The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-23

ing clouds shortly after which vivid flashes Of lightning
dated here and there followed by ghtiul pess Of thun
der The streets, which hour previously crowd
ed with people, almost deserted and those who
were to bc hurryng to place of shelter
About three o'clock fierce gusts Of wind swept down
Pennsylvania avenue raising clouds Of dust dense that
the houses the could not he distinguished
Then came the in drops wettng the streets and pave
mens and patering against the windows aud then the
hail. at first small but afterwards quite large, VI the
stones Of which, assured, weighed from half
pound to pound The fury Of the Storm we feel salts
fled, did not last than half hour. and yet in
that short space Of time houses were unrooied trees up
rooted and stripped Of their fruit and olnge chinneys
blown down, and thousands OF panes Of glass broken
Many dumb animal was peltcd to death, and many
promising crop totally destroyed,
No little alarm felt by our citizens Mothers
gathered together their children and fathers used their
utmost endeavors to quiet the appchensions Of their fam
lilies Some cried out rhe comet at last whilst
Others declared that 1t wns too late for the comet and
il was only its tail 1t WAS not until the storm had
ceased TO rage and the had shone forth that quiet
restored. 64
The appearance Of Tie city after the storm was certain
iy frghttn The streets covered with hastones
Of all shapes and Sizes and the leaves and limbs of trees
and the cutters swollen to the size Of small rivers
The Presidents green houses nearly destroyed and
the damage to his garden has not been fully ascertaine
The roof Of the "White House was somewhat dam
aged, and number OF lights were broken. The sky
light Of the Capitol the glass Of which is three -eighths
Of an inch in thickness was completely rildled and
but for the prompt action of Captain Huntington,
considerable injury would have been done to the
books Of the Congressional Library. The carpet on
the floor of the library will have to be taken up From
twenty five to thirty panes Of glass broken and
cracked in the skylight Of the House extension and
from five to six in the skylght Of the Senate extension
The skyights of the Capitol work shops were total
ly demolished and the number of panes of glass broken
is estimated at between six and eight thousand There Is
not whole pane Of glass left in the temporary sy-ight
Of the Capitol rotundo. The government green houses
and all private greenhouses, were almost complete
ly destroyed. The plants in the government green
houses were not seriously injured. The observatory
of Senator Douglas completely riddled and about
third of the glass Of Mr. Corcorans observatory was
broken. The Patent and Post Offices, owing to the
quality of the glass have escaped without much damage
At least two thousand panes OF glass broken at the
Smithsonian Institution.
A number OF churches were damaged some of them
quite seriously The principal hotel and boarding house
keepers will be heavy losers and indeed, but few Of our
propcrtyowncs escaped loss either by the breakage of
glass damage to the roofs Of their houses The break
age of glass is estimated at about sixty thousand paes
and we do not think this above, but rather upder the
mark. The damage to the gardens Of the city will be
very great the hail stones cutting off and beating down
the plants that they possibly revive The pub
lie grounds covered with green leaves and the limbs
Of trees beaten of by the storm saa's
The damage TO the street lamps such to prevent
their being lighted at night and consequently the city
was shroqded IN almost impenetrahle darkness.
Fortunately the storm not widespread.
/ Rain commenced falling again about Fix O. clock and
continued at intervals throughout tho night.
t. ~. ~
TnE CRY CorScs held their regular weekly meeting
yesterday afternoon The Board of Aldermen passed the
joint resolutions of thanks to the President Of the United
States the cabinet officers, and others for ther prompt
assistance to restore quet TO the city during the recent
election riot which resolutions were passed by the Com
mon Council two weeks ago. and have already been pub
lished The resolutions amended however, by
striking out the preamble account Of the
ter being now before the grand jury of the District This
board also passed resolution authorizing and requesting
the city surveyor to establish the grade Of Fact Capitol
street, and report the 1t also confirmed the nomi-
nation Of John d. Clark police magistrate in the
second district and of Stephen Coster as street commits
sioner for the Fifth and Sixth wards
TnE COMMON COUNCIL passed bill authorizing the city
to borrow s2aanD on tho strength OF the revenues ac
cruing from the taxes Of 1857
EFFECTS or SroRM.-Almost every body has some
thing to say about damages by the storm Of Sunday after
noon One Of our physicians happened to be out at the
time and both himself and horse were bruised by the
astones particularly the quadupcd 1t is unnecessary
to say that the pelting understood by the animal as
an ntimation to quicken his pace. aceratcd back is
the consequence Two hogs, Capitol Ill., were killed
by the hail stones their shelter having been blown over
by the wind thus exposing them tho fury of the ce
ments. man in the neighborhood Of the Long Bridge
knocked down by the hail but getting up he man
aged to stagger to place of safety.
GLASS AND Putty The merchants dealing In these ar
ces transacted good business yesterday the storm of
Sunday afternoon having occasioned demand for them
beyond precedent. In every direction particularly at
houses fronting the west the GLACIERS were rskly at
work, supplying omissions made by the hal-stones
Neither greenhouses White House, nor brick
houses frame houses were spared All were alike cx
posed to the 'rtigs Of the pitilcss atoua" verify
glass and putty and glaciers In greater de-
mand than
MALICIOUS MISCHIEF colored individual named
hdophus Barker, recently sentenced by the criminal
court to pay fine Of five dollars and costs If we mis-
take not, he some time ago infamcd with passion |
against guitar which woman Of his own complexion I
carrying in the street and, rudely sezng the ms
cal instrument he battered it TO pooes the curwtone
and then lcsrely walked away with the lofty bearing Of
conqncror He not susceptible Of the influence of
the concord Of sweet Sounds and hence 1t is certain he
was cmincntly fitted for the sspois'