New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-18
ruE TRACK OF A TORNADO.
n,,1nrSGs PICKED UP LIKE CHIPS.

~ the windstorm that swept over the
Inc ~" nortb of Plainfcld, y. j., yesterday
coanus snrpassed anything ever before ex-
s'e'Ia s'..a in that part of New-Jersey' Inc
F..,urc Mountains. which are part OF the bine
wsfcnuNe generally protect Plainfield from the
Rdre i 20 besvv storms The mountain proved
Nl ~ bovever. to yesterdays furious tornado.
% paN So Q o'clock Washington Valley was
S'on -,,.b a darkness that was appalling. The
ewr~ -, dronned ten degrees in as many
nsf"oN .rh;,e the trustworthy barometers fell
rooDus' -.,ino rapidity. Residents In the valley
WIN Nv" ,h, west whence the storm came, and
D''"u .rr,ed at the terrible scene that met their
Ner n.ur5;ng down The mountain side like an
az - balloon. came a whirlng twisting
nhsa ,rpv blsckness 1t was large
a'1c hri1aing, and resembled in form an inverted
haystsck IA, o. ,;a;.,, snro.d;ro
s..;On over pathway which it cut two hun
toet wide down the mounta'H side.
Ill tres were uprooted IN twlnkllng,
.,.l.a in the air and flung to the edge Of the tor
us track. Huge trees were snapped in two
ra ,r. n;ne-stems Shrieking and bowling the black
"a sueut down upon the outskirts of North
u'..s.N Fences and small outbuildings were
-. aown and scattered in splinters. like chaff.
a,rse heing built by Adam FRITZ in Howard-st..
Sa-,h Pisinfeld, gives the best evidence OF the
,r.x..ble power Of the wind-storm. The building
-. nat finished. but set firmly on its foundation.
IN. wind caught up the structure as If 1t were
~, feather, carried it upright 100 feet In
~. air and then dashed 1t to the
~,oura The dwelling was about fortv
-, .cn.r. and two stories high. When 1T fell to
-. ,roupd II narrowly escaped crushing to the
s.,,b the house of L. c. Wyckoff. The descend
a., building stripped the shutters from the
WvckOn property, but did not break pane of
,,sss The building fell to the ground with
,r.n.ndcus crash that could be heard all over
yorb plsirfeld. During its passage through the
-, the house was torn aSunder by the wind aud
,,.+sred IN all directions Huge beams were
snspped into splinters that formed ineXtricable
mas where the ruins finally lodged
While the last end of the fun
D.lsbeped cloud was still busy with
the FRITZ dwelling, the forward end seized the
outbudings and slaughter house of Israel Lewis.
wrecking and damaging them. beam that
was hurled through the air struck Mr.. Lewis on
the leg badly injuring him. A boy helper was
pinned down by timbers and his scalp torn.
In John F. Wilson's handsome property, "Tunlsw,'
trees that were the pride of several generations
were uprooted and twisted into kindling wood.
In all the outlying sections of the borough fences
were torn down and fine shade trees demolished.
In Plainfeld the spire Of Trinity Church swayed
backward and forth in the wind Bystanders
expected to see it give away under the tremendous
strain, but the wind abated without wrecking 1t.
In the centre of the city signs were torn from in
front of business houses and hurled into the
streets while glass showcases were trundled up
the street by the wind.
The storm-cloud disappeared from Plainfeld as
quickly as it came going in the direction of West
field Reports from the farming district in Union
CounTy denote much damage TO barns and sheds.
No lives were reported lost in that place, although
the fury Of the storm leads to the belief that
fatalities in the mountain districts will be re-
ported.
Passengers arriving at Railway. n. j., on the
Long Branch train on the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, due at 81 p. m. yesterday, report having
had thrilling experience between that city and
SOOth Amboy with tornado.
Shortly after the train left Red Bank" said
the conductor, Horace Allen, 1--WE ran into one
Of the worst transforms 1 have ever seen. The
rain fell in binding sheets. The drops were as
big as hickory nuts and fierce wind blew hard
from the southwest. As we cleared the cut near
Morgans and were running along the meadows
before reaching South Amboy. we noticed In the
west across Raritan Bay. long, dense, black clouds
lying near the horizon. which were slowly coming
toward US. The sky soon became overcast with
the heavy clouds, and il was almost dark as night
when we started across the long bridge over
Raritan Bay.
Suddenly we noticed coming down the bay
what looked like great white mist. 1t was
grating around at terrific rate. and as it came
closer we could see that il was sucking the water
up from the river, making a column nearly thirty
feet high. The engineer threw open the throttle
TO hurry across the bridge before the water-spout
should strike the train. 1t was a close race. The
wind was blowing dead ahead. and the engine
had hard work 10 make Railway. but the engineer
succeeded. and the train rolled off the bridge
On the solid ground Just the tornado rushed
across the tracks. 1t then suddenly turned In
Its course. and striking the high bluff. the water
was dashed high in the air. covering space on
and Of over 900 yards. AS the train sped on
70 Railway the passengers gave sigh Of relief and
al breathed easier"
II was learned that the telegraph wires were
twisted and broken near the bridge. while broken
uees and fences show the path OF the storm
reports received from all the country near say
mat terrific gale swept over that section about
ts same time. 1t was so dark at Railway that
nights had TO be used and the wind and rain
were the severest known for Years.
Dig black cloud swept down upon Newark
IRON the southwest soon after o'clock yesterday
siefnoon II was accompanied by good-sized
"fnado, which blew down chimncys and unroofed
un"nsoeo buildings. In the southern part of the
0i9 tne wind had a clear sweep TO the great salt
He~u0"s, on the edge Of which are number
VI new factory buildings. two not yet occupied
wheeler, Russell & Co. who have a large hat
iscOory in MOnroe-st. are finishing a new brick
Ne'ory In MiilerSt. near the Pennsylvania Rail
foad tracks. II is four stories. with basement.
NV ieet long in Mller.st. and about 40 feet wide
"a The yard on the south side, l50-foot brick
ui'nney, l3 feet square at the base. was being
erected. A hcavy-framed scaffolding ran thirty
10. u. Lara "a mn