Evening star., 1950-07-06
Streets Flooded
And Power Cut
By Heavy Rain
Strong Winds Cause
SAC, 900 Damage
In Maryland

give way to fair skies and lesl
humid atmosphere tomorrow, TIL.
forecaster predicted a high in thu
power 80s today, as compared
with yesterdays maximum of 86
The storm that struck abou
4:30 pm. yesterday lasted inter
mittently until about s pm. bu
brought only half an inch of rain
officially. But the lightning ane
rainfall caused power failures
that blocked out Gallinger Hos.
pital. Arlington Hospital, ant
several Northwest and Chevy
Chase sections as well as othel
nearby Maryland areas.
Woman Hurt in Fall.
The only injury attributed to
storm conditions occurred when
Miss Lois Guedara. 80, an employe
of the Venezuelan Embassy at
2444 Massachusetts, avenue NV.
slipped and fell while running
across wet grass in the 4500 block
of Cathedral avenue NV. at $50
pm. She suffered a dislocated
right shoulder and right ankle
and was taken to Emergency Hos
pital.
The storm came as farmers of
Charles County. Md, near Wico-
mico, were clearing wreckage left
in the wake of a high wind that
ripped through / square mile
area Monday night.
Property damage was estimated
at $4,000. There were no cas-
ualties. Eight tobacco barns were
leveled, four others were damaged
and more than 20 outbuildings
were smashed. The wind, &C.
companied by lashing rain anc
lightning, tossed farm machinery
and toppled some high-tensior
wires.
Transformer Struck.
The failure at Gallinger causes
a blackout from to $50 pm.
Pepco official said the trouble wa
caused by lightning striking /.
transformer. Two hospital eleva.
tors were stuck between floors, bu
no serious difficulties were report.
ed. No operations were under way
and patients showed no fear. Re-
frigeration and air-conditioning
were principally affected,
With District Jail on the same
circuit. electrically operated locks
on some cells were not operating
but guards locked those cells man
ualiy.
The storm also caused a flash
flood that almost covered several
automobiles on the hospital
grounds.
The lights were out in Arlington
Hospital from S to 6:15 pm, and
officials Immediately switched to
the emergency power unit. No op-
erations were in progress during
the failure.
Lightning which apparently hii
a feeder unit at Wisconsin avenue
and Harrison street NV, blackec
out about ITS homes in Riverdale
and Chevy Chase, Md, and Chevy
Chase, D. c.. for about Is minutes
The demaged circuit and station
equipment were repaired quickly
Circuit Unit Damaged.
Another power accident oc'
cured at Bailey and G street.
Sc. Apparently struck b.
lightning, a 13,000-volt circui
unit was damaged. Several othe
circuit units elsewhere were strucl
by lightning but only momen
tary interruptions were caused il
power, officials said.
Scattered wires knocked dow
by falling tree limbs also wer,
reported by PEPCO. The PEPCC
telephone operators received sew
eral hundred calls during tn,
storm according to the officials.
Elsewhere in the area, lightning
struck three-story brick houst
at 1915 North Jackson street
Arlington, Va, and set it afire
Damage was restricted to charreC
rafters and the ceiling of thire
floor room. and burned wiring
Some furnishings were affected
Fireman had to cut hole in the
roof to let hose through. Mrs
Ebert L. Franklin, and her mother
Mrs. Carrie Schlitt, were cooking
when the bolt struck, but were
uninjured.
Lightning Hits House.
A house owned by Hugo Stella
botta at 4308 Alabama avenue
Sc. also was struck by lightning
and set afire. The two-story
stone structure was damaged ir
the roof. attic and the ceiling O.
a bedroom. A fire engine bogget
down in flood water about 3 fee
deep on Minnesota avenue at
street Sc.
Lightning also hit the house o.
William Hanna, 20 Stoddart
place Sc. but no damage wa
reported. Two lightning bolt
also struck st. James School, 361!
Rhode Island avenue, Noun
Rainier, Md, and knocked a few
bricks off the tower.
The District Fire Board sale
that during the storm it received
13 local alarms and two bo,
alarms, mostly for fallen trees O.
live wires down. Between 80 ant
40 flood" calls also were recorde,
by the Fire Board.
Tree Blocks Roadway.
Another fire, caused by light
ming, occurred in frame hous
in the 6100 block of JoSt street
Fairmont Heights, Md. Firemel
said damage was considerable.
Engine Company No. 20 an