Evening star., 1948-08-12
Rain
.HitsCity;Cars,
.HomesDamaged
1h Inches Fall in
z Hours; Lightning
Strikes Houses


Rain that swept through the
District with torrential force last
night, injuring one man and
damaging dwellings and auto
mobiles, continued today to raise
the total recorded rainfall of 6,36
inches since August well above
the 4.01 normal for the month.
Despite drop of IS degrees in Is
minutes during the height OF the
storm that broke about pm. yes
terday. the Weather Bureau prom
ised no lasting relief from sticki-
ness and maximum temperatures in
the mid-80s today and tomorrow.
The District forecaster said oc-
casional showers and thunderstorms
today probably would end by eve
ming.
Almost an inch and a half of rain
fell between and pm. yesterday.
The total to o'clock this morning
was 1876. Although that set no "a
hour record. it gave the Weather
Bureau further reason to believe
this month may be the wettest Au-
gust in years.
Lightning, Wind Causes Damage.
The 4.01-inch normal rainfall for
August was exceeded here even
during the first five days of this
month, the District observer re-
ported, but the rain that dropped
almost steadily from $40 pm. yes
terday to 8 am. today certainly
added lot more" The 6.36-inch
total for the first II days of this
month was recorded as OF last
midnight.
Lightning and a 54-mile -an-hour
wind caused most of the damage
early last night. Water, however,
was a foot deep at Bladensburg
road and New York avenue for a
half hour after pm. Serious traf-
fic jams occurred there and at High
way Bridge where a truck and bus
stalled.
Police reported three cars were
damaged by falling trees in the 900
block of 21st street NV, and four
others were hit by a falling tree
near 1902 o street NV. About a
dozen trees were blown down in
the city.
Policeman's Home Struck.
The home of Police Pvt. Grover
c. Smith at 1919 r street Sc. was
among those struck by lightning.
Pvt. Smith said there was no
damage except that lights were out
for several hours.
The only reported injury was that
OF Bozzie Lathrop, 80, colored, OF
l7o4 Ninth street NV. Lightning
hit a chimney of an adjoining house
and brick crashed through the roos
of Lathrops house. He was struck
by falling plaster and lathes in his
bedroom. He was discharged from
Gallinger Hospital after treatment
for cuts on his neck and right leg.
His wife, Maybelle, was in the room
at the time but escaped injury.
Comparatively few electric wires
were blown down in the District and
there was no interruption in service
except in a few isolated instances.
Lightning Starts Fire.
In Alexandria two houses were
struck by lightning. A bolt hit a
chimney at 1905 Cameron Mills road
at 6:31 pm, and nine minutes later
Ia fuse box in the basement Of 311
Hume avenue was hit. A pile of pa
pers in the Hume street basement
was set afire.,
The radio transmitter of the Up
per Marlboro (Md0 Police Depart
ment went off shortly before 7 pm.
Police said lightning apparently was
the cause. Repairs were made
quickly, while the Hyattsville Police
Department took over radio COM
munication for Upper Marlboro.
The storm caused postponement Of
the scheduled performance of the
opera Madame Butterfly" at the
Water Gate last night. The opera
will be staged Saturday night.