Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-22

of the barn was blown out. A dwelling |
house near by was not touched. one |
story house was blown 200 feet and then
broken up. A wagon was blown 100 feet |
and was not broken. The conclusion of
the storm was further mp the river.
Captain NJ. W. FowIsr's story.
Captain NJ. w. Fowler. who came to
Wilmington on the yacht Phoebe with
Captain w B. Norton, the safety life
boat inventor a short time ago, was re-
turning from Baltin ore with steam
launch and three lifeboats The cyclone
crossed his wake As he was ascending the
Christiana river The captains story, as
told TO IL JOURNAL reporter last night, is
as follows
Il left Baltimore Monday night about
g. 80 o'clock with Capt Nortons thirty
foot steam launch. which had been built
for him there We had three life boats
in tow one thirty feet long one twenty
two feet and one twelve feet. We came
through the Delaware and Chesapeake
canal to-day and we're bound to New
York, going through the Raritan canal
We had had bad weathcr ever since we
left Baltimore and to-day was very
squslly My coal had run short and
determined TO put into Wilmington
and coal up first noticed the cloud
sometime between five and six o'clock
this afternoon as we were coming around
the bend below the railroad bridge over
the ChristianA river. | had Just blown
| the whistle for the draw TO be put of
and it was just swinging of when my
engineer Mr.. Moore Of Baltimore, called
my attention TO the cyclone. and said Il
am going 10 get life preserver and look
4 out for myself, The cloud was whirling
around full Of dust. and de
bris Of every kind and roaring
/ fearfully | never heard such noise. II
was like steam escaping from a thousand
steam pipes | told the engineer 60 throw
all the steam on the engine, 50 ] could
have full control OF the boat in case the
wind struck up. He did SO, and then
sought place Of refuge.
Il made point of getting asnear as
possible to something to hold on
to, and yet be near enough 70 the helm to
steer the boat. The cloud was coming
from about the southwest It came on
like a great beast, catching up everything
it struck. ! could not see through it at
all 1t skipped about here and there
rising up from the ground and darling
off in zigzag direction to another spot
Wherever it struck the ground it licked
up everything. II struck the rolling
mill and it went up in a second Tit
clond seemed TO hang over the mill for
moment. Timbers went flying into thu
air and the mill was RACED to the ground
completely demolished. II then strucl
the creek just in the wake Of the launch
we had passed the spot where the centr
Of the cloud passed less than Eve minute
before. The outside swirl Of the cloul
caught us and thought az one time tha
we were gone, but we escaped with II
damage
After crossing the creek it took
northwesterly course and skipped owe
the marsh as before am not sure tina
it broke on the marsh was SO closel
occupied with the boat that did not nc
! tice Several pieces Of debris fell nea
The boat A large piece Of iron-I thin
it must have been piece Of the roof {
the rolling mill-fell 50 near the bon
that the spray foil ON me. am sure
I weighed as much as 500 pounds and
fell within 10 feet of the boat "A man WI
z was i'll one Of the life boats towing behinl
+ SAYS that several pieces Of debris fell int
Z the boat. Just below the railroad bridl
4 a sloop lay anchored The outside Of II
4 storm struck her and blew her jib, whC
was up. out of the ropes | am Statistic
Z that II any kind Of small craft were struC
= they were picked up completely out Of Il
+ water.
y The steamboat Brandywine was ju
Il steaming into the Christiana river who
Captain Wilson noticed the cloud
had seen tornadoes before and suspectl
"A what it was 1t had the characteristic
4. Of cyclone. The edges Of the clot
- were revolving rapidly. He was not su
a which direction it was comm
! and slowed down, thinking it would Gro
i. his bows. Then it seemed as if it VI
! coming towards him and he tried to Z
! into the creek intending TO put Il
a steamer ashore if it struck her 1t tn
n changed its course, and just outside
h the ietty the steamer was stopped for thr
& or four minutes and the cloud stru'
II the rolling mill and passed between Il
4 steamer and the cutoff bridge. Ii q
n steamer had kept on her course it won
i. have been right in the track. When u
j steamer passed through the wake Of Il
A cyclone the creek was strewr with deb
Il left by the cloud, varying in size fro
"A kindling wood to logs 20 feet long III
n base of the funnel was 30 to - var
81 wide and enlarged as it went up into
le tremendous cloud
at One False Alarm.
s. The report that two Pennsgrovo sloo
ne loaded with truck were swamped and I
ar men on board IL them drowned is deni
ne by parties from that place Il
81 morning. A sloop lying anchor
ne in the Christinna river below the cut.
ar bridge was blown ashore None Of I
rs Wilmington tug boats were damage
ng The Rambler was off Thompsons Poil
On near Chester The wind was hi
ne there and the water food
re her decks for about 10 minutes 4
rs other tugs were tied up at various whary
he along the river The cloud was seen
az the distance by number Of people alo
ma the river.
ey where II Came Prom.
IA The storm which swept over New @
~ lie and Wilmington hundreds last CIV,
~ inc with such disastrous effect had
" source undoubtedly in the Chesapea
~ bay. The terrible havoc at Still Pond
4, dicates a diversion Of the same gale
:, few years ago when the steamer Ma
u Reybold was wrecked in the DeAwa
~ opposite Gloucester, the tornado
W. peared TO have sprung from the sa
~ area. II swept over Cecil Co passing {
\, city TO north and striking the Delaw
-, river above Chester. Pa The tornado
4; Wednesday evening, August 8, VIII
II capszed the sloop Flora 3. in the Dc
u ware river of this city and drowned G
ia tain Wheaton's family also came fr