New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-25
4 GREAT STORM.

General interest in the breaking OF a
record is apt to be intensified when Nature
instead of man performs the feat. in spite OF
demcralzed telegraph service, enough Is
known about the storm which began here on
Wednesday evening to prove 1hat in one 10
snect at least it was record breaker. nc
rainfall in this city was 3.S inches III t"e'o
hours. and that is 4 precipitation WIFI" II"
never been equaed since science s"peiSeuo'
crossword. If tradition has anything 10 say ~
the contrary it has not yet spoken. MI D"""
Describes fine achievement of the clouds IN an
;,nrroscire manner when he says that about
o 7OO OOO 600 gallons of water descended on
Nanbattan Island, or nearly enough to hill the
nnoat rosorvoir in Central Park. There has
boon no serious danger of a short supply, not
With standing the prolonged drouth but what
over anxiety has been felt on that score has
been dispelled by the deluge of "Wednesday
night. which. moreover, has rendered ano'her
and perhaps more important service IN wash
ing the city clean.
New-York seems to have been at the centre
Of the rainfall, but on the edge OF the gale
which swept I'D the Atlantic Coast and has
now gone out to sea- There was wind enough
here for all practical purposes, as nuhoeileSs
sights around town at daybreak Yesterday
plainly showed: but the damage within city
limits was comparatively slight. Outside the
metrspolitan district fuller reports OF the storm
are likely TO record serious losses. NO great
catastrophe has been made known, but the
aooreoate of minor injuries and dstresSes must
be very great The fruit crops not yet gathered
have doubtless suffered severely, and the Dill
for repairs to roads, fences, lawns ana build-
ines will be a heavy one The loss has been
widely distributed and many individuals, we
fear. whose circumstances were not too cheer
ful before have been subjected to new dis
couragements.
Along tile coast the damage is less than
might have been expected. The most serious
disaster thus far reported is the wreck of a
schooner with loss of four lives at Asbury
Park. Small craft in great numbers dragged
their anchors in the gale and came to gnei'
and such losses as these, together with mult-
tude Of minor casualties, will make heavy
total. It is possible also that some catastrophe
at sea that we have net yet heard OF may have
occurred, but if happily the worst is known 1t
must be gratefully acknowledged that tenn
nest which threatened to cause enormous de-
str1lction was kinder than its promise. 10
human intelligence and the precautions which
science enioined is largely due the escape from
greater calamities. The Signal Service is the
subject of nnumerable tests, most OF which are
more stale than funny, and of some serious
criticism which may not be altogether I'M
merted. Bit not infrequently its predictions
are of incalcuabc value. This West Indian
cyclone was reported early on Wednesday to
he on its way up the coast. and in every har-
Dor from Key West to Halifax ample warning
Of impending danger was given. Without the
knowledge thus impaired great number OF
vessels might have put out to sea only to be
driven back on shore. This single storm has
supplied a conspicuous aud impressive demon
siration of the immense utility of the Signal
Service and Of the meteorological researches
upon which It's practical operations are founded