The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-13
Insurance Companies and
Bicycle Riders.
How Goo Coos Conduct I'm
pOrtant Investigations.
Storm That Cost Providence Million
and a Half in Money.

The lot of the bicyclist in these days is
not a happy one. For months town and
city authorities have been passing ordi-
nances regulating the speed at which he
shall ride and requiring him to lug a
lantern whenever the spirit moves him
to take a nocturnal spin. And now
comes another,and equally disturbing de-
cision by the accident insurance COM
ranies. The representatives of all these
concerns in the United States held a con-
ference in Boston, yesterday, and after
agreeing on the fundamental principle
that the riding OF bicycle is an extra
hazardous occupation proceeded to recon-
mend that the premiums on risks on the
lives OF riders be doubled or the amount
of The risk reduced. Whether this action
will have any effect upon tn bicycling re-
mains to be seen, but IL can be said that
It will not brighten the new woman a
little bit. The female who is not afraid
Of appearing in bifurcated garments viii
not be deferred from making tours astride
q wheel by any dangers manufacturer to
order by shrewd Insurance magnates.
It is said that the committee which has
been investigating the affairs OF the SUI
p~erintendent of street signs and num-
bers and sealer of weights and measures
has had q difficult time of 1t in coming
to an agreement on a report. This Is
not at all surprising when the manner
in which the Investigation was conducted
il taken into account. IL Will be remem-
bered that at the first meeting of the
committee when any persons who had
charges to make was asked TO come
forward there was no response,
nor was there TO a second request
nf thp Qama Kind Later A man
who said he hadn't any charges to make,
but that the books of the department
ought to be examined. This was all there
was to the hearing, which was then, and
there adjourned sine oie. subsequently
the committee accompanied by two or
three former employees of the department.
appeared at the office of h superinten-
dent OF street signs and hunters and pro-
ceeded to examine the books. These ex-
employees or some of them were the ones
who had instigated the investigation, but
had failed to put in an appearance at the
asserted that the superintendent had over
charged the city In several instances and
that the books had been changed. Col.
Pettis. not expecting such q move on the
part OF those he had formerly employed,
requested a short time to go over his
so that he might answer each
charge specifically and make any further
explanations which the committee might
desire. This request, although 1t was
one that In justice ought to have been
granted, was refused by the committee,
as was q subsequent one made formally
In writing. 1t is no wonder, therefore,
that the committee had a hard time Of
1t In trying to make up a report on an
Investigation conducted In such an arbi-
trary name and In which the accused
official was denied a proper chance to de-
fend himself.
The short, sharp blizzard OF Tuesday
morning was one of those elemental
visitations which set people talking aud
discussing what might have happened
had the wind came from another direc-
ton or the tide been at a different stage.
Very little damage was done, however,
and the so-called blizzard will soon fade
from memory, for it is only storms which
work unusual loss to life or property that
are long remembered or are recorded in
history. One such storm Providence
passed through just as she was recovering
from the disastrous effects OF the war OF
1924 storm which entailed a loss of
more than a million and a half of dollars
and left that section of the town where
commercial affairs were largely carried on
n wide waste and ruin.
IL was on the 22nd Of September, 1916,
Duib WuHt WIZ tuOuRnt 10 Dt II filt etOTfl,
such as is looked for even in these days,
set in. There were no unusual features
about 1t and the t~ownspeople settled
themselves dow for two or three days OF
rain and wind. During the night OF the
22d the wind increased somewhat in force
and by morning 1t had changed from
northeast to east. 1t continued TO veer
toward the south and increase in velocity,
until a little before 10 o'clock it had set
tied into the southeast and for two hours
blew a terrific hurricane The waters
Df the bay were driven backward
Into the river, wharves were soon sub
merged and in a very short time the iood
reached a point twelve feet higher than
The highest previous spring tide mark.
The whole center of the town was under
water, the flood extending from well to-
ward Benefit street on the east nearly to
Aborn street on the west.
And during that two hours hurricane
what destruction was wrought by the
angry, wind driven waters All the ship
ping In the harbor was torn from its
moorings and sent scudding northward.
The first vessel to break away was the
"Ganges" an East Indian ship, of $50
ons owned hy Brown & Ives. This was
the largest vessel them In port and the
wind drove her with terrific force against
the Weybosset bridge. Part of the struc-
ture went down with a crash and he
Ganges passed through the aperture. never
stopping until she was landed high and
dry at the head of the cove and under
the shadow Of Smiths Hill. After pass
ing through the shattered bridge, the
ship swung around so that her bowsprit
came In contact with the upper story OF
the Washington Insurance Conpany's
building on Washington row That story
was completely wrecked. Following fast
beh&adthe Ganges csmea long procession
of careering craft, buried along by the
Tesistless waters. These struck the re-
naming portions OF the bridge and soon
there was nothing left OF that structure.
Rwo hours after the hurricane began II
had ceased TO blow and the sun was shin
ing brightly from an almost cloudless
ky. Then the townspeople hsrritd from
their places Of shelter 10 view a scene of
devastation ana wreck, the like Of which
had never been known before. 4 he shores