Evening star., 1940-07-24
1ash|ing Storm Fails
t#7
To Break Heat Wave;
Damage Is Heavy
Roots and Trees Are Hit
Hard by Wind os Rain
Floods Many Homes

Hard by Wind os Rain
Floods Many Homes
More thundershowers were on tap
for the District today, coming in
the wake of a near cloudburst which
practically paralyzed the city for
IN hour last night.
The Weather Bureau said that
more rain could be expected this
afternoon, followed by clear skies
tonight. The temperature will be
lower today than during the past
week-with a maximum of about
50 degrees expected-but the hu-
midity will be excessive. Tomorrow
will be hot, it was predicted, but
there will be more showers.
The storm struck the city about
$50 pm, dumping an inch and a
half of water on the streets in less
than an hour. Rain continued to
fall until 10 pm, when the gauge
1T the Weather Bureau showed fall
of 2.60 inches-the heaviest rain
since last September.
Before the temperature dropped
two had died and more than dozen
persons had been hospitalized by the
heat. The high for the day was
30 degrees, around l pm, accom-
panied by excessive humidity.
A second death was blamed on
yesterdays heat when an autopsy
conducted at the District Morgue
today revealed that w. B. Crews,
IS. of TAO Third street NV, who
collapsed while working on 1e-
modelling job at the Hecht Co., had
been killed by the heat.
John F. Barry, SO, of 1909 Tenth
street NV. died of heat prostration
and II persons were treated for ex-
haustion at Emergency Hospital.
A heavy wind dipped down into
nearby Montgomery County, ripping
of roofs and blowing down trees.
In the city, streets were covered with
water-which was over the curbs
even downtown and which stood as
much as 3 feet deep elsewhere.
Street Cars Stalled.
Electric power failed in some
places, street cars were stalled by
short circuits, traffic was congested
and several accidents were caused
by the storm. Fire engines raced
through the downpour, responding
to alarms caused by fire and flood.
The rain broke the heat, sending
the mercury down from IS degrees
at 5 pm. to II at pm. The tenn
peratures remained in the 70s during
the night, and this morning was the
coolest the city had known in a
week.
City refuse workers were in action
today. cleaning up debris left by
the downpour. Last night the
Sewer Division was reinforced by
emergency crews of firemen to pump
out flooded Easements.
Concert Is Cancelled.
The concert of Leopold Stokow-
skis All-American Youth Orchestra
at the Water Gate was Cancelled at
the last minute. The orchestra and
q number of spectators showed up
and waited until $3.50 pm. before
It was announced definitely that
the show was off.
c. c. Cappel, manager of the
National Symphony, said that tickets
for last nights performance could
be turned in for cash refunds or
would be good for rain check"
performances at Constitution Hall
this fall.
Mr.. Cappel said that it was hoped
that the orchestra could appear here
twice after its South American tour.
Plans will be announced later, he
said.
Capitol Air Conditioning Fails.
Members of Congress and their
employees, accustomed to manufac-
tured cool air on hot and sultry
days, perspired for a while today
when the Capitol's 100000 air
conditioning plant temporarily went
out of operation.
David Lynn, supervising architect
Of the Capitol, said the violent elec-
trical storm last night was the in
direct cause of the trouble. He ex-
planned that leaves and other debris
washed against screen at the Cap
itol power plant on the banks of the
Potomac River caused the generators
to stop functioning, and as result
the electric supply was cut of until
the screen was cleaned.
The storm did little damage at the
Capitol. However, the subways lead
ing from the Capitol to both the
Senate and House Office Buildings
were flooded at several points when
sewers in the Capitol Grounds be-
came choked at the height of the
storm.
Damage on Rockville Pike.
The greatest storm damage in
Montgomery County was along the
Rockville pike, between Halpine and
Bethesda, and in the River Road
area, southwest of Bethesda.
In those two sections the storm
uprooted and twisted hundreds of
trees, damaged several homes, tore
down electric and telephone lines,
ruined crops and tore away signs
from several stores.
In several sections of the county
electric light service was disrupted.
Residents around Montrose said
their lights were out throughout
the night. In Gaithersburg the
lights were out for nearly five
hours, and in Rockville for an hour
and halt.
Anacostia appeared to have been
the hardest hit section of the city.
Eleventh precinct police reported
that dozens of streets and homes in
the section were flooded.
Sheridan road, of Nichols avenue
s. E., was turned into stream
with residents of houses there re-
porting that water was standing