Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-30
,,sr NIGHTS THE MOST SERIOUS
TEMPEST N Our HISTORY.
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES USROOFED.
THE sTEEPLE or SECOND BAPTIST
,,uKCH BLOWN ENTIRELY OFF.
DAMAGE TO RICHNOND'S FACTORIES.
Many Of Them Sustain injury-A
store Partially COlInpscs->eNern
pcrsous Uurt-IIaXoc with TcIc-
prnrh and tire-Aiarm Wires.


The most severe wind-storm that ever
occurred In this vicinity passed over TINS
city and section last night. The wind
blew furiously for more than an hour
and damaged property all over the city
aud Manchester 10 the extent Of many
thousands Of dollars.
An Of the higher buildings I'm Rlchnohd
sustained more or less damage ana the
churches were an injured in some man
uer or another. The most serious WoIA o'
,hc storm. however. was the ""No0
Wrought al the Second Baptist cnurch'
,orDer OF sixth and Main streets the
Immense steepie which surmounted this
building having been blown entirely OH
ana across the street ON me Youns Mems
Christian Association building
So far as could De learned last night
rs storm occasloucd no fatalities. but
number OF people were injured In dit-
,,r.rt portions Of the city. Any quantity
NJ houses were unroofed and trees were
blown down in almost every block. Seve-
cal small houses were completely de-
nonshcI ana windows all over the city
uere smashed
FIRE-ALARM SERVICE WRECKED.
Tne hrc-alarn and police telegraph ser
vice was rendered entirely useless, every
wire To- the stations having been blown
down. The electric lighting company's
wires were also blown down and the city
was wrapped in total darkness during the
fury of the gale.
Wbat damage was done In the outside
world 30 was impossible 20 learn, as the
wires of tho Western Union and Postal
Telegraph companies and the various
railroad lines running into Richmond
were practically an down. The only COM
.municauon by telegraph that could be
obtained. was with Norfolk and Peters
burg. and thence To- wilmington, y. c.
The E0rth and West were completely
shut off, and iu consequence Of the inn
rairment 10 the railroad wires. no trains
arrived in the city. it being too dangerous
% run them.
The storm was predicted in New York
ON Monday. but the weather prognostica-
tor gave no warning that there would be
ans further atmospheric disturbance here
than a high easterly wind, hence the blow
took Richmond very much by surprise.
IT had ralned pretty much an Of yester-
day afternoon. and there had been blow
iIs a rather stiff breeze.
A TERRIFIC GALE.
AS darkness settled over the city this
,.,.., stln,u.I. ma a. $50 o'clock a.
began to assume the proportions Of a
ra.s. The velocity of the wind increased
as The minutes sped by. until 10 was some
thing terrific 10 reached lts height about
qI5 O'Clock and blew until after lo O'Clock
Ht the velocity of seycnty-iiVe or eighty
miles am hour.
T- Was not cycIonic i'm nature. but
rather of the tornado style, and was I'm
gl-ts. which swept everything before
them. DO came directly from the south
east. and not portion of the city but
was swept by IT, The Second Baptist
church steeple was one of the FIRST OBJ
,.cts to succumb 10 the fury of the wind,
and 10 fell across Main street, blocking
the street and putting street-car traffic
on the principal thOrOughfare OF the city
at au end for the night. The wind had
terrified people am over the city, and resi-
dents around the church. as in the other
effects ~ the storm from their windows
Those who saw the steeple ial describe
Dr. t5 most awe-iuspiring sight The
wind seemed TO wrap around IL and
Wrestle with it for a while. The massive
fteeple. which was probably sixty feet In
height and was built entirely Of timber
fwayed backwards and forwards for
minute or more. Then IL careened to-
wards Main street, and with one mighty
crash. which WAS heard for blocks around.
went down. The apex which was sur
mounted by weather cock, crashed
through the windows of the Aoung Mems
Christian Association building imme-
l.ately opposite the Jlurch ON Main
street. bat damaged this building very lit-
Gle. Several pedestrians were passing at
the time the stceplc Zen. but Fortunate
for them they managed 10 escape the
flIuE timbers ana no one was hurt by the
catastrophe. The stccple carried down
90 electric lighting ana trolley wires OF
t.- Richmond Railway and Electric Com
r.uv and ln "a short time the dry tim
lers that had piled up on top Of these
live wires ienited and began to burn In
q lively manner. A messenger was sent
as quickly as possible TO the Tnird-Street
1nru,-B0usc. and hose-wagon being
sont around. the flames were eXtinguished
before they had had a chance to commu-
Icate with the church
THE INTERIOR NOT DAMAGED.
Th. sseple was cut off even with the
roof OF the church. and the structure IS
left almost intact with the exception that
81 i. shom of it8 principal adornment-
tle stttu'e AS soon 3s was possible the
officers of the church were communicated
With. and fhey arrived on the scene, ana
access to the interior was obtained. EX-