St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-22
sTORM-swEPT COAST.
Great Damage on the Pacific From
Wind and snow.


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 2I.-One of the
severest storms that ever occurred on this
coast began Sunday and reached its height
shortly after noon to-day. Ii extended
from the northern boundary of Washington
territory to the southern boundary of Cali
fOrna, and from the Rocky mountains TO
the Pacific ocean. An almost continuous
fall of snow and rain was accompanied by
wind, which from five miles an hour grad
ually increased until about I:30 this after
noon, when it blew a hurricane, eighty-twO
miles per hour. The storm was predicted
by the signal service and a cautionary
storm signal was displayed by order of
Lieut.. GlaSSford. from the flagstaff of the
Merchants Exchange building. Due to
this timely notice, many vessels postponed
their departure from here and thus escaped
the dangers OF the storm. Although the
bay inside the harbOr was very rough, and
passengers on ferrybOats were made sea-
sick. Shipping suffered no damage. Con-
siderable damage, however. was done
throughout the city by wind and rain.
HOUSES WERE UNRooFED,
sheds, fences, trees, awnings, signs and
church spires and numerous smOkestacks
were blown down; huge plate windows
were blown in. Easements flooded and sew
ers broken. Cars were lifted from the
track and covered wagons caught up. No
loss of life has been reported. About 1:3O.
when the wind was at its height, the west
wall of the Mechanics pavilion was blown
in. and a few minutes later about eighty
feet of its roof was carried across the street
and damaged the buildings on the op-
posite side. The damage done the pa
viliOn amounts to several thousand dollars.
I n.,.a ,E h g, -
caused by the storm was the collapse of the
twO-story building. corner Mission and
Thirtieth streets. AT the time of the acci-
dent. Mrs. Annie Humbert, Mrs. Coyle and
John Carroll were in the building The
latter rushed from the building i'm time to
escape harm. but both women were buried
under the falling building and were severely,
perhaps fatally injured about the head
The most serious result of the storm was to
cut off San Francisco entirely for the
FIRST TINE N ITS HISTORY
from telegraphc communication with the
outside world. Wires began going down
yesterday one after another until the final
break occurred about 1890 this afternoon,
and for short time the city wires were
rendered entirely useless. Plenty of men are
now engaged repairing lines, but up to this
time, midnight of Jan. 20, no connection
with the outside has been made. This dis
patch is sent from here by mail to Sacra-
mento by courtesy of the Western Union
Telegraph company. whence it will be for
warded To its destination. Washouts have
occurred on the Southern Pacific road at
.several places between MOiave and Yuma,
which are not serious, and which will be re-
paired i'm three or four days at the longest.
Exact information cannot be obtained.
Little or no delay has occurred on the Cen
tral Pacific railroad. although heavy snow
fall occurred between Truckee, Cal, and
Reno New. No information as TO the dam
age sustained by shipping along the coast
and by other portions of the country has
been received, owing to the isolation from
lack of wire communication.