Evening star., 1939-08-19
Heaviest Rain
In Two Years
Snaps Drought
2.83-lnch Recording
Reported; More Due
Tomorrow

More showers are in prospect to-
morrow after the heaviest rainfall
in two years caused scattered DAM
age here and broke a drought which
had threatened millions of dollars
damage to pastures and crops of
nearby Maryland and Virginia.
The full force of the storm de-
scended last midnight on the Dis
trict National Guards 121st En-
gineers, encamped in pup tents near
Manassas, Va, forcing them to
abandon camp about 2 am. and
leave for Washington.
The current forecast calls for fair
weather tonight followed tomorrow
by overcast skies and local showers.
Continued high temperatures were
in prospect.
Heaviest Rainfall Since 1887.
The drenching downpolr began
at 7:30 o'clock last night after the
dryest l8 days in August on record
here, and 283 inches of rain fell
during the night, reaching a peak
about l am. today. This was the
heaviest rainfall since November of
1887.
Wind accompanying the rain blew
IN 25-mile gusts about midnight and
toppled many shade trees whose
summer foliage was heavy with
moisture. Firemen were kept busy
clearing fallen trees and branches
from the city's streets.
A shade tree fell on two parked
automobiles at 1903 Twentieth
street NV, damaging them slightly.
High water closed the underpass
beneath Massachusetts avenue in
Rock Creek Park for brief time
this morning, and some water COL
lected in the low section of the
Washington Baltimore boulevard
near the Peace Cross at Bladens-
burg.
Farm agents in nearby Maryland
and Virginia estimated that the
drought-breaking downpour saved
millions of dollars in crops.
OF Aid to Dairymen.
The heavy rain was of especial
value to dairymen, whose pastures
had burned under an unrelenting
sun for weeks. A few roads in the
adjoining States were temporarily
closed by high water but were re-
ported free this morning.
At least million dollars worth of
pasture, hay and corn in Montgom-
cry County alone was saved by the
ocnnrIi1n to
agriculture extension service agent.
The dought, he said. already had
damaged about Is per cent of the
corn crop.
The wind f1attened the corn in
some localities. but not badly enough
to cause serious damage, Mr.. Andel-
son said.
This years drought, crop experts
agreed, has been the worst since
1880 in this section. Parts of nearpy
Maryland and Virginia had gone
most of the summer without a
ground soaking rain.
Causes Wash Outs.
In Washington the sudden rain
caused cave-ins and wash-outs at
several excavations for building
foundations. One occurred behind
the Mayflower Hotel and another on
Maine avenue near Fourteenth
street.
During the storm the motorcycle
of Policeman William Sanford
skidded and threw him to the pave
ment at Thirty-fourth street and
Woodley road NV. He suffered
brush burns and bruises, but was
able to remain on duty.
A high surface wind at Washing
ton Airport early forced an Eastern
Airlines plane out of Newark to pass
up Washington. The Miami bound
liner went on to Richmond to land
after circling the local airport sew
eral times. Parts of the field were
flooded temporarily, but the high
water did not reach the main run
ways.
The wind-driven rain drowned
out the engines of hundreds of au-
tomoblles last night. The American
Automobile Association answered at
least $50 emergency calls and many
addltlonal cars were Servlced by the
Keystone Automobile Club.
Cellars Flooded.
In low-lying sections of Arlington
County, Va, several residents re-
ported flooded cellars and called the
courthouse for assistance.
A convict camp at Coyners
Springs, Va. near Roanoke was iso-
lated by rising waters from swollen
streams late yesterday, the Asso-
ciated Press reported. The water
rose until it Tapped at the edges of
bunkhouses, but the inmates were
not in danger, officials said.
Roanoke reported the heaviest
rainfall since 1886, with 46O inches
of precipitation since am. yester-
day. Several highways and crops
were damaged. The Roanoke River
was more than feet above normal.
The full extent of damage to crops