The morning times., 1896-05-29
HIT BY THE
STORM 8 EDGE
Continued from First Page.

then heavy peal OF thunder and the air
was filled with dust and debris. An III
Stant later following the two crashes came
a great roaring sound, the cracking Of
timDers and third crash rs the big brick
building collapsed.
The rear walls fell inward, sending the
front walls flying outward 10 the roadway.
which is about eight feet below the level
OF the church. great cloud or mortar
dust arsoe and mingled with the masses
OF street dust and debris which Were being
swept along by the wind.
There was crunChing sound inside the
church as the walls fell in and ground
the furniture and contents into fragments.
Lightning flash followed lightning flash
in rapid succession, the DealS of thunder
being one reverberating roar. Above this
din was a wall OF terror from the live ChI!-
dren of James Bayard. The little ones
We're in the second story OF their home, two
doors from the razed church Great beams
flying through the air like chaff. so power
full was the force OF the gale.
Two Of these huge pieces OF timber after
descended like aerial natterins rams upon
the frail roof OF the little two-sUory dwell
ing of James Bayard.
NARROW ESCAPE OF CHILDREN.
The roof and chimney We're crushed, and
fell inward, burying the five children in
the debris. Their cries for help were i'll
creased. Sexton Preston and Mrs. ia yard
forced their way 10 the upper floor, and with
great difficulty dragged the little ones from
the ruins, and took them to a place of
sd fety.
Three OF the number-Ruth Bayard. aged
three years; Ardella, aged seven, and Eddie,
nine wears old. We're painfully IN iured. They
had barely been removed from the house
when the pressure from above caused the
structure to cola pSc. and resulted in q total
wreck of the little frame. The escape or the
Bayard family from death or serious injury
is miraculous.
The two-story frame dwelling immedi-
atefv next TO the church is occupled by
Mrs. Emma Bias and Thomas II. Hagar.
Strange to say, this building was not
wrecked. 1t was badly Straine and warped.
however. The rear yard was filed with
bricks aud timbers from the demolished
church, aud a wagon standing near the
stable was turned completely over.
The Mount Zion Church had seating
capa city of 500 persons, 1t was apparently
a substantial brick structure. erected III
1872, and the pastor is Rev. William
Alexander Banks. Tie building, with the
exception of small Sc ction of the wall in
the southeast corner, was leveled to the
earth and is now but mass OF debris.
LOSS IS HEAVY.
| Two organs in the church, one a pipe
| instrument and the other a pedal organ,
| also a valuable library, were entirely de
! Stroyed. Some Of the. heavy rafterS are
| sticking through the Bayard house, with
their endS extending upward like skewe
| IN leg OF mutton.
AS the high front wall crashed outward
, TO tile street, lDTee VINO were
running along to get home out of the
! storm, had a narrow escape from being
| crushed beneath the mass OF falling bricks
| and timberS.
The congregation OF the church estimate
| the damage to structure, fixtures and
furniture at from $4,000 to $4,000.
| James Bayard places his loss to stock
| in the store and furniture at 500. The
| damage to the house he occupied will
| foot up about $500.
The two-story brick stable of Mr.. Bird,
| sfn
| rooted and the upper portion of the walls
blown down. The horses and cattle in
the building narrowly escaped being
| killed. Damage about $500.
| The parks and reservations bear evi-
| dence of the severity OF the storm. Hardly
| one of them escaped, as the piles of leaves,
| branches and an occasional prostrate tree
| attest.
The White House grounds and Lafayette
| Square are nearly totally covered with
| up rooted trees, tree toppings and limbs
| varying in size from twig to the thick
I ness of mans body. The sidewalks and
! driveway in front of the Lafayette Square
Opera House was for a short time OBJ
| structed by the fallen tree tops but these
| were quickly removed.
The trees in the two little parks on the
Avenue, between Seventeenth and Egil-
| teen streets also suffered greatly MANY
| OF those on the west side being totally
| ruined. Between Nineteenth and Twentieth,
| streets the shade trees were seriously
| damaged.
| Washington Circle was another scene
| of devastation. Here upturned trees and
| large limbs blown down by the wind were
| lying across each other, nearly blocking
| the street So tn tr"l-- - tnpassabIe for
either pedestrians or vehicles.
1t was III Geor2eJu..i. s-nd the county
| lying TO the south and southwest that the
! greatest damage was done. Small frame
| buildings, fences, chimney tops, trees, and
| the trolley wires of the Georgetown and
| Tenleytown and the Great Falls Rail
| ways were blown down.
| TENLEYTOWN ROAD CRIPPLED.
Travel on the Tenleytown Railway was
stopped at Rossell Gap, near Cleveland
| avenue, about 4 p. m, and it was not
| expected that the road would be cleared
before this morning. From 4:3O p. M. to
| $50 D. m. crowd gathered at the corn er
of Thirty-second and NJ streets waiting in
! expectation that the read would again
resume operation. After waiting pa-
| uently for more than an hour an effort
| was made to hire one of the Arlington and
| Fort Myer buses, but without success,
{ Failing in this, the disappointed crowd
Grand sale of the Famous stock Of
/ Summer Clothing, 500 Market Space.
o