Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-05-12

The wind and rain storm which struck
the city a few minutes after A clock dis
exactly Friday afternoon, was the most
sudden and violent that Wilmington has
experienced for some time. The storm
clouds gathered in the west with unusual
rapidity. During the day there had been
no excessive rise in the temperature. 1t
!. was only 70 at the time the storm broke
out, which fact would not account accord
\ ing to common meteorological argument
4 for such a violent and sudden outbreak of
4 the elements.
In moment the wind arose bearing
\ clouds of binding dust. Trees were bent
4 anc dashed and the hiss of the following
rain as it beat upon pavement and road
way and rebounded, rolling along the
street literally in waves of steam first
from the west and then from the
south cutting and intersecting one another
with an almost terrifying roar and din
made the fierce prelude to what was to fol-
low Along north and south streets, such
US Market the rain dashed down perpen-
n dicularly. This was met ut right angles
by the driving wind and rain from the east
and west streets which cut into it like
knife. lnstantaneously pedestrians disap-
peared from the streets. Horses became
Tor the moment almost ungovernable.
while the unfortunate drivers were quickly
drenchcd to the skin.
II was however from overhead that the
rtrangest features of the storm were
noticed. Immediately after the storm
i broke out the peculiar appearance of the
sky attracted attention. 1t looked like
long compressed folds of light gray muslin
stretched bow-like over the horizon in
lengths from north to south when ut
n either end the folds seemed tied together
. IL was rs If the successive cloud waves had
been driven with gigantic force one against
the other in clearly defined lines.
VI During the few minutes that the storm
NJ nj rs In tlsata of I'm hi
wind and beating rain was SO great that
every effort to distinguish the sound of
thunder was unsuccessful. There was no
indications of electric conditions until 4.i3
p. m, over half an hour after the storm
broke out. The storm i'll its greater vio-
lence eased up in 10 minutes and by 5
o'clock the sky was relatively clear.
The centre of the city mt Seventh and
Eighth and Market seems To have expert
enced the violence of the storm more than
other parts such as the northw 1t is
possible that the storm was rotary one
and that the phenomena experienced ex-
PLAN that fact.
There is no report Of fatal results OF any
kind. The Street and Sewer Department
has nothing to complain of. There was no
damage done to culyerts or sewers. In
fact. as one of the directors exclaimed this
morning, the storm did street cleaning to
the value of 81 900 at least, that is to say,
its equivalent in work"
Around town there were numerous acct
dents but none of a serious nature to life
or limb.
In South Wilmington two twostory
brick houses standing alone at Head and
q streets had their roofs and chilnneys
taken clean off, as neatly as If they were
the lids of a card box, and deposited in the
hack yard No one was hurt. One of the
houses was occupied by Mr.. Bardsley
and the other is the house occupied by
William Pitt, the Englishman, who siX
months or so ago had his throat cut al
midnight by his Jealous wife.
A new twu-story brick building al
Twenty fourth and Market streets, al
completed but the Thinning of the roof, was
4 leyeled TO the ground.
j. Jackson Perce, real estate agent. Sew
enth and Shipley Streets received wore
last evening that his carriage house anC
granary were blown down by tine storm
The latter contained 100 bushels of whea
and quantity of oats, corn and feed
Several farming implements also wer,
destroyed by the falling building
The cooper shop at du Pont and Eleventh
streets, one of the landmarks of the 10
cality, was blown down.
A wagon laden with sand, owned by
John NJ. Solomon, broke down at Eight
and Market streets The team was un
harnessed and was standing by awaitin;
the arrival of another wagon when al
electric car came along and dashed int,
the team. One of the horses was badly GU
in the hind legs and cannot be worked 70
week.
The telephone exchange reports no seri
Gus damage to its wires. Everything /
working in good order this morning OK
cept in the direction Of New Castle.
Park Engineer Samuel Candy reports N
damage in Brandywine Park
The large tobacco storehousa of the Ma
tional Dredging Company on the sout
bank of the Christiana was blown dow
and horse that was stabbed there wa
killed.
The Atlas Dredging Company reports n
damage to its property, and the Brandy
wine Granite Company made Il simila
reply to inquiries this morning.
AT Montchanin station number of tree
were blown down.
NARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH.
William Allen and Charles Denny {
South Wilmington had close call frol
death while sailing in the Delaware rive
Friday afternoon.
The young men left their home at
O'Clock yesterday afternoon for Penn
grove, n. j., in the fast sailing boat Ey
May. They reached the shore in safet
and started to return home about B:
O'Clock. When they had gotten within z
yards of the Delaware Shore betwee
du Points pier and the mouth OF tt
Christiana river the storm came on al
with IL came torrents of ram.
The storm struck the rigging of the We
sci and the sail was rent by the WIND. III
Y first squat did not capsze the boat, bl
upon the second puff of wind the sailbo
" turned over. The struggling men he
Il tight to the keel of the boat Denny final
81 climbed on top of the upturned vessC
II Allen held fast to the side of the boat al
n was forced to thread water to keep fro
n sinking.
IA Just then the young men caught sight
" the yacht Susquehanna anchored nearl
w and shouted to the crew for help. The Su
W quehpnna was slow in responding to II
W repeated calls for help and the tug Ran
4" bier. Captain Brink, came CALAMITY l
W and rescued the frenzied young men fro
watery grave.
When taken aboard the tug Allen W
.W seized with cramps. Both were taken
the lighthouse, where Mrs. I.und, h
keepers good wife, habited them in col
H Portable garments and sent them hon
- They landed at Third street wharf fro
the tug Fanny, hnppy that they escap
with their lives. Now the young m
4. content themselves by relating to tn,
friends incidents Of the perious journey
Pcnnsgroye in fruitless search for sha
ECHOES OF THE STORM.
While driving out the causeway +
d. day Thomas Potter's team was struck
the storm and horses and wagon hloN
over on the ground. Potter was not
jured. Nehemiah Jones, farmer on
New Castle road, was blowing when I
storm overlook him. The horses VIZ
knocked off their feet and landed
against fence. smokestack On
Il streets, in South Wilmington, was blo'
tl.a cfn nj ION