The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-09-11
PARIS CYCLONE SWEPT.
People Carried Into the Seine
from Bridges and Quays.
MANY CASUALTIES REPORTED.

The Storm Lasted Only Minute. but in
That Short Time There Was Great Dam.
age to Persons and Property, Though but
Three Deaths Are Reported.
PARIS, Sept. ia violent tornado
swept over parts Of this city yesterday
afternoon. Omnibuses, cabs and stalls in
the streets were overturned, trees blown
down, shop windows broken and barges
sunk in the River Seine The firemen had
to be called out. Many persons were In
jured on the Rue Turbigo Place do la he
Boulevard st. Martin.
The greatest damage WAS done at the
Palais de Justice. All the windows on
the Rue de Harlay were smashed, part of
the roof was blown away and the corri-
doris were filled with clouds Of dust and
branches of trees. The sittings Of the
court had to be suspended.
. The number of minor casualties and in
juries to persons Is large, and further re-
ports are constantly being received. Over
fit" injured have thus fur been reported
70 one fire station alone, and five badly in
jured were brought in Several men and wo-
men had their skulls fractured by the fall
ing Of some gates behind which they had
sought shelter from the storm. A cab
driver who had taken refuge in his cab
was killed and the cab demolished. His
horses were also killed. Nine members of
the staff of La France, who were leaving
the Tribunal de Commerce when the
a an "
injured, one having his skull fractured.
At least u dozen persons were carried
bodily into the Seine from the bridges and
quays, and were rescued with great diff
Guilty, several being injured and left in
critical condition, SO that they had to be
taken to the hospitals.
The breaking Of the storm was accom-
panied by many demonstrations of fright
by individuals and crowds, the panic Of
one spreading to others, the lowering sky
and the bowling Of the tempest, filing the
air with flying debris, frightening the
crowds in the streets out of self control
Everybody started to run, without much
regard to obstacles, personal or otherwise,
that might come in their way, and there
was shouting and screaming to add to the
confusion.
The damage to property was widespread
and serious. The first tempest Of wind,
which did most of the damage, was imme-
diately succeeded by torrents of rain, and
cellars all over Paris are flooded.
At Clichy, the roadway Of the Boule-
ward National, subsidized several yards asa
result Of the washing away of the roadbed.
The Quai des Orfevres shows striking
scene Of desolation, buildings being dam
aged, things overturned, and all looking
as though swept by a torrent of rushing
water
From the Quai St. Michael to beyond
the Pont Nuef every tree was uprooted,
many barges were sunk and a number of
small boats were swamped The crews of
the barges, however, succeeded in escap-
ing One of the laundry boats Of the Seine,
where thirty laundresses were at work,
was sunk, and the women were saved with
the greatest difficulty.
The scaffolding Of the court yard Of the
Sainte Chapelle was blown away and every
pane of glass in the side of the palace of
Justice, facing the river, was smashed by
uprooted trees, etc.
All the omnibuses struck by the cyclone
W6T6 upbeI dHu thoii ptoschSoko hAoA0 VI
less injured.
The cyclone lasted only about a minute,
but in addition to the damage already
mentioned considerable destruction was
caused on and about The Pont Nuef the
Place du Chatelet, the Observatoire, the
Tour st. Jacque and elsewhere in the
neighborhood.
Numerous newspaper kiosks were over
turned and the inmates injured. The roof
of the Opera Comique was blown in. The
Ambigu- Comique and the Folies Dramati-
ques theaters were both damaged. Twenty
nine horses were killed. Eight beer houses
were wrecked,
A large ward in the Hotel Dieu is full
of the victims, two of whom died last
night, and several there and in the other
hospitals are in precarious condition.
With the cab driver above reported, this
makes the death list only three thus fur.
1t ID a curious fact that the cyclone
chiefly affected the small area lying around
the Palais do Justice and the Hotel de
Vile. The cycle appeared to be caused by
two strong currents, from the northwest
and the southeast. The clouds rushed to-
gether and whirled around as they met
Just over this area. There was no thunder
and no simultaneous movement ut the
central observatory. The barometer in
tne Tour St. Jacques fell suddenly 1000
The superstilous are finding much to
dwell upon in the fact that Mile. Conesdon,
the self styled seeress, who claims to be
inspired by the Angel Gabriel, and who
has been the talk of Paris on account of
her supposed gifts Of prophecy, for many
predicted storm such as this
last July. Mile. Conesdon has many fol-
lowers who are devout believers in her
gift. One Of her prophecies is that a uni
versal war will come within a year. re-
Bulting in the destruction of England's
power and accompanied by revolution
in Paris.