Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-05-29

- tonight and SATURDAY; cool
;,.oh . 81 winds becoming var able.
-...rrs.IoS OF SToRMs.-Four
! -; 2.' .,orms passed over this city
t54aa Ticinity in abone three houis
sad , sIs, evening. lnky clouds began
!e;,eIu'9 m in the west and northwest
70 loJ,l alter three o'clock, and about
;aoI''i lime report was circulated
i1ai ,, i the city to the effect that
t1ig .arn Of Leesburg, about forty miles
ias ,V NJ this city, had been destroyed
7e.' c =, Many people ara more
1 ~: apprehensive at the rise OF a
t%ton -L cloud, but the accounts of the
i1-a .IIiar disaster in St. Louis being
sPs n their minds and the rumor from
1 ,s.bl,rg coming at the same time,
Iva 1s.s WAS decided uneasiness manifest
lI u a.tbe western heavens presented
e. o. annearance of q mountain OF slate
Ia' 'F moe blackboard. The rumbling
Ys,ba thunder grew louder and louder
~ e,t ii, about halfpast three o'clock when
". w., rind suddenly veered to the north
~ .1s and precipitated q veritable tenn.
VIZ Clouds or dust were whirled
!s- H., the streets, trees swayed and
. - and branches were twisted off,
.rsiIa Deople sought shelter here and
. Ss from the elements. Rain soon
@ al but the the wind was in no
a,;ss abated, and the water was sent
, f[ the streets in sheets. In about
half an hours time the heavens grew
b-iobter and the rain finally ceased,
onIy TO he renewed again in an hours
Tine The second downpour was more
m ,, if anything, then the first, and
here was congestion of cutters and
mines some of the streets were almost
submerged, while the sewers roared
with the torrents which ran through
them. About six o'clock another heavy
cloud from the west drifted over the
cifr and there was a renewal of
nrayious scenes. This had barely SUBJ
:ied when Jupiter Pluvius sent the
burth and last installment which
VAS equally as heavy as the preced-
lpc ones. The bolts of Jove figured
extensively in the last act. In the pre-
csdng storms there had been thunder
sad lightning, but they were by no
means severe. In the final visitation,
however, the electric display was very
vivid, aud the thunder in some in
stances startling. Several trees were
blown down during the storms, includ-
ug some in Christ Church yard. Limbs
rom trees could be seen on nearly
Every street in the city, and the first
work the city carts performed this
morning was the taking of them away.
Apart from the damage done the AL
xandria Brick Works mentioned yes
eriayl, the blowing of a few bricks
rom cbimneys and the breaking of
one telephone wires, the damage in
he city proper was slight. In the
oanty and in Washington, however.
he injury to property was greater. At
he Hydraulic brick yard stable, which
obtained sixty mules, was demolished
r the wind, but none ofthe animals
ri with serious injury. Several wash
us occurred along the newly con-
ructed electric railroad. Some of the
ables at the st. Asaph Driving Park
ere demolished, and the railroad
led, used as stable at Del Ray, was
own over in an adjacent field. A
arm on Mr.. Shoots place was unroof-
| and carried some distance by the
ind. At Fort Myer carpenters were
gagged in erecting a large building.
be staging which surrounded the un-
lished structure was completely de.
oished and serious damage was done
the building.
The storm was very severe IN wash
gton. Roofs were torn from a num-
r of buildings, including the Lutheran
smorial Church and trees were up.
oted all over the city. Mt. Zion Baptist
lurch (colored) at 18th and G streets
rtheast WAS completely destroyed.
uch damage was done to the foliage
the executive mansion grounds, and
70 of the finest of the large old trees
ere torn up by the roots, making four
St in week from storms. The wind
ted like genuine cyclone in the
'hite House grounds, cutting the trees
ID great limbs away in clean but
arrow path across the rear lawn. at
ic Capitol the storm caused q tempo
Try suspension of business. In the
louise members rushed through the
bibles TO the porticos and watched the
Orm Governor Dingley, of Maine,
no temporarily occupied the chair,
as for several minutes almost the sole
ccupant of House. The meteorologi-
al Instruments in the House lobby
moved remarkable changes. The tenn
erature fell thirty-one degrees In fit.
zen minutes. During the progress of
he storm a boy named Harry Yates
'as struck by bricks from falling
himney and his skull was fractured.
The rumor that cyclone had visited
4eesburg was without foundation. An
Tdinary thunder cloud visited that
eighbOrhood.
CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY