The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-26

rush TO the vacuum over Puget
sound? There WAS undoubtedly sur
plus OF fresh air. II not only carried away
all loose substances, bat started in To
break up the town, smashing windows.
tearing OF roofs. ekyiixhts and chimneys.
and hurting shingles through the ami
mated air like bullets. 1t was an assault
Of breeze: an aftermath OF the prelimi-
nary conversations ia the Fitzslmmons-
corbet contest The citizens OF Seattle
did not like IL. They protested vigorous
ly; but what could they do against windY
Their efforts were futile. A man might
stand on the corner swearing for an hour.
and stil IL blew. and like enough CHM
ney would come floating down and batter
In his profane head.
The wind reached velocity yesterday
afternoon about 3 o'clock OF forty miles
an hour. Very few houses In the city es-
capped some slight damage. On the water
front the old Merchant dock was blown
over two others damaged, and the mos
quito feet was shaken up severely. Teie-
graphic communication with the outside
world was entirely shut on
According TO the table used by the
weather bureau this velocity Is between
gale" thirty-six miles. and a strong
gale" forty-fve miles. According 20
water front authority. IL was a Twin
gale" which Is n happy medium for any
thing from n calm 10 a hurricane. At
Fort Candy the wind blew sixty-eight
miles an hour wednesday night, and was
probably over seventy miles an hour yea
terday AZ noon. This almost amounted 10
a hurricane. which is seyenty-six miles
an hour
All wednesday night the barometer in
Weather Observer saiisbury's Office
dropped. when indications were taken NJ
5 O'Clock the preceding afternoon there
49, n aF A
time g was far out az sea The follow
ing telegram was received here yesterday
morning from The Portland office:
Hoist Information signal AZ 70 a. m.
A storm is central o*er the straits OF
Juan de Fucz. There are heavy gales
along the coast. which are high over ths
Sound. Winds will veer 70 the west to-
night and decrease IN force"
Acting or this Information the red tri-
angular rag was h0isfed and al! day long
aaunted in the breeze. II seemed 10 en-
rage the wind ike = red rag hung ont -
= buil The gale grew nercer and tho
Barometer continued 20 fall until at n
O'Clock it reached the lowest point. ia.
Al / o'clock tn the aftnTn0on "A velocity
of tairty-eiKnE miles an hour was report
ed and a. s15 o'clock II had reached
forty miles
For long continued gale that of yes
feraav was the most violent eyer known
80 many ships Hera wrecked. the wind
vas thlrtv-alE miles an hour. The sudden
black sQusil of April 3 lsss. Wsen fha
wlnd blew a mile a minute = not 20 -
compared wktA sfis storm. as IL lasted bHt
ten inmates The wind came arsf from
the aoathsaat veeTinz 20 the acufh ard
tnea 20 the southwest. The storm orig
mated in q hlra pressure area over Mex
leo. and from there rushed TO the low
aressura area OF the afairx But Ntsls
fear g. entertained for vessels Of tho
coast as ths gale dsd not blsw on coast.
In the Harbor.
TNs hsrhor. w}th tie rolling ridges
crested Eltn white. was a bsMufifgl si&nt-
Esar3v in fns day a few steamers we're
seen scurrytnK aiong. iTinz FAR over on
one side and p.uBging. Hgggiug shs water
front were eraft OF all descriptions. ard
wttn the gusts 81 UsaG they wefe thrown
against ths docks. aH occasional crash
tslllng of the force Nf fns contact. THs
Msrchanfs' dock could not stand -. it
had grown gray fn servtce. ard rhsuma 20
ia TIE Joints. ard wnen fne Wind wnisfied
aboat the p.llnx II laid over ard sank.
This s0ck wzs particularly vulnerable.
& @as - feet lgng ard less than thiTfy
fset wEse nu6 tne wind licked u out q .
3 special peiat Ter sffaek The io8g ware
hs1ss ard Offices have peeu condemned
sor fhs last slz months. ard fnetr less
sserefore ar1oGnfs - astle TIE doek
Eexleg over about ? O'cl1rk 50 The aftsr-
nooa. za9 tAs warehouse VA zooa broken