Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-03-24

The Severest Wind-Storm Experien.
ced in this Vicinity for Years.

| The late storm in this vicinity will b
signaliZed in the history of the Sigma
Service station as the wind at one tint
during the day reached q velocity O.
eighty-four miles an hour. the highes
that the officers of the department hav,
been called upon to record. and for tht
first time in this city the storm flags ant
cautionary signals had to be lowered
The roof of the Equitable Building, or
which all the instruments for guaglng
the wind are located, presented wea
| ther-beaten appearance. Every door
and blind was bolted down, and the
combined heat of three steam radiator:
] and stove failed to keep the tempera
ture of the Observers apartments com
| Portable.
The hurricane signals were set upor
the flagstaffs at sunrise and tapped In
the wind with noise like reports of pis
tOl-shots. A few minutes after II
O'Clock the wind had increased to fifty
five miles an hour, and the stout poles
were bent like saplings. The wind con.
tinued to increase until, at O'Clock, il
was blowing seventy miles an hour and
the fagstaffs were showing signs OF
giving way. To lower the signal flag:
it required the combined strength OF
four men. Half an hour later An OBJ
seryation was taken, and 1t was fonnd
that the wind was blowing eighty-four.
The gusts howled about the windows OF
the Office and no one attempted to cross
the roof of the ba;lding. At the time
of the highest squalls the pressure of
the wind was thirty-six pounds to the
square foot. The temperature fell per-
ceptibly during the day. AT 3 A. NJ.
the thermometer registered 32 degrees;
6 \. NJ, 90; 0 A. NJ, "a; noon 10; $3.50
p. NJ, II; p. NJ, Is; 0 p. NJ. II; and
at midnight, Il.
The storm which will be the subject
OF special stcdy and investigation by
the Signal Service Department, began
with a rainfall Wednesday forenoon
and kept increasing in force during that
night and the next day. Early yester-
day morning the wind-storm began and
a little snow fell. The storm started in
the Mississippi Valley and was th. re-
suit of the junction of storm mo- ug
northwest up the Mississippi river and
a gale descending from the lake region.
The combined force of the two currents
took southeasterly direction and began
TO travel rapidly towards the coast. The
storm-center passed over New York
shortly after ? z. NJ.
From the Battery to High Bridge the
hurricane was felt in varying strength,
according as the locality was exposed to
the sweep of the wind. The dust was
driven IN clouds through the side street:
and along the avenues forcing its way
beneath the windows Of the houses and
iLro the rooms. AT General Granr's
tomb it seemed as if the gale would
sweep the temporary barracks OF the
soldiers over the bluff INTO the Hudsou
river. The large flag which usually
floats over the vault was lowered earl!
in the morning and Il smaller one sub
stituted. Before noon, however, tht
sentinel on duty reported that the flag
pole was lettering and the flag Wa:
hauled down. ThC high trestle on the
Sixth avenue elevated road at One
Hundred and Tenth street shook and
trembled with the fury ii the blast.
The wind at this point came In gust.
and could be distinctly felt against the
sides of the cars as they moved at slow
speed across the open space.
The wires in az directions were cross
ed, and in the line of the gale the trle.
graph poles were blown down for miles.
The results of the various observations
all over the United States, which are
usually received at this station by 4:30,
had arrived only in part at s O'Clock
last evening. Telephones in this city
were almost useless during the day, the
wires being crossed and interviewer in
such a manner as to break the circuits
constantly. The only storm which ap-
preached this hurricane upon the re-
cords of the Weather Bureau was the
memorable gale OF March %, 1876,
when the wind reached a velocity of
seventy-two miles an hour.