1925: A tornado hits Pastime

TORNADO HITS PASTIME

More Than Inch of Rain Falls In 10 Minutes When Cloudburst Strikes Tucson

TWO BUILDINGS ARE UNROOFED

Two Garages Torn to Pieces, Veterans' Canteen Is Severely Damaged

Camp MacArtan government hospital at Pastime Park was swept by a twister late yesterday afternoon which blew down the patients' garage, tore two of the government garages to pieces, demolished the rear end of the veterans' canteen, hurled pieces of tin hundreds of yards, uprooted seven of the large cottonwood trees and did considerably other damage. Despite the large property loss, not a single injury occurred.

The hospital grounds were a mass of wreckage and confusion last night as a result of the young tornado. Wreckage from the demolished buildings was strewn in all directions.

Pieces of tine were twisted around trees. The road was completely blocked by the uprooted trees. The entrance to the grounds was blocked by two telephone poles which had fallen near the gates. Wires were scattered around the grounds so that walking in the dark was hazardous.

The patients' garage, which is used to house the cars of the veterans was completely down. The garage contained 14 stalls, nearly all of which were occupied and every automobile was damaged to some extent. The back part of the garage was hurled against the surgical ward.

The old government garage was torn to pieces which were blown against the Knights of Columbus hut, nearly 250 feet away. The automobile of Superintendent Caudell was in the garage and was not damaged, but his camping outfit, valued at $250, was blown away and could not be found last night. Caudell's office also was located in the building and many of his papers and other personal belongings were blown away during the storm.

The new government garage recently completed was severely wrecked, the roof being torn off, and pieces of the tin were found wrapped around trees. None of the machines in the garage were damaged.

The group of cottonwood trees near the Knights of Columbus hut and the surgical ward was hard hit by the twisters and seven of them were down. Several of them were uprooted so that they fell across the road.

The veterans canteen, the rear end of which was torn away, was one of the most severe losses as the canteen was flooded by the heavy rain and considerable damage to the stock resulted.

The center of the twister passed near the wards which contained patients severely ill, and the excitement created by the storm is considered likely to be serious in some cases. The twister appeared to come from the southwest and was accompanied by a heavy downfall of rain.

More Than Inch of Rain Falls In 10 Minutes When Cloudburst Strikes Tucson

STORM DARKENS TUCSON STREETS

Cars Have to Be Hauled From Subway; 35 Year Weather Record Smashed

With more than an inch of rainfall pouring down within ten minutes time, Tucson yesterday afternoon experienced its heaviest cloudburst in five years in the opinion of the old-time residents of the city. Yesterday's downpour brought the rainfall for the past three days to a total of 2.47 inches, higher than the 35 year average for any month of the year and two and a half times the 35 year average for the month of September, according to United States weather bureau reports.

After a heavy rain for more than an hour, the real deluge broke out about 5:30 p.m. Accompanied by a high wind and an electrical storm, the rain flooded the streets of the city. Nearly every street was a miniature river and the main business corner of the city at Congress and Stone avenue was a lake of water. Business men said that not in years have they seen Congress street flooded as it was yesterday.

"This is the biggest rain I have seen in five years," Harry A. Drachman, pioneer Tucsonan said during the storm. "And never in recent years have I seen the business section so flooded. It reminds me of the old days before paved streets, except that in those days most of the street would be washed away.

Reaches Hubs of Autos

The flood was not confined to the business section. In the vicinity of Speedway and Stone avenue, the streets were covered with water from curb to curb and the waters were rushing along in torrents. The water in most cases reached the hubcaps of autos.

The Fourth avenue subway was out of use for some time as the result of being flooded. Previous to the abandoning of the subway for traffic, several automobiles were stalled and had to be towed out of the tunnel.

Most of the streets were in darkness last night as the result of the ornamental lighting systems being out. According to R. D. Whitacre, city electrician, the trouble was believed to be due to grounding and as all the systems are underground, work cannot be started until today. Several of the systems were put out of commission by Wednesday's rainstorm and the repairing had only been completed yesterday, when the new storm again darkened the city.

The report of the weather bureau at the University of Arizona showed a rainfall of 1.01 inches up to 6 p.m. yesterday.

The fall at the university was lighter than in the business section as the gauge of the chamber of commerce at Armory park showed a total of 1.02 inches during ten minutes time.

Yesterday's total, with a total of .39 inches Thursday and 1.07 inches Wednesday made the total for the past three days 2.47 inches. The weather bureau averages show that the 35 year average for the whole month of September is 1.0 inches. The highest 35 year average for any month is August with 2.46 inches, is .01 of an inch less than the rainfall during the past three days.

Rainfall Is General

The rainfall was general throughout the vicinity of Tucson. Heavy rains were reported at Sells Indian reservation, at Florence and at Nogales. Stage service from Winkleman was delayed on account of the rains between there and Tucson.