSF0R GLASS
DELUGE STORES:
HAIL LOSS SCARS
Damage May Be 100000
When Property Survey
Is Completed.
so DUCKLINGS KILLED
AT BIRD SANCTUARY
$50 Street Light Globes Are
Broken-Fires Blamed
on Lightning.

A boom in the glazing business to.
day followed the crash Of thousands
Of panes in greenhouses, skylights, win.
dows and other glass partitions during
yesterdays hailstorm, which was one
Of the most severe ever experienced
in the Capital.
The damage in dollars likely will
exceed 100000 by the time florists
and others finish surveying their
wrecked property and plants. Some
of the hothouse operators were prac-
tically wiped out by the pellets, since
they carried no insurance.
In nearby Maryland and Virginia,
where the stones reached the size OF
walnuts, crops were hit hard
GlaZiers were swamped with orders
this morning as they tried to restore
greenhouses to the state they were In
before the freak storm struck.
A. Guide Bros. were among the big
gest losers, with about 100000 square
feet of glass being splintered at their
greenhouses at Eighteenth street and
Good Hope road S. E.
No Pane Left Intact.
Arthur c. Garden, wholesale flower
grower and dealer. reported his plant,
at 1740 Minnesota avenue Sc, total
loss, with not single pane left intact
in IS hothouses.
The Botanic Garden also felt the
force Of the storm. Shattered panes
In its conservatories at Indiana ave-
nue. and Canal street S.W. were valued
at $500.
More than $500 electric light bulbs.
which trimmed the roofs and walls Of
hangers at the Naval Air Station,
were broken.
Windows and skylights in office
buildings, schools and private resi-
dences gave way under the brief but
fierce shower Schools In the south
east section suffered most, but no
pupils were reported cut.
About so ducklings at the bird
sanctuary at Reaches Run on the
Mount Vernon Memorial highway
were killed and a number Of eggs and
nests destroyed.
Parks Little Damaged.
Aside from smashed light globes in
East Potomac Park. the park system
escaped almost unscathed The pansy
bed in West Potomac Park was un-
damaged, it being explained these
plants are very hardy and come back
rapidly.
Walter Kern. head Of the District
Electrical Department. estimated $50
street light globes, principally In the
Southeast section were broken. They
will cost about $500 to replace, he
said
Forced down near the Marlboro,
Md, race track, a private plane was
damaged in an emergency landing
during the storm. Its pilot, James
Erdman, and his passenger. c. C.
Cox, both Of Suitland, Nd, were
uninjured.
In outlying sections, witnesses re-
ported the hailstones as large as wal
nuts" large as hickory nuts" and
large as hens eggs" They were large
enough to damage small craft an
chored near st. Michaels, Md, and
rip through the fabric tops of auto
mobiles.
Lightning Causes Fires.
Two fires we're attributed to light
ming that preceded the barrage Of
hail. In Southern Maryland, near
Oxon Hill, a small outbuilding, a
tractor, a threader and 80 tons OF
fodder were lost in blaze on the
farm of w. E. Miller, Washington
furniture dealer.
The storm provided unexpected ex-
citement for group Of women touring
Southern Maryland homes on the
Maryland house and garden pill
grimage.
Strawberry cuttings, young berries
on the vine and tomato plants were
beaten to the ground In other sections
of Maryland.
In a 25-mile radius between FELTON,
and Seaford, Del, apple, peach, straw
berry and asparagus crops were dam
aged badly. Orchardists said that de-
spite the loss to their apple and peach
crops. there would be enough fruit left
for a profitable harvest, since this had
been a bumper year.
Although short lived, the precipita-
ton measured rs Of an inch. It
caused the temperature to drop IS
degrees in is minutes. More showers
are due this afternoon and probably