Aug. 08, 1953 - 5 Dead, 50 Injured And 1,000 Homeless In Cloudburst Over Rome:...

Aug. 08, 1953 - 5 Dead, 50 Injured And 1,000 Homeless In Cloudburst Over Rome: Five people were killed, about 50 injured, and 1,000 made homeless, when a cloudburst, lasting an hour and a half, struck Rome yesterday. Two of the victims were drowned in the basements of houses. Hundreds of dwellings were destroyed and a 50-yard stretch of the 20-ft high wall in front of the Vatican Museum collapsed. Rome and many of its buildings and churches were left deep in mud. When the Vatican City wall collapsed it carried away part of the gardens where the Pope takes his daily walk. Rome's 2,000 year-old drains could not cope with the water coming down from the seven hills on which the city stands. Photo shows The high wall in front of the Vatican City which collapsed after the cloudburst in Rome yesterday.