Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-10-16
BY TELEGRAPH.
NEW YORK CUT OFF.
70, Hours city Haa No Connection win me
Outside World.

NEW York, Oct. l5-For the second
time this year the city Of New York has
been cut off from quick communication
with practically the whole United states.
Agaia the Atlantic coast has been swept
By fierce West Indian hurricane Al
midnight, Friday, the telegraph companies
had to report that communication with
the south, beyond Philadelphia, was en-
tirely suspended and that the service to the
west and northwest was so badly crippled
as to be practically Of no avail New Eng
land alone responded promptly to the
touch of the electric key.
Two hours before midnight New YORK
became the sceae of the battle of the eie-
ments. 1t seemed all the worse because
Of the sense of loneliness that followed
the cutting off OF reports from other place
where the storm had ragged regarding Its
results Judging from the experience III
this city, the storm from the southern
seas is even more severe and Is likely 10
leave
A Wider Swath Of Distress
than even the great August hurricane
from the same region. 1t is much the
same sort of a storm as that which strewed
the coast with wrecks and carried death TO
thousands on the sea islands and the low
lands of the South Atlantic coast
Like the storm of August, II has been
heralded for two days by messages from
the southern stations of the government
signal service. Now as then. the storm
has swept northwari and communication
from the south has been shut off, leaving
room, at least. for gloomy forebodinSs
as to the story that will be told when the
telegraph wires begin to work again.
The snanking wind from the east ana
southeast that carried the cup defender,
Vigilsnt, on TO victory was forerunner OF
the gale that was 10 follow. In the city,
during the afternoon, the wind was bust
ling along at a rate of from 10 to 10 miles
An hour. and the thousands who were
watching the progress OF the great inter
national Gun race through the medium OF
the bulletins laughed and were glad as
they learned of the struggle that was go
ing on III
A spinnaker-SpiittingB Blow.
As the great fleet of large and small craft
which had gone down to witness the yacht
race turned home, however, those on board
were made to realize that old Boreas had
been only amusing himself with the racers
and was ai,out TO show his full strength.
With n velocity increasing perceptihly
almost every minute, the wind blew until
il reached a velocity of from p to 30 miles
an hour.
In the city the approach of the storm,
I, t,nt
which heralds the coming of summer
thunder burst, End by a volume OF WIND
that drove before it a sleetng rain, began
Just before O'Clock to suggest the fury to
come. The great army of workers leaving
their business for home found That they
he'd to face a wind against which it was
difficult to walk 1t was impossible "
carry uu brellas At this time the wind
here was blowing IS miles an hour.
There was no abatement in the force 81
the wind during the early night, but there
was an increase. The rain ceased between
ant. o O'Clock but at the latter hour be-
gan TO fall in torrents. and so continued
until midnight Driven through the air
by the gale,
Tn. Water Drenched All Those
who were unfortunate enough to be out,
for ordinary weather projections counted
for nothing.
At 10 O'Clock the wind was blowing 20
miles an hour There was more in store,
however. The little indicator in the sig
nal service Office on the top of the Equita
be building was kept very busy iotting
down the increased velocity and at II
o'clock it had mapped ont a ragged line
which showed that 80 miles Of wind was
debating its movements.
The entire rainfall was not unusually
heavy but it seemed to be so for the reason
that he water came in spasnodf down
oours The fall registered less ixan ore
inch at midnight. Telegraph companies
began TO feel the effects of the storm in
the morning in the cutting off of southern
service. Charleston, Savannah and points
on the coast of Florida, Georgia and the
Carolnas were all lost by mid-afternoon,
AtGp. m. Washington was lost.
AT the only wire working on the south
ern circuits was the one running to Phila-
helphia. Then the western and north
western service began to suffer, for the
torn, when it struck the florida and
Georgia coasts, seemed to extend in area.
.his was indicated by the manner in
which the telegraph service was hurt.
when the storm reached Charleston it APP
parently took an inland course. making a
Tee Line For the Great Lake Region.
The storm left here many evidences in
the city of its fury. Signs were blown
down and windows were blown in. The
noise of the rushing wind frightened timid
people. small panic was created among
the guests of the Oriental hotel. at Broad
way and Thirty-ninth street, about
l0:30 p. m. While the wind was bowling
there came a crash that caused all to hurry
to the Thirty ninth street side of the build
ing. There they found that about 80 feet
of sheet iron had been torn from the root
and had fallen to the street below, smash
ing windows as it fell.
Two men who were seeking shelter ia
the lee of the hotel had narrow escape
from the falling iron. As it was, the
jagged edge Of the falling mass struck one
them, tearing the sleeve from his Goa,
and painfully lacerating his arm.