Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-09-30
ALEXANDRIA In A CYCLONE.

FOOIeO--M. ~. stewart anu MIS-
Louisa Holt Killed Outright---Chim-
neys, Fences. Telegraph, Telephone
and Electric Wires Frustrated
Trees UproOted and others Stripped
Of Limbs and BrancheS---A Fearful
Midnight Scenc---Narrow Escapes
from Death---Scenes and Incidents
of the Worst Storm Ever Expert
enced in this City.
Alexandria passed through an expe-
rience last night which will be remem-
bered so long as the present generation
lives-a midnight scene creating con-
sternation and panic which threw
women into Mysteries. caused children
to cry out in alarm and strong men to
stand aghast at the devastation of the
elements. Death, too, was following
in the wake Of the disturbance, and in
two instances at least bricks and debris
had crushed out human life.
The easterly wind of yesterday had
several times assumed velocity which
caused some apprehension, and those
who watched the antics of the weather
had shook their heads ominously and
predicted that before morning meteor
illogical disturbance would set in. Be-
tween nine and ten o'clock last night
the wind was whistling through the
city at a velocity which portended
a fulfilment of the prophecy,
while fragments Of clouds were
chasing each other athwart the heavens.
The wind came in flaws, swaying the
electric lights and causing weird and
dismal shadows to dance in the streets
and on the sides of the houses. Some
people retired at their usual hours and
a few slept until long after the disturb
ance had ceased, but it was not so with
the bulk Of the population, as by eleven
o'clock the roaring Of the wind, the
patter Of the rain, the creaking OF
signs, slamming of shutters and the oc-
cassonal tumble of brick had awaken
ed the majorityof people and complete
| " driven sleep from their eyelids. Half
an hour later the wind was shifting.
1t passed from northeast to east,
then to southeast and TO south from
which quarter it "blew great guns"
during which lightning flashed in the
west. 1t was then that the work of de-
struction began. Chimneys were fall
ing, roofs were being carried from
houses, tin was being rolled up as
scrolls, walls crushed. fences pros
trated, telegraph, telephone and cleo
trio poles knocked down, trees being
uprooted and limbs and branches were
sailing through the streets, signs were
being destroyed, shutters twisted from
their fastenings and window sash blown
in. 1t was midnight storm with death
in its wake. Fathers and mothers, fran
tic with alarm, were running to upper
rooms and picking up sleeping children
and transporting them to places of
safety, while the dismal baying of dogs
seemed to imply that the brute creation
was also alarmed at the elements.
Without was black darkness. The
electric lights were out, and all that
could be seen were PROSTATE trees
and branches and limbs which
filed streets and yards. Eolus
was still making himself heard, and it
seemed as though he had turned his
entire cave loose upon the hapless city.
Fervent prayers were being uttered for
speedy abatement of the storm, but
it appeared to be ages before the
fruits of the supplications were
manifest. Sometime between twelve
and one o'clock those who had sat in
anxious vigil were greatly relieved TO
see that the wind was working around
to the southwest. The clouds were
then coming from that direction. BY
one o'clock bright star cleaned in the
southern heavens, and later others
were twinkling The disturbance was
over and the relief afforded was indie
scribable.
People then began to move about the
streets, which were filled with pros
trate trees, huge rolls of tin, tangled
wire and other debris, for the
purpose Of ascertaining the dam
age wrought and to afford relief to
those who had been the greatest
sufferers. Most of them carried Ian
terms. They proceeded from street to
street and it was not long before the
greatest sufferers had been discovered.
While the storm was at its height
balls of fire were running along the
trolley wires of the electric railway in
this city, and III some cases, it is said,
fell to the ground. The electric cur.
rent was playing other freaks upon the
wires, and many people became alarm
ed. Mr.. Alfred S. Mason, telegraph OPP
| orator of the road. being unable to call
up the power house at Four-mile run,
| walked there and had the current cut
off.
FATALITIES.
Two people, it was found, had been
killed outright-Mrs. Louisa Holt, an
aged lady who had but few weeks
ago come here from North Carolina,
and who lived on Peyton street ex-
ended, and Mr.. VIM. Dunlap Stewart,
both of whom were crushed to death,
the latter at his home on Cameron
street, between Pitt and St. Asaph.
Mrs. Holt lived in one of the new
brick houses recently erected on what
is known as Peyton street extended.
The house in which she lived and five
others of the same pattern were com-
pletely unrocfed. The unfortunate
lady was found in all upper room crush
ed to death under q pile of debris. Her
body was taken to Mr.. Demaine's un-
dertakipg establishment. The other
inmates of the house remained out of
doors in the rain until the storm abated.
Mr.. Stewart was also killed outright.
He was sitting in a back room at his
home, ON the north side of Cameron
street. His is frame house, and ad-
Joining is large brick on the northwest