The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-11
ALMOST BLOWN AWAY.
coxEY ISLAND SWEPT BY HALF nouns TOR

coNEY ISLAND SWEPT BY A HALF HOURS TOR
MISREPRESENTATION OF PROPERTY.
Coney Island was visited yesterday, about dusk, by
ono OF the wind and rain storms OF tho sea.
son. The was beautiful but peculiar, and
thousands had their attention drawn TO the curious red
tinted light that bahed everything land water
In is rich glow. Great thunder hoads lowered
high above tho horizon. their edges crowned as
II With . thin rim .oi gold. who the
lightning flashed and played In the suen looking
masses ofcioud beneath The storm seemed far dis
tant. and people promensdcd unsuspectingly on the
beach or sportcd 10 the breakers Suddenly thcre
cumc ntiaI gust, kind Of premonition, and In an
instant the full bias. Of tornado-for It can be
termed nothing elsc--was upon Tho little island
Flag STAINS were twisted and broken, signs and
sheds went down like 90 many cards;
bathing houses overturned aud wrecked;
the root of Sleght's Pavilion picked up and The
boards flying hundreds Of feet through the arr tho
lamps just lighted, wore extngushec, und those most
exposed were broken. Women who attempted To
make their way to shelter were driven sideways and
sndways like drunken persons. with their clothes
hanging ~ bali mast as II making signals oil distress
The Aarionette structure near the Atlantic Garden
went down III lump, burying piano ana theatrca
properties In pile Of RUNS and the new depot OF the
Manhattan Railroad leveed 10 the ground, loss
o! nearly Ss, 000 In the mids, OF tho msite hand
some pair OF horses, frightened by tho elements,
dashed up the beach, and went clear through house
before they were stopped Hail fell as large as chest
nuts and for three or four minutes the sccno among
the startled multitude was about as exciting as well
could be. Tho sudden character oil tho WINDY inno-
vation may DO inferred from the fact that a
party OF English captains were INDUCING ia The
novelty-to thcm-of a Rhode Island clanbake ~ the
open 10, adjoining Cables Hotel aud, before they
could get out OF their scais the table upset ardlob
sters, CLAIMS. ish, corn ana champagne mado otpoir
in their laps that viii doubtless be remembered
now, but not luxurious experience In the "blarsted
country"
Fortunately nobodv was hurt although somo Of tho
escapes little short Of the miraculous One lady
IN bathing house, half dressed when the storm
upset and turned IL tho door, and there she re-
manned prisoner until after the wind subsidized, whom
her calls attracted people in The peighborhood, by
whom shc was released. Meanwhile she had very
cooy flashed her toilet Several gentlemen IN tho
same prcdicament got thorough wetling Tho
people gong and coming on the cars and in
carriages wore likewise bnpIzed but these were the
principal mishaps so far as - at present Known
Many saboats were the ocean at The time, but in
the tremendous rain that followed they were lost sight
Of IL scarcely seems possible that some OF them did
not meet with disaster Both wind and rain ceased ia
less than halt hour, and before eight O'Clock tho
bands were playing, the people promcnadlng, hun.
drcds arriving by every irain and Concy Island
looked as calm as II old Boreas had not been the
worst behaved and most Improbable visitor Of tho