New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-11
SWEPT BY A MIGHTY WIND
THE CITY SUDDENLY ENvELoPED IN WHlRL'
ING CLOUDS OF DUST

DARKNESS AND CONFUSION IN THE STREETS
SIGNS. TELEGRAPH WIRES AND TREES BLOWN
powN-HEAvY RAIN WASHES THE STREETS
AND Coo1S THE ATMosPHERE-DAN'
AGE IN MANY PLACES FROM LIGHT
MING AND WIND
sSorm swcpt over Manhattan Island yeSter'
day afternoon which was one Of the most uhusu"i
ever experienced by the people oil a gre"V Guy
The hot sun beat down upon the streets uurihg
three-fourths of the day with fierce INTENSITY.
Pedestrians crept slowly along over tne hea.e"
pavemtnts, sweltering, perspiring, ana "c'uahS
suffering for air. The foam-tiecked horSes "hich
dragged Their heavy loads through the tnorough'
fares performed their tasks with painful apathy
that even the most heartleSS OF drivers nau no'
,hs ans,uv 10 rebuke with the whip The bright
new foliage on the trees in the parks hung hst-
,ess and still Children and their nurses, half.
s+,f.d even in the shade of the trees returned to
their homes in search Of shelter from the heat
The waters surrounding the city, undisturbed save
by the passing ferrybeats, lay like circle Of
mirrors ghstening in the sun.
The change was sudden and startling. Great
masses of dark ominous clouds appeared as il by
magic all over the southwestern sky. mounting
upward with alarming speed. As the dark mass
4 became heavier and blacker the sun was entirely
:. obscn, d and rh" ity became enveloped in q
renature rwis4,.
The crowds ot rcople in the streets Just through
= tl,.is -das's D. ApTrisd toward their homes in
t .Mrm, warn. by the lowering clouds and the
fsfrs puas hot wind from the southwest In
an inst =, it seemed, the city became
sa.Ns.L' in whFling storm OF dust
~ cts seemed like black tunnels, the dark
~ = eng relieved only by the half-Smothered
ants in the buildings. Lighter articles such
as paper hats and umbrellas, went sailing through
the as il suddenly gifted with life and inspired
with fury y
The transformation from a condition of dull,
empowering, brcatLleSs heat to that OF a tor
nado with sitting clouds of dust was rapid, but
the change that followed was no less remarkable.
There was lull in the tempest for moment, the
wind died out. and the clouds of DIRT and sand
settled upon the HOUSES the streets and the people
in them. Flashes Of lightning streaked the dark
clouds, rain came down in torrents and the at
mOsphere was clear and refreshing. The
pavements were washed clean and the city, which
few moments before had been shrouded in dark
ness and flying dirt, looked as fresh and bright as
May morning.
SOME OF THE STORMS WORK.
When the storm was at its height John Garbut,
age seven, of No $50 West Forty-seventh-st, was
struck by piece Of board that was Tying through
the air in front of No. Gle West Forty -ninth-st,
and had his leg broken. lie was taken to RoOse-
yelt Hospital
The ashes of the big fire at the foot Of West
Fifty-ninth-st. were stirred up by the wind, and
fire was kindled that blazed brightly for short
time 1t was in a locality where no damage of
consequence could follow and the fire engines
TlaS,. = !
Joseph Galway has a grocery store at Forty
third-ss and Vanderbiltave. He was watch
ing the huge clouds OF dust that
swept past his door, when suddenly dark object
came across his vision and large truck entered
bis store through the plate-glasS window The
truck had been standing on the opposite side Of the
street Mr.. Galway says that the wind at this
hme was accompanied by a terrible roar that
brought fear 10 the stoutest heart 1t will take
$500 to repair the damage done by the flying
truck.
across the street in front of No West Fifty
fourth-st. obStructing travel. Another tree fell
at No. a4e Seventhst. and struck Ahren's express
wagon, which was passing. The vehicle was
broken in several places, but no one was injured
Lightning struck the barn belonging 20 the New
York Skin and Cancer Hospital. at One-hundred.
andeighty-fourth-st and Sedgwick-ave., and set
it on fire The building was totally destroyed,
and the damage is estimated at $4,000
nonncing the sdyantaces Of different railroad
routes TO Western and all other parts Of the coun
try took circular tours in the street free passes,
the wind furnishing the transportation.
An iron-covered scuttle about three feet square
was blown of the roof Of the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific Company's office, at No. 257 Broad
way. 1t rose high in the air until IT was about
half way across Broadway, and then circ]ed around
amid the clouds Of DUST and after taking an erratlc
course, reminding one OF tumbler pigeon, IL fell
with great force TO the ground within q
foot Of horse which was standing outside
the railroad Office. Luckily, no one was injured,
and the horse was promptly seized by a bystander
Just as 1t was starting to run away.
WILD SCENE FROM THE BRIDGE.
Those who crossed the Bridge as the dust was
hlling the air we're treated to a memorable sight.
People in the cars started from their seats 10
fright when the storm broke the great struct-
ure No one could discern objects on the river
fronts except when the great crowd below was
penetrated here and there by masts OF vefSels.
Houses and stores and other familiar objects seemed
melt ID into mass, shrouded with yellow cloth
Up the Fiver all the yese Is were mixed in hazy
mass by the dust that looked thick and yellow
as pea soup. Clouds OF dust were rising from this
city, and people in the cars suggested that New
.Hork was cleaning house, and had got 10 beating
carpets all at once.
LIVELY TIMES IN MADISON SQUARE.
In upper Broadway, between Twenty-sixth and
Thirty second sts, there was apparently not room
for the wind to whirl and eddy as it did in the
open spaces Of the city, and the dust blew from
side to side of the street as if driven by alternate
and directly opposed impulses. In Madison Square
the wind had freer scope, and hundreds of people
stood with their backs TO the Fifth Avenue Hotel
and watched the mad antics Of the storm among
the trees But the leaves were not the only young
and tender things exposed to the fury of the wind.
Many nurses with their infant charges had lin
gered too long in the Square and when they sought
"a cross the avenue they had hard time OF IL.
Following closely upon the first gusts OF wind
came clouds which drifted along near the pave
ments and resembled heavy sea fog more than
ordinary clouds. They were so dense that re-
porter standing on the corner OF Twenty fourth
St. could only family distinguish the outlines Of
the upper part of the Hotel Brunswick on the
north side Of the square, while the lower part
Of the building was entirely obscured. All the
time that the wind and dust were crcng in the
lower strata, high up could be seen great sheets
Of paper, many of them newspapers, caught up