The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-28
THE GREAT WIND-STORM.
How 1t Affected New York Men, Women, Tel
egraph Lines and Ferry-Boats.

New YORK. Feb. 27.-Folks who happened u
meet the wind, yesterday. when it was humping
itself for the eighty-four-mile mark felt as il
they had run up against brick wall. Eighty
four miles is hurricane speed, and means press
ure of APO pounds to man, and more to woman.
who carries so much more sail for the hurricane
to work on. 1t swept along and across the streets
and avenues in fierce gusts, hurting showers OF
dust and gravel in the faces of pedestrians; ii
whiskei hats off heads and hurled them under
the wheels of vehicles, to be crushed or cut ia
pieces; it propelled east-bound cross town cars
with such swiftness that drivers could stop them
only by vigorous application of the brake; il
pinned the drivers of west bound cars against
the doors; 1t smashed glass in car windows. I'm,
hinged signs and shutters, and snapped off poles
ferry boats were driven out of their courses and
the light spars of vessels in the harbor were
broken. Unretarded across the desert of City
Hall Park the gale madly cavorted. and made
existence very lively for the people who passed
the corner OF Park row and Frankfort
street So fierce was the gale there
angle of forty-ive degrees to keep from being
blown down. A woman was slammed against q
telegraph pole in front of Frenchs Hotel, and
chung to it until policeman rescued her. So
immense quantity of water was blown out OF
appearance they have when the tide is unusually
low. At low water, $3.50 o'clock last evening, the
surface of the river was ten, fifteen and twenty
feet from the top of the piers and the bridges at
the ferries ran down an angle of nearly fortyfive
degrees. A crowd of passengers in an Eighth
avenue street-car were surprised when they saw
the roof of the car suddenly lifted off and sailing
over into Central Park with the bell punch at
tachment trailing behind. Telegraph, telephone
and electric-light wires were blown down In all
parts of the city Messages were received by
all telegraph companies in the city subject to
two three, and in many places four hours de-
lay Repairing the wires was rendered imp0ssi-
BILE, as the line men were unable to stand up on
the cross arms Of the poles Adventurous peo-
pie who crossed the Brooklyn bridge on foot
wished they had not when they got about half
way over. They were seen by policemen cling
ing desperately to the iron work to keep them
selves from involuntarily following Odlum.
The bridge itself was transformed into
huge @olian harp, whose thunderous music
could be heard on the ferry boats that struggled
below between shores. The Signal service OBJ
server had been inclined to think the gale would
go down with the sun, but it kept up in the live
Hest sort of way, and at midnight seemed to be
fiercer than ever. This was because the air was
sharper by several degrees than it was at sun.
down. the mercury ranging thirteen degrees
The Signal-service man said that the greatest
force of the blizzard had been exerted on this
town. The maximum velocity of the wind st
Boston was fifty one miles, which is just q littls
more than half as hard as 1t blew here. The
only place that showed a wind record higher
than this proud metropolis was Mount Washing
ton, where it blew 100 miles. The young prophet
said we might expect colder weather and mora
moderate wind to-day. Another cold wave ia
Matching in the Northwest to descend upon us
The telegraph lines were reported badly crippled
at midnight. The constant strain of the gale
had weakened poles and insulators, and the wireB
were continually broken. Communication be-
tween New York and Sandy Hook and with other
points along the Jersey coast, was cut off,
So far as comfort is concerned, to-day it is far
fallen to seven degrees above zero, and the wind
six miles an hour But one sailing vessel has
arrived here since night before last and that re-
quired the assistance of two tugs. The bay Is
deserted; no steamers have arrived although a
number are reported off the coast, unable to
make New York harbor against the terrific gale
which is blowing. Teegraphic connection with
the surrounding country is in even worse con.
dition than yesterday. No wires are working to
Boston or the East, and it 10 with great difficulty
that anything can be received from the South.
There is absolutely no communication with
points in the interior of this State. number
of houses have been uproofed in this
city and Brooklyn, but about the only people in
jured have been unlucky pedestrians who were
blown against buildings. A large number Of
such cases were reported, the injured being
women in most cases. The chasing of hats has
become useless as when they leave the head
they 60 sailing over the house-tops into the
suburbs. hatless man shutting along before
the gale is not an uncommon sight.
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