Evening star., 1896-09-30
CENTRAL SECTION.
The Storm Ragged Fierccly and DID
Great Damage.

Great Damage.
In the central or business portion Of the
city the devastation wreaked by the hur-
rlcane was enormous Buildings were
crushed in, roofs torn of, windows smash
ed. awnings riddled to pieces and their
iron supports broken and twisted into utter
Uselessness. while every street showed a.
vista filled with fallen trees and limbs torn
from the trunks that remained standing
For two hours the wind. unparalleled in
this section Of the country for its steady
fere city. blew like a tempest. spreading de-
struction in every direction. The electric,
telephone and telegraph wires succumbed
early in the storm and then the buildings
began to be wrecked. Tree limbs. flying
t1mters. tin and copper roofs went tum-
bling along the thoroughfares, while above
this dangerous debris was a hail of speed
ing slate torn from the tops of houses and
carried before the tornado like birds
The most exciting incident of the storm
down town was the demolition OF the west
wall of the handsome new building, belong
ing to the Albert estate. in course Of cree
ton at 1913 Pennsylvania avenue The
front Of the building was wide open to the
gale and the wind entering between the
side walls strained them apart until the
immense iron girders could hold them no
and hundreds of tons Of brick went crash
ing down on the roofs of Nos 1915 and
l217 Pennsylvania avenue, adjoining on
the west. occupied. respectively. by Charles
T. Beatty's saloon and T. NJ. Kellys dining
room. The roofs Of these structures were
| crushed like pie crust. and the enormous
mass went through the third. second and
first floors as though they were tissue
into the cellars. When the crash came
Messrs. 3. H. Beatty. Frank McClaIn.
William Baker and Fra1 k Campbell were
in the rear Of Beatty's place. Mr.. E. w.
Blcrnt was in the front room, and Mr. and
Mrs. Frank H. Finley were in their apart
| ments on tho second floor. All were i'm
! prisoned in the building. but with the ex-
ception { Mr.. Blount were rescued imme-
diately after the disaster, having miracu-
lously escaped injury. with the exception
OF few bruises. Mrs. Finley was re-
moved in hysterical condition to a
friends house near by but soon recovered.
None OF the inmates Of the building could
| tell how the accident happened, having
| been overwhelmed without warning.
Messrs. T. U. Kelly, the proprietor: G.
W. Mccormick. the manager Of the itnins
room at No. 1877; Charles Coleman, a col
cred waiter. and George Sutton. the cook
were also caught in the crash. Kelly and
the latter having his face cut by a flying
piece of glass. Sutton and Coleman, like
Mr.. Blount, were imprisoned in the ruins
An alarm which was sent out brought the
fire engines and police reserves to the scene
and the work of rescue was begun. An
| entrance was forced through the rear OF
1919 Pennsylvania avenue. ard the work
| of attacking the debris was begun. After
an hours labor. Mr.. Blount was extri-
| Gated and removed to Emergency Hospital
| in a serious condition. internal injuries be.
| ing feared. He was also badly bruised, but
no bones were broken.
George Sutton was rescued at 2:45 am.
| His right thigh was badly mashed. He
| was also taken to Emergency Hospital.
| Coleman extricated himself and went
| home, while the flremen were looking for
| him. The same terrible gust that created
| the havoc above described also demolished
| the large steeple of the New York Avenue
| Presbyterian Church. The steeple blew
| down directly toward the north, filling H
| street with a mass of twelve-inch timbers
| tin and framework 30 feet high. and COM
| pletely blocking the thoroughfare The
| point of the steeple struck the iron fence
| in front of the National Medical College
breaking it like pipe stems. The damage
| to the church will be about $1,000