The San Francisco call., 1898-03-11
Razed Buildings and Gen. eral Havoc in Many
 Places.
San Jose Reports a Hurricane That Does Considerable
 Damage.
Farther South the Fier ce Gale Is Accompanied by Heavy
 Rainfall.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN JOSE, March IDA severe windstorm visited this city. this fore noon and played havoc with church steeples, old barns and trees. It began blowing about o'clock this morning and continued with more or less sever ity until noon No one was seriously injured. The two steeples on the Bap- tist Church were twisted and wrenched and the thoroughfares in that vicinity closed The steeple on St. Patrick S Church was also bent The wires or the electric railway became badly tan- gled, and traffic was delayed for awhile. Tupper & Co.'S large warehouse at Fourth and Virginia streets was razed to the ground and is one mass of de- bris. It was feared that the roof of the Hensley House, which has been raised up to allow couple of stories to be added, would be blown to the streets. AS soon as the storm arose the contractors put men to work lash ing the heavy roof to the rafters of the building, and thus probably saved the structure from being wrecked. The cleo tric tower swayed considerably, put stood the storm better than had been expected. Signs and trees were blown down all over town and old and dllap1-
 
 done will reach several thousand dol lars.
 SACRAMENTO, March 10.-James A. Barwick, Weather Bureau Observer in this city, said to-day that the dry northerly wind now blowing through this section of the valley will do untold damage to grain if 1t lasts any great length of time. It was blowing this morning at the rate of from thirty to l nl1i times a maximum velocity of forty two miles per hour, which is the highest ve- locity for a northern wind in March during the past twenty years. The highest velocity for March on record is rty-eight miles per hour, but it was with a south wind, which rather inn proved the crop conditions by its in- creased amount of moisture, brought rapidly inland from the ocean.
 ST. HELENA, March 10.-The heavy windstorm which prevailed here dur ing the past twenty -four hours did con- siderable damage. The Odd Fellows and Turner halls were partially un- roofed The partial demolition of Fur ner Hall will cause particular inconve- nience because it is also used as a high-school building. In the business section several large plate-glass win | dows were broken, signs and fences laid low, and several big chimneys were also blown down, damaging the dwell | ings of which they were a part.
 l MILTON, March 10.-Showers, &C., companied by thunder and lightning, prevailed throughout this section last night. To-day there was a high north | wind, which, coming sc soon after the moisture is doing serious damage to growing crops. More rain is apparent l ly needed here. | SANTA CRUZ, March 10.-An unusu- ally strong wind blew to-day The bay was very rough. No damage was done beyond the blowing down of fence on the carnival grounds.
 SUISUN, March 10.-A strong north wind began to blow throughout Solano County last evening, and as night ap- preached it increased in fury. The | hurricane was the most severe one ex- | perieced here for many years. | Considerable damage has been reported | from various sections. Several wind mills and barns were blown down and | considerable damage was done to fences | and trees. Many persons in this city | left their residences and sought shelter in safer places. FRESNO, March 10.-A heavy rain fell here last night, which settles the question of the wheat crop. Wheat IS | in excellent condition and has not ac- tuaIly suffered for want of rain this season. The rain of last night will tide 1t over for ten days or fortnight. The