New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-11
MOTHER FATAL STORM.

The strange atmospheric conditions Wn'cn
have made the last ten months period Oh
great interest to meteorologists and OF great
discomfort to the rest of the people have also
produced several crises' of far more serious
and destructive character than those whlch
diversity modern French history. One oil
these, and In some respects the most notaoie
of them all, occurred on Wednesday night,
when large part Of the country was swept by
a tremendous gale of wind. From scientific
point of view the most conspicuous feature OF
this storm was its extraordinary extent It's
ravages are reported from Portland to North
ern Wisconsin, and in many places it took on
those tremendous attributes OF power which
are Unfortunately associated with the cyclone
and the tornado. Moreover, at multitude oil
points which escaped with only trifing losses
the atmospheric energy seems to have mani
tested itself, so to speak. in spiral form. inns
city was let off easily, but here and there be-
tween the Battery and Harlem there were
curious little whirlwinds which played rude
games with fences and sgnboards, so that
whereas many people observed nothing uii-
usual. many Others gained the impression that
it was lively night. The vicinity of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard was the scene of the
greatest turmoil, but aside from the gas ex-
plosion, which seems to have been mystesiously
connected with the gale, the millions who in
habit and Immediately surround the me
tropohs had little to complain Of
By far the most fdghtful tragedy Of the day.
and ono of the most fatal calamities produced
by wind-storns in many years. was enacted
at Reading, where silk-mill suddenly COZ
lapsed and sank upon its foundations, carrying
many operatives to instant death Ii will
probably be several days before the loss Of life
can be accurately determined but partial re-
ports already disclose longer list OF victims
than any recent occurrence OF similar char
acter has made We have not observed any
complaints that the building was fimsy
structure, and 1t is quite possible that it was
an honest piece Of work, for nothing built by
man can stand up in the path Of whirlwind
when ii Is at It's worst.
At Buffalo the storm Is said to have had no
parallel since 1871. No trains left that city
after midnight and the first reports were brief
for the excellent reason that telegraph wires
were down in all directions. The suspension
bridge for foot passengers and carriages i'm
mediateiy below Niagara Falls was swept into
the river, but the cables stood the strain and
are reported to be uniniured. so that new
bridge will soon be in place. Large buildings
were unroofed and small ones blown down, and
the water was never known to be- so high be-
fore All along the New-England coast the
wind was boisterous and at Nantucket reached
velocity Of sixty miles an hour. Some Of the
Sound steamers did not leave their docks. and
others venturing out were greatly delayed. In
Ohio, and particularly at Columbus, the gale
was destructive as well as terrifying. In the
Northwest there was wild winter storm with
q heavy fall Of snow, but the dispatches do not
specify any points where the loss and suffering
were unusually severe. though the telegraph
and telephone service was interrupted by bro
ken wires.
II has been one of the peculiarities Of the
past year, at least in this vicinity. that out
breaks of bad temper ON the part Of the weather
have not been followed by so radical a re-
versal Of tbs previous conditions as experience
leads us to expect. The most tremendous
th,inder-s5 nm Of last summer. display of force
that was nothing less than appalling and that
lasted for several hours. followed two extraor-
dinarily hoe, sultry, oppressive and enervating
days, and vas followed by two more precisely
Of the same kind. Since the storm Of Wednes-
day night the atmosphere has changed. but
the change has not brought the low temperature
which was predicted and which IL is natural
to expect al this season, but hight winds and
warm sunshine. Altogether, the new year
seems to be following the example of the old
in an unusual and not entirely becoming man.
ner.