The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-21
TASTE OF LIFE IN WEST.
Southern New England Visited by
Terrible Storm. +.
LIKE OF NEW BEDFORD'S EXPE-
RIENCE NEVER KNOWN BEFORE.

ming Responsible for Several Fires
Woman Frightened to Death in Fall
River.
New Bedford. Mass, September 49,
New Bedford went through an expert
enoe this morning, the like of which has
never been known before. At about
O'Clock q thunder storm broke over the
city, accompanied by sharp lightning
and downpour of rain. One bolt struck
the cotton house of the Bennett Manu-
featuring corporation, and in short
time the building, which contained
atout $1,000 worth Of baledA cotton, vas in
flames. After some delay an alarm was
struck from the private box on the cor
poratioa premises, and about half the
fire department responded.
This iremen had q hard task before
them. since tie fire had gained good
Roadway, and the cotton smoke was SO
thick that the men could not live within
easy fighting distance. The situation
of the cotton shed added to the ordinary
difficulty of fighting the fire. The mill
Is built along the water front and the
cotton shed is located on splles about 80
test below high water mark. In order
to reach the burning building with their
ladders and hose, the flremen had to
wade waist deep In the water.
The Ere had been gotten pretty well
under control when a
SECOND THUNDER SQUALL
more threatening than the first made its
appearance in the northwest. In the
centre of the squall was regular
cyclone-shaped cloud, which travelled
at frightful rate of sped. The flames
of the burning cotton shell were famed
by the high wind, and for few minutes
it looked as though the tire would get
away from the firemen. But the heavy
rain which accom- panied the squall did
the firemen's work for them, and it was
not long before the cotton fire was tho
roughly in hand.
The flremen were just resting from
their labors when word was brought to
Chief Macy that three-story tenement
block at the southeast corner of CogRes-
hall and Front streets had been COM
pletely demolished by the wind. "A de-
tachnlent of fremen was at once dis
patched to the spot, armed with axes
and hooks, and thorough search was
made of the ruins, as it was reported
that several men had been caughG IN
der the falling timbers. so far MS is
known, but one man, Joel Savignsy,
was injured, and he was taken to ST.
Luke's hospital, where 1t was found that
several rits were broken, that he was in
ternally injured, and that be had bitten
his tongue of. He will probably die.
The building which was demolished
was tnree-story tenement block in pro-
cess Of construction, and belongs to Viii
liam Hargraves. The carpenters in the
employ Of Thomas Chase were to work
or SO Of the men vino had been TO the
fire sought the house for shelter from the
storm. The course of the
FUNNEL-SHAPED CLOUD
was directly over the building, and when
1t struck 1t pitched the roof like an
egg shell, moved it few feet to the
southeast and then settled, carrying the
whole structure to the ground under
meath 1t.
The carpenters aud most of the men
who had sought the building for shelter
heard the creaking of the timbers and
was Thought that all were successful,
with the exception of Savigney, who
had sought shelter from the storm. He
is an old man and could not move as fast
as his culnpanions, and the flying debries
bore him down and piled on top of him.
Charles S. Kelley of the banking house
of Sanford & Kelley, the president of the
Projecting Society, was close by the
building when it was demolished and
had d narrow escape from death. Mr..
Kelley, with others, removed the injured
man to the police station, whence he was
taken to tine hospital in an am bulance.
The loss ON the building which, is esti-
matsd at about $4,000 will be nearly
total. The contractor was Tot insured
The loss from the cotton fire will pro-
badly amount to $4,000, which is nearly
covered by insurance.
In addition TO the destruction of the
Hargraves building, the hurricane did
an immense amount of damage in vari-
GUS parts of the city. A new house on
Bellevills avenue, was unroofed, and
trees all over the city were blown down.
No other Injuries to people are reported
1t is thought that more victims may be
concealed under the ruins OF the demol-
ished buildings, and Mayor Parker has
ordered Chief Macy to make a thorough
search for bodies
Horse Killed by Lightning in Providence.
Providence, r. l., September IA
tempest OF VIM. raln ana ugntnlng
passed over the city this morning, and
although of short duration, inflicted
large amount of damage A cloud of
dense blacknsss, grating like a western
cyclone, headed the storm, but lifted into
the air On reaching the suburbs of the
city. Streets were fonded and washouts
freq uent while business was almost
wholly suspended during the heavy rain
fall. lightning struck fiagstaffs on the
pthOOv GOualU milling and tho pr1h-
lie library building. Several dwelling
houses were also hit by stray bolus, and
n woman named Bowler severely shocked.
After an hours tumult in the city, the
wind abruptly shifted and drove the
storm back up the Woonasuatuoket valley
by this course it had approached. One
mile out of Oakland the barn and large
amount of hay OF George Paine was
struck twice and was totally destroyed.
Tho second bolt killed a horsa as Mr.