Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-01
Washington Turned Upside
Down by the Great Gale.
Hardly a Building In the Whole City
Escapes More or Less Injury.
Damage Along Water Front and to Steamess
Reckened BY Thousands.

| the northwest corner of the patent Of
| flee was wrenched off by the wind and
| sent with crash to the street The
| Elkton hotel, across the street from
| the Pennsylvania depot, was unroofed
| and the windows blown in. St. James
hotel suffered in the same way. the
roof going over into the street, the
| windows yielding to the fierce impact
of Wind and rain.
The beauty of the spacious Executive
Mansion grounds greatly suffered. The
| magnificent clms and oaks were pros
| trated and only a few of the old trees
| escaped The building itself was prac-
| tically uninjured, but it's picturesque
surroundings were almost entirely
swept away. Fully half of the trees of
all nations grouped around and in
Lafayette Park, opposite the White
House We're destroyed or badly injured,
and all along the avenues and streets
| famous for the results obtained by the
park commission, traffic was blocked,
| this morning.
| One of the worst wrecks in the resi-
dence section is the Stewart castle on
| Dupont circle, the home of the silver
| senator and for many years notable
| as the legation of China. Most of it's
| tower. it's roof, it's windows are gone,
and its interior is damaged to the ex-
tent of nearly $4,000
The storm swept the water front with
a violence that has never been ex-
| ceeded. Not only will nearly every
steamboat company have to pay hun
| dreds of dollars in repairs to vessels,
| but some steamers will not be able to
| run for considerable time to come.
| Numerous small crafts were lost.
| Boats of the Capital Yacht Club and
| others lying at the wharves were near
| ly all sunk or STAYED in against the
wharveS.
The greatest damage done, aside from
the loss of the yachts, was to the steam
ers. When the hurricane was at it's
height, the Leary, the southernmost of
| the steamers lying at the wharves,
went astream. The immediate cause
of this was the wreck of her wharf.
The Leary, thus released. and caught
by the wind, swung stern foremost in
to the current and proceeded on a
career of destruction to every craft
that was in her way. She made the
trip in about five minutes, and he pro-
gress was a succession of crashes that
resembed thunder.
to the Leary. and the latter took a
piece out of her stern, carrying away
the whole rear part of the upper and
lower decks. Meanwhile all the other
vessels had been pounding at the
wharves. The Leary went to the Nose
ley and took her end off. then swung
around a bit and crashed broadside
against the steamer Sylvester and
cfn in har eli cot ha Cv1
ter loose, and the two boats went on in
company, grinding against the
wharves and crashing into other boats.
The police boat was damned up into
the slip by the swell and had her
smokestack broken. Part of the
steamer PentZ stern was cut off clean.
Then the steamboat Mattano was
forced against the wharf and battered
in at the stern, began to sink and in
five minutes was half under water.
The Sylvester got jammed about this
time. and then the Leary crashed
against the Manchester. which was
standing stern out, and inflicting a
slight breaking of the exposed part,
and was pushed into the Norfolk boat
Washington. staving a hole in her side.
The Leary then stopped.
In Alexandria the damage done by
the storm is estimated at 100000. At
least two lives are known to have been
lost. being crushed to death by falling
walls. Nearly 200 houses were badly
damaged by the tornado.
The flagstaff of the White House was
detached by the hurricane and has not
been located. The White House. in adj
dition to the loss of flagstaff, is
minus several chimney tops
The roof of Admiral Porter's former
residence, occupied by the French le-
cation, was carried away.
The southeast corner tower of the
state department was unroofed, but no
damage was done to the records. The
new naval observatory was injured to
the extent of $1,000. Part of the cop
per roof was torn off. but the big tel
escope and other Instruments were
unhurt.
a big building opposite the House
wing of the Capitol, containing over
5000 valuable government publications
belonging to the Senate and House,
was almost demolished. Application
was made to the navy department.
this morning, for tarpaulin and canvas
to cover the books until they could be
removed to a safe place.
Part of the big ship house at the
navy yard was wrecked. one end Of the
gun carriage factory was unroOfed.
the damage amounting to several thou
sand dollars.
About one-third of the roof on the
east end of the department Of the in
terror was carried away. falling on the
lawn on the Seventh street side of the
building. The storm played havoc
with the new copper roof Of the pen
sion Office building. nearly half being
torn away. Both roofs will Immediate
ly replaced.
Attorney General Harmon had mar
row escape from serious injury. He
was driving by the New York Avenue
Presbyterian church in the worst part
of the storm and instructed the coach-
Continued on page ~