Evening star., 1943-06-18
Phone Lines,
Trees Smashed
By Windstorn
Circus Crowds Bolt
As Big Top Rips;
Boy browns Earlier

V'S '
High winds, which preceded a
heavy thundershower, knocked
down trees and telephone lines
here last night and rocked and
ripped the main tent at the cir
Gus grounds, as an estimated
$4,000 persons watched the
show. The performance was
halted after many had dashed
for exits.
No one was reported injured In
the storm, which broke shortly be-
fore 10 pm. after sweltering day
during which one drowning was re-
ported.
Mercury Up to "a.
The storm brought relief in a
hurry from the sitting heat, which
reached high of "a degrees shortly
before pm. and hovered there for
several hours.
Jack FaStnaught, 1l-year-old son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Leonard j. Fast
naught, 4l03 Newton street, Colmar
Manor, Md, was drowned yesterday
IN swimming hole near his home.
According to police, the youth ap-
parently slipped down ladder at
the swimming hole when he was
carrying companion, Mickey Far
lin, 8, who could not swim. The
younger boy evidently escaped by
catching hold of the ladder as the
two fell. police said. Another report
Of the death said the Fastnaught
youth drowned after accomplishing
the rescue of the younger boy.
After the youths body was found
about $50 pm, a half hour after
the accident. members OF the
Bladensburg Fire Rescue Squad and
DR.. George Hayge of Cottage City
worked for two hours in futile
attempt to revive him.
Four Saved as Boat Capsizes.
Four persons we're pulled to safety
by Coast Guardsmen after their To-
foot sailboat was capsized by the
wind on the Potomac River near the
Army War College.
Those rescued were Henry Forest,
l4ll Twenty-f1rst street NV, owner
of the boat, Snafu; William H.
Emerson, 1407 Twenty-first street
NV; Margaret Shonberg, 1927 Bel
mont road NV. and Margie Dawes.
1906 Twentv-fi first street NV.
The accident was reported by 1t.
q. g Jack Allen. VINO was on duty
at the time in charge of the Dis
trict Coast Guard Office.
The sudden wind, which reached
. velocity of SIS miles an hour, took
heavy toll of trees and telephone
lines. A barn on farm near Rock
vile was struck by lightning and
burned to the ground.
Smaller Tents Blown Down.
At the circus grounds at Benning
road and Oklahoma avenue NE, the
wind ripped several holes in the
canvas top of the Ringing Brothers
& Barnum e. Bailey main tent.
Several small tents used as dressing
rooms by circus performers were
blown down.
Seven booths were overturned by
the wind at the Silver Spring Lions
Club charity carnival on Georgia
avenue near the District line DAM
age to the carnival was estimated
at about $1,000. Four members of
the club, E. C. Holmead, Joseph
Langford. Harry Bair and Gus Ack-
man. had to be extricated from
overturned booths, but escaped in
Jury.
Striking the circus grounds when
the nights program was little more
than half over, the strong winds
caused more excitement than dam
age there.
Poles Uprooted.
Several persons screamed when
the sides of the main tent billowed
and the supporting poles began to
sway. Several hundred excited Gus
toners, including many women and
children. left their seats and dashed
for the exit, police said.
AS they surged toward the exit
the wind uprooted several large 90
foot wooden poles supporting the
canvas of the arcade-like doorway
to the big tent and sent them
swinging across the passageway.
Policemen and bystanders, in
cluding DR.. William Mann, director
of the Zoo. caught the poles and
battled the wind.
Mass Panic Averted.
Most of the spectators remained in
their seats as police joined ushers in
the effort to prevent panic. The
band. which had been playing when
the storm began, attempted to quiet
the crowd with more music. Some
of the many seryicemen in the crowd
caught hold of poles supporting the
tent top to keep them from swaying
while others tried to divert the au-
dience by leading organized hand
clapping.
Several hundred other spectators
eurged toward the exit, but their de-
parture, for the most part, was Or
derly. According to 1t. H. T. Mis-
kell of the park police, more than
three-fourths of the crowd needed
pleas from ushers and police and
made no attempt to leave.
A few children strayed from their
parents during the excitement, but
were reunited after the storm.
Animals Remain Calm.
A bareback riding act took ovel
the center of the arena as order wa.
restored. After this act had beer
concluded, the band played The
Star Spangled Banner" bringing
the show to a premature close.
Most excited persons during the
windstorm. police said, were prob
ably the performers in one of the
sideshow tents. Midgets we're run
ming out the exits and crawling
under the flaps of one of these tents
at the height of the storm. police
man reported. The 8-foot "gian,
lady" was observed trying to steady
the tent by tying strip of tapping
canvas to pole.