The Portland daily press., 1896-10-01

Senator Stewards Home Ruin-Two /
Persons Crushed to Death by Failing |
Walls-Narrow Escape Of Attorney |
General Harmon.
Washington, September 30.-DurinR |
last mig ts' storm a number of plate glass
windows of stores on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. were blown in and tho roof of the
northwest corner Of. the patent office was
wrenched of by the gale and sent with
crash to the street.
The Elkton hotel across the street from
the Pennsylvania depot was unroofed
and the windows blown in. The st.
James hotel suffered in the same way the
roof going over into the street and the
windows yielding to the fierce impact of
wind and rain. The beauty Of the spaoi-
GUS executive mansion grounds greatly
suffered, magnificent oaks and elms were
prostrated and only few Of the old trees
escaped. The building it's elf was practi
cally uninjured but its picturesque sur
| roundings were almost entirely swept
away. Fully half of trees Of all nations
grouped around and in Lafayette park
opposite the White House were destroyed
| or badly injured, and all along the ave-
nue. and streets famous for the results
obtained by the parking commission.
| Traffic was blocked this morning. One
of the worst wrecks in ths residence Sec
tion Ia the Stewart castle on Dupont
street, the home of the Silver senator
and tor many years notab BILE as the lega-
tion of China. Most Of its tower, it's roof
\ and its windows are gone. Its interior is
wrecked to the extent of nearly $40, 900.
i The storm swept the water front with
a violence that has never been exceeded
Not only will nearly every steamboat
company have to pay hundreds Of dollars
In repairs to vessels but some steamers
will not be able to run for a consider able
| time to come. Numerous small crafts
were lost. The boats Of the Capital
Yacht club and others lying at the
wharves were nearly all sunk or STAYED
! in against the wharves.
] The greatest damage done aside from
the loss of yachts was to the steamers.
| When the hurricane was at Its height, the
Leary, the southernmost OF steamers ~
ing at the whapves went aStream. The
immediate cause of this was the wreck Of
, her whaIf The Leary was thus released
and caught by the wind. swung stern
foremost into the current and proceeded
on career of destruction to every craft
, that was in her way. She made the triI
| in about five minutes and her progress
was succession Of crashes that resem
bled thunder.
| vx5oS "a
Q the ,Leary and the latter took piece ou
o Of her stern, carrying away the whole
b rear part Of her upper and lower decks
!. Meanwhile all the other vessels had beel
. pounding at the wharves. The Learl
z went at the Mosley and took her end Oft
Q then swung around bit, crashed broad
n side against the steamer Sylvester ant
o stove her side in. This set the Sylveste
It loose and the two boats went on in com
d pany, grinding against the wharves ant
j. crashing into other boats. The polio
# boat was jammed up into the slip. by. tn
swell and had her smoke stack broken
Part of steamer Pentz's stern was GU
clean of. Then the steam boat Mattan
forced against the wharf and battere
in the stern, began to sink and in Nv
minute was half under water. The Syl
Ii vester got jammed about this time an
n then the Leary crashed against the Maoa
" lester, which was standing stern out
:. and infiicting a slight breaking OF IN
~ e1 posed part, was pushed into the Norfol
b boat Washington, staving hole In he
ss side.
$,
Of In Alexandria the damage dor
by the storm is estimated at 500
600. At least two lives are known
have been lost crushed to death by fal
ing walls. Nearly 400 houses were bad
damaged by the tornado.
&. The flagstaff of the White House WI
detached by tine hurricane and hos n
been located. The White House IN q
dition to the loss of the flagstaff Is min
several chimney tops. The roof OF A
70. miral Porter's former residence, oooupl'
by the Fren oh legation, was carried aWi
and the southeast corner tower OF g
state department was unrooted.
damage was done to the records. ~
~ new naval observatory was damaged
as M the extsnt of $780, Part of the copp
~ roof was torn of hut the telescope al
~ other instruments were unhurt.
M The big building opposite the hou
on wing of the capitol containing over %
th valuable government publications.
"a longing to the senate and house was
most demolished. Application was ma
to the navy department this morning
tarpaulin and canvass to cover the boo
le- until they could be removed to 81
IN place.
raj Part of the big ship house at the ma
yard was wrecked. One end OF the