Evening star., 1942-07-21
Storm Coo|s Off City,;
Hyattsvi|Ie Girl, ;,
browns in CuIvert
Lightning Si|ences Three
Radio Stations; Three
Rescued From Boy

Cooler weather and a sharp
drop in relative humidity was in
store for Washington today after
a lashing rain, accompanied by
high winds and lightning, broke
torrid our-day heat wave and
took the life of a 3-year-old
Maryland girl by drowning.
The deluge swept to her death
Charlotte Dunn, foster daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. William H. Dunn
of 4301 Tuckerman street, Hyatts-
vile. Md, The child was playing on
culvert, slipped and fell into a
drainage channel gushing with
feet of water roaring down from
nearby hills.
Two companions, Jackie Forcum,
9, of 5410 Fortieth avenue and
Buddy Martin, 8, of 1902 Jefferson
avenue, tried in vain to save her,
but she was swept through the cul-
vert and down the stream. Her
body was recovered later by her
uncle, William Forcum. in Magruder
Park, about three blocks from the
scene of the accident.
97.6 Peak Yesterday.
Temperatures today, the Weather
Bureau said, probably will range
into the high 80s or low 90s-hot
but still long way from yesterdays
peak of 97.6 degrees reached about
450 pm.
The violent rain, which poured
l.O3 inches of precipitation over the
city area, sent the temperature
tumbling 10 degrees in the 81 min
utes of the heaviest downpour
Weather records showed drop
from SO degrees at 6:33 pm. to IA
at 6:54.
The storm brought AZ calls to the
city Sewer Department caused by
flooded catch basins and clogged
cesspools, but officials said no major
damage was done. Trees were
blown down and limbs scattered,
three Washington radio stations
were forced off the air by lightning
bolts, some telephones were out of
order and several churches were
reported hit by lightning.
Pvt. John J. Diarveto of Fort
Myer was struck by lightning while
on duty on Mount Vernon boulevard
near the airport. He was treated
at the Alexandra Hospital and then
| taken to the Army post.
Lightning striking antennas forced
Station WMAL to cease broadcast
/ ing for about an hour and half
| WRC was silent about an hour anc
VOL was off about minutes.
Three Rescued From Bay.
Three Washingtonians, including
Mr.. and Mrs. E. H. Stanley of 3l2
G street Sc, were rescued from
Chesapeake Bay, where the sudden
storm, whipping waves to 6 feet
in height, caught them in row.
boat about miles offshore.
The rescue was effected by Capt
Wesley Stinnett of North Beach
Md, in a fishing boat. Witnesses
said Capt. Stinnett ordered his boats
into the bay to patrol for fishermen
in distress when the storm struck.
A barn on the farm of Cook Rob
inson, a mile and half east ol
Rockville, Md, burned after being
struck by lightning causing $500
damage, it was reported.
Dust Blinds Motorists.
The first f1urries of wind in last
nights storm whipped huge clouds
of dust from the site of the new
War Department Building in Ar
lington County, binding motorist!
on Columbia pike. Many were
forced to stop and turn on head
lights.
The District Traffic Division re.
ported that traffic signal lights were
thrown out of operation, with flood
ed manholes and blown fuses al
over town
No injuries we're reported in the
city as a result of the storm, but th'
tower and chimney of Wallace Me
mortal Presbyterian Church at New
Hampshire avenue and Randolph
street NV. was damaged by light
ming. Fire engine and truck com
panies were called. but no fire wa
reported. There was no damag
estimate.
Lightning also struck severa
| houses in the Bethesda (MdJ ares