Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-01-24

region around the Bay. The violence
Of the Eastern blizzard signalized this
commotion Of the elements. Houses
were blown down, ships broke from
their moorings, steeples were lifted
bodily from such edifices as the Odd
Fellows Hall and the wrack and ruin
were something wonderful to behold.
The disasters extended all over the
northe, n and central counties. The
Chronicle, OF Thursday, thus summar-
ICES the salient features OF the bliz-
zard:
With the exception OF vigorous
norther which rasped the city about
ten Years ago, the storm which has
been sweeping over San Francisco
for the past three days, and which
eliminated in hurricane yesterday
noon. is the most violent that has
ever been recorded here. There have
been other southern and southeastern
gales, but none to equal this in in
iensity, power and mischievous ef-
feet. SO much space has been given
In this and tho accompanying col
umnst to the details OF the damage
done that It will not be necessary to
write ut length here Of the effect Of
the gale. On eea and land the wind
ragged with a fury that was surpris-
ing. the rain swept the streets in tor
rents, travel and telegrapbic commu-
nication were effectually interrupted,
there was danger to those on shore,
and still more to those afioat. Fences
were demolished all over the city,
San Francisco's few trees were
seriously diminished in numbers,
vanes and architectural iiligree-
work were sorely tried, there was
much damage done for the glazier TO
remedy, the ordinary thoroughiares
were nearly deserted, and flying ru-
mors and hats alike filled the air.
Tho sea ran over the bar like a mill
race, there was broken water from the
Mission to Seal Rock, and the craft
that ventured out TO sea were forced
to turn backward and seek shelter in
the haven OF the bay.
II must not be understood by what
has thus far been written that the
storm was local in its character. IL
ragged, indeed, from one end OF the
State to the other. Especially does
the storm seem to have been violent
in the mountain ranges that serrate
the southern and southeastern por-
tions Of California. There whole sec
tions OF track have been washed
away, bridges have cen destroyed,
wrecking trains have been themselves
wrecked, and such destruction has
been wrought that under the most
favorable circumstances free travel
will not be resumed until the end Of
the week. N
: To show the extent and character
OF tire storm ii will be best perhaps to
give its genesis as gathered from the
reports and conden' alton OF Lieuten-
ant Giassford and other officers OF the
Signal Service Bureau. From these
II Is learned that 1t was gusty all day
Monday, the 18th, not only here, but
away up in the northwestern portion
of the State. II was seen then that
storm nucleus was gathering mp there
along the shore, or else had already
gathered out Mt sea and was preparing
to take a career over the land.
That afternoon the storm nucleus or
point of disturbance was seen to have
widened, and it kept widening out
with strange rapidity until il spread
from Washington Territory to Cali
fornia. Then, for the first time,
Lieutenant Glassford had the eau
tionary signal hoisted over the Mer-
chants Exchange, and people Won
dered what the red flag with its blue
balllmight mean. At that time the
edge of lhe disturbance, the outer
ring OF the storm, had struck Mendo-
cino, and word came down that ii
was blowing there at twenty miles an
hour. At midnight on Monday the
storm lines had stretched out so that
they extended from Tatoosh island to
San Diego, with wind velocity OF
lorty-two miles an hour at the mouth
Of the Columbia River and twenty
eight an hour at Cotton. The bar
ometer went down steadily all Tues
day, reaching the exceptionally low
point here OF 29.3i and 29.22 at Fort
Candy. All this time the storm had
been moving southerly, but on Tues
day evening IL turned around with an
angry rush and began 10 move north
ward. At first IL was thought that
his meant the clearing up, but cer-
tain ugly signs began TO manifest
themselves. The cautionary signal
was still kept flying, and the signal
service announced that a worse time
yet was TO come. On Wednesday
II did. The storm doubled
On its path, turned once more south
srly and came down along the coast
with unparalleled vehemence, which
increased, until at /
o'clock p. NJ. the wind blew seventy
two miles an hour at Point Lobos,
and san Francisco was rocking and
rattling under hurricane.
kilograms received by Gen. +.
e. Hewitt at Los Angeles yestel-
lay over the single wire which the
Southern Pacific has working 10 Oak
hand via Tulsre say that great storm
was then raging in San Francisco,
and 10 the northward, and that it was
its way down South. Unless
something shall occur to defect it
rom its indicated source we shall
presently have the tail end of it in |
he Southern counties.
On the principle that misery loves
the sufferers from the flood |
4 the other day may derive some
from knowledge of the
act that they have not been specially |
against by the weather