Evening star., 1951-08-04

Two lucky District residents were
in hospitals today after narrow
escapes from death-one by light
ming and the other by drowning
during a flash storm that hit the
Washington area yesterday after
noon.
Recovering in Casualty Hospital
latter being struck by lightning
was Thomas B. Hatton, jr., 40
Found apparently without pulse OF
heartbeat in the 1900 block of New
York avenue NE, he was revived
by firemen from Rescue Squad
No. 2 with a new system of arti-
fetal respiration they were trying
flor the first time.
And in Emergency Hospital was
Mrs. Eva Booth, So, of 1924 Fourth
street NV, a telephone operator,
who was swept from her car by
raging waters in the vicinity of
Fourth and Ingraham streets NV.
She was rescued by Police Cofpl.
James j. McAuliffe, a police radio
dispatcher who was off duty and
swan out into the middle of the
street to get her.
Accompanied by Winds.
The storm struck at 3:07 pm,
accompanied by 28-mile- hour
winds.
BY the time it was over, So min
|uteS later. power lines had been
Idowned, streets flooded, three
homes struck by lightning, traffic
stalled generally throughout the
city and trees smashed to the
ground. A total of .82 of an inch
of rain fell during the storm, the
Weather Bureau said.
The Weather bureau predicted
a better deal for the week end.
The forecast called for fair and
sunny weather today with the
temperature not going above 80
degrees. Tonight it will drop to
so. Tomorrow will continue fair
and cool.
Firemen said Mr.. Hatton ap-
parently had taken refuge from
the rain under a tree in the 1900
block of New York avenue NE.
lightning struck the tree and
knocked him to the ground.
Called by Residents.
Called to the scene by residents
of the neighborhood, Sergt. Ollie
L. Watkins and four other men
from Rescue Squad 2 decided to
use new respiration method they
had learned only a few weeks ago.
They worked over the unconscious
man for about 20 minutes before
restoring his breathing.
The storm struck worst in the
Northwest and Northeast sections.
Rock Creek rose in some places
but did not make the park roads
impossible for very long, accord
ing to Park Police. Several cars
were stranded temporarily, how-
ever.
Three houses and at least one
tree were struck by lightning.
Dozens of cars were marooned in
various sections of the city by the
waters of the flash flood, which
rose to between eight and 10 feet
in the worst-hit sections.
In many parts of the city, fallen
tree limbs, flooded cellars and
streets stalled cars, with water
over their tenders. The area
around Fourth and Fifth and In
graham streets NV, suffered
heavily. as in past storms. At
least 80 cars were stalled by the
water there. Easements were in
undated, and some were still being
pumped out hours later. AS much
as 8 feet of water was at the
intersection of Fifth and Ingra-
nam StTeeCS NV, at one Time.
Complaints Received.
Complaints of residents in this
section came to newspapers during
the evening, but it appears that at
least four years will pass before
relief for this condition will come,
according to Harold A. Kemp, di-
rector of sanitary engineering for
the District.
He said a project now is under
way to extend storm water sewers
from Piney Branch parkway, then
along Randolph street and on
north. These would alleviate the
conditions around Fourth and