Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-08-29
LAST NIGHTS STORM.

rooted and DnmaGed---The River
Front FloOucd.---Sccncs and Incl
dents.
The cloudy and sultry weather of
yesterday eliminated in a veritable
tempest between six and seven o'clock,
when the wind blew great guns and
the rain at intervals fell in torrents for
seven or eight hours. Long before
dark masses of cloud were chasing each
other across the heavens from the
southeast and the fierce wind which
had set in rendered it not only unplea-
SAINT for pedestrians but not little dan
gerous, as limbs were being twisted
from trees and occasionally bricks from
chimneys came rolling over roofs to the
pavement below. As the night ad-
vanced the scene without was weird in
deed the wind roared with almost
tornado force and the accompanying
rain came in sheets. The electric lights
swayed and creaked and cast fantastic
shadows over neighboring houses,
while the phantom pictures danced
like genii. The myriad raindrops in
the glare of the electricity sparkled like
gems, and were hurled horizon
tally in sheets or in glittering clouds
of pearl. The east side of houses were
thus at times deluged and sprayed un-
til long after midnight. The streets
presented an almost deserted appear
ance early in the night. Occasionally
an umbrella which was being held with
all the strength of its owner could be
seen bobbing along the street. When
q corner was reached and the
wind had fair sweep at the
tossed pedestrian the UNI
ia was either turned wrongside
o ore' ~ ~hirled its owner around sever
" 49, III Ever and anon an electric
a. "ar 'i ~ 5oGo - &c the elements, would
whisz along with pa " sardsd i' nn sncb
for the convenience thusaL snw neo-
a tempestuous night. With IL, No
pie sleep was out of the question.
one knew how soon chimneys woul.
tumble and demolish roofs or trees be
hurled on their houses, and as the night
wore on and the ragged clouds still
scampered from the southeast the anx-
iety of those who were keeping the
midnight vigils was great. Between l
and o'clock, however, to the no little
relief of all with these eyes open, the
vapor laden bodies whose tide, it SEEM
ed, would never turn, began to pirou-
cite and the wind was found to be
blowing from the south, and soon after
from the southwest. The storm, to
every ones relief, was over. This
morning the scene which was presented
to early riserS was one of devastation
so far as trees, chimneys, and some roofs
were concerned. On every street in the
city limbs and branches of trees were
strewn, while occasionly whole trees
lying PROSTATE would be encountered
numbers of which had withstood the
tempests of half a century. 1t was also
seen that it had been a bad night for
English sparrows. Their nests were
scattered in every direction and many
of these birds which have made a con-
quest of the country and driven all their
congeners out were drenched and
drowned. The damage to proper
ty was not as great as might
have been supposed, though num-
beers of chimneys were blown
down and fences leveled. In the ag-
gregate the cost of repairs may not be
so small. During the height of the
gale the roof of the drying room of the
Hasllin NulcaniZing Works at the foot
of Wolfe street was blown off and land
ed in the street. A portion of the frame
| house on the south side of Franklin
street, between Alfred and Columbus,
occupied by colored man named
George Ross, was demolished, and the
debris whirled against Mr.. Downey;s
house on the north side of the street.
A wagon which was standing in the
ward of Ross house was picked up by
the wind and literally converted into
kindling wood The tin roofs of two
houses opposite Washington school, on
Washington street belonging to Mr.. Il.
! J. Thomas, was carried away, as was
also the roof of house on north
Washington street belonging to Mrs.
Mcfarland, and a freight car in
the yard of the Washington South
ern Railway lost its roof by the
same flaw. There were occasional
lulls in the storm which caused some
inexperienced persons to suppose the
worst over, but in few minutes time
heavy flaw would soon dispell such
hopes) People at work in the yard
of the Midland Railway were kept all
the time in grave apprehension of
being killed, as the heavy roof of the
passenger shed every time the flaws
would come raised and groaned, and no
one could tell at what minute it would
be hurled mass of ruin on those COM
PEELED to be at work. The electric wire
on Royal street, between Duke and
Wolfe, was Frustrated, and branches OF
trees lined both sides of the square this
morning. In fact, throughout the city
the same scene was presented. Peach
and other trees which managed to
weather through the storm cast their
untimely fruit, and in many instances
were completely denuded.
Around the river front, as may be
supposed, the scene during the night
was wild. The river became bottle
cen and whitecaps scudded in wild
race before the wind toward the Vir-
ginia shore, whilst the roaring and
surging of the waters and the noise OF
the tempest drowned most of the other
sounds. Vessels in the docks pound
ed against the wharves aud numbers
were more or less damaged. The tide,
as is usual when sou'easters prevail,
made high, rendering the quays awash
with the river. As a consequence
everything in the nature of boxes and
| .-.exo cot 4, Ir;ft ooI boot, ,,,o,o