The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-24
WIND DOES DAMAGE.
1t Tears Limbs From Trees. shutters
From Houses, and a Flying Awning
Renders Boy Unconscious.


A western wind of cyclonic proportions
did damage In several sections Of the city
yesterday, beside causing much disoom-
fort to church goers and those who inef-
feotially tried to take Sunday afternoon
stroll
The maxium velocity of the gale was be.
tween the hours OF ! and 5 O'Clock, when
the wind scurrled slong at the rate ofi8l
miles an hour, In the morning 1t had
been blowing at about IA miles and 1t con.
tinued this way until about II o'clock.
when 1t gained SO much In volume as to
double its strength in two hours After
miles an hour being the velocity at IS p. m.
There was grand revival In the streets
Of that fascinating old game known as
Chasing the Hat" One Of the features
Of this game Is that while one man ohases,
Others stand around and laugh. And
there Is delightful uncertainty as to who
will be 1T"
Then it Is such cosmopolitan game.
All GLASS distinctions are set aside.
Another nice feature Of tho game Is that
1t is always played in the street, without an
admission fee and every body In sight joins
In. Nor Is any particular kind Of hat re.
quired. Any hat will do All kinds were
used yesterday.
The girls did not take part In the game
except to laugh. They had other things to
do. The naughty wind was toying with
their skirts, and some OF them wished they
had cannonballs In the hens Of their gar
ments.
Occasionally a strong gust would catch
girl with big sleeves and flowing skirts
and puff them up till she looked like q
balloon. Once In while pretty maid
would turn her back to the wind and 60
sailing along fifteen or twenty feet In d.
reotion In which she did not want to go
before she could get herself stopped. And
sometimes one would halt and seize her
dress with grim determination and hold
up silent prayer for the restoration OF the
laws Of grayitation oh, 1t was lots Of
fun.
The wind blew large limb from tree
IN the Friends burial ground at Fifth and
West streets and badly damaged the avn.
ing on the Fifth street front of McElwees
store Three of the iron posts were blown
out Of their positions and the top rods
were twisted and bent. The flag-pole on
looked as II it would break. A skylightin
the B. & O., Railroad freight house at the
foot OF Shipley street was broken. The.
steeple on Calvary Baptist Church swayed
too and fro In the gale and some people
feared 1t would topple over.
The large tree at Ninth and Tatnall
streets fell with crash. Signs In front of
Max Ephraim's store, No. 316 Market, and
Adams g. Brother and No. $40 Market
street were blown down during the even-
ing All tie bill boards on Delaware ave.
nue, between Clayton and du Pont Streets
are down. A large tree on Third, between
Walnut and Poplar streets, and another
in front Of No 428 East Third street.
In the thinly-settled section OF our city
where the wind had full sweep Ii was so
strong that 1t blew nearly all the glass out
Of the gas lamps, The wind also played
havoc with the electric light wires and the
police station was kept busy reporting
those out. Tha Wilmington City Electric
Company had lineman repairing them as
soon as possible
A tree on Pine street between Fourth
and Fifth streets Is also down.
The wind tore heavy shutter from
X. Benson, No. SOB West Fifth street. The
from an unknown man.
The only accident was suffered by 8.year
old Joseph Shannahan Of Elm and Jack.
son streets He with several other boys
were playing on the corner when they
wore struck by an awning which had been
torn by the wind from In front of the
store Of Joseph II. M. Chesney Joseph
WINS rendered unconscious by the blow and
did not revive until DR.. Cochran applied
1t was stated last night that such winds
were not unusual for Wilmington in Jan.
uary, as there had custoinarily bean one or
more blustery days when between B5 and
40 miles had been attained.