The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-01
TERRIFIC GALE.
Buffalo Hurricnne-ThriIItnE Adventures
Narrow Escnpea.

and Narrow Escapes.
The Buffalo Courier gives the following account of
the storm in the neighborhOod OF buffalo few days
ago.
The city was visited yesterday by the most tre-
mendous gale of the season. The early afternoon
quiet and pleasant, but about O'Clock the great
black clouds began to gather and the premonitions
OF the gale were unmistak kable A little more than
half an hour later the storm broke. The saual came
from the southwest, and carried everything before
it, The rain had not fallen in sufficient quantti es to
lay the DUST and the air was so darkened by Its fly
ing particles that it was impossible to across the
street.
DESTRUCTION OF THE OHIO STREET BRIDGE.
The most serious result of the storm was the de-
structoD OF the toll bridge Buffalo river near
the junction of Ohio and Louisiana Streets
When the gale was at its height there were on the
bridge under a cover baker-wagon, driven by John
Dierr, Of No. 22i Pine street, two wagons driven by
men named Tainter and Leacock, engaged in
drawing sand from the beach for Isaac Holo-
way and third wagon Of the same Sort driven
by man named Tate, was Just entering the
covered portion of the bridge from the draw
on the city side. squa struck the old bridge with
such force as to utterly disrupt and smash 1t to
binders The entire covered part of the structure
was lifted up by the force of the gale several feet,
and then flung with tremendous force to leeward.
Never was q more complete wreck made in so short
q space of time. Each plank and rafter was torn
from its fastenings as 10y the 1Dgers of mighty
giant: strong beams We're rent asunder, and their
tornado the whole bridge, which must be two hun
dred feet in length, was converted In an instant to
an enormous and shapeless mass OF disocated
lumber and scattered over the river
NARROW ESCAPE OF A SAILING PARTY.
The gale overlook party OF ladies and gentlemen
in a sail boat on the lake, near the dummy light,
and treated them to q thrilling experience which
will doubtless prove the most fearfuy memorable of
their lives. The party consisted Of Mr. j. z. UOif-
man, Mr.. Charles Shafer, Mrs. ]. r. Fraser and Miss
Ella Clark. While the storm was yet in the distance
they noticed the vessels rapidly taking in SAIL and
MIR. Holman determined at once to make the lee of
the light If possible. AS the white caps approached
him he hauled down the sail, leaving about three
feet OF it exposed to the breeze that he might be
the better enabled to handle the boat. Before
he could reach the point of safety, however, the
squall struck the little craft, almost lifting her
out OF water, and capszed her. In instant
the party were in the water, but for some seconds
Mr. Shafer, who had become entanged in the sail,
not visible, and it was thought he had sunk to
rise no more Miss Clark, in being thrown into the
water, gothold of the mast which had become par
TALLY unstepped, and Mr.. Holman directed his en-
ergies to the saving of Mrs. Fraser, who had fairly
been washed away from the boat. When Mr.
Shafer succeeded in eXtricating himself, he rem
dered assistance to Miss Clark; and through the
self-possessOn Of the gentlemen and the won
derful coolness of the ladies, the party managed
to cling to the boat with considerable tenacity
The shell was rolled over and over some
twenty times by the angry waves, and with
every violent surge OF the waters hands had to be
loosened from their hold and the chances taken on
the changed position OF the boat The situation was
trying one, and the boat drifted the threat
enDg rapids, the feelings of the party be more
easily imagined than described. Past the Interna-
tiona bridge went the boat and its helpless party
without being discovered, and it was not till they
works that the ir perilous condition was noticed The
party were picked up very much exhausted, after
having been struggling in the water for an hour and
forty minutes.