New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-03
PRICE THREE CENTS.
ELIZABETH STORM SWEPT.
A TORNADO WRECKS CHURCHES AND
CUTS WIDE SwATH. ~
MANY HOUSES UNROOFED AND sOMD COM
PLETELY wRECKED-NoT A LIFE
LOST, AND NO ONE sERI.
So OUSLY INJURED. "
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRJBuSE.1

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRJBuYE.1
| Elizabeth, ~ j.. Aug elizabeth was struck
| by a tornado this afternoon shortly after
| o'clock. and much damage done. The tor
nado came from the southwest. and passed to
the northeast through the centre Of the city. In
a track one thousand feet wide.
The path of the tornado included many church
and other prominent buildings. and It could not
have picked out any other path through the city
where the possibilities of damage would have
| been so great
The weather was threatening all the afternoon.
| 1t was very hot, and at times there was an al
| most total absence of breeze. Storm clouds
had been gathering to the south and west. but
! nothing worse than severe electrical storm was
| expected. The wind cloud which did the damage
| appeared TO the southwest at about o'clock.
Eve witnesses say II had all the characteristics
| of a tornado cloud. It was funnel shaped and
| advanced with great rapidty. There was no
| noise except the distant roll Of thunder While
the tornado lasted the wind blew at fearful
rate within the path OF the storm Outside OF
| the direct path OF the storm the wind meter AZ
| the weather observatory registered eighty miles
| for several minutes. It took about ten minutes
! for the tornado TO pass through the city. ana
| then the rain fell in torrents, flooding every
| thing and adding to the damage done by tho
| wind.
Just ahead Of the cloud Itself there was q
| shower Of hailstones which ratified against VIM /,
dows just before the tornado struck Its blow.
BONES OF THE DEAD DISTURBED.
One of the first buildings to be hit by the blast
was the tower of the historic First Presbyterian
Church. This towering column was snapped OH
Just above the clock. and crashed down to the
ground. Fortunately, it fell away from the
church building and across the lawn and burial
ground where the early settlers Of the city are
buried The middle Of the portion which fell
struck the sidewalk and the top fell into the
street and buried the tracks in Broad-st.
Immediately after the steeple fell the big trees
in the churchyard began to yield to the wind,
and several of them fell. their roots being torn
out Of the ground and the bones Of men and
women buried many years ago being dragged To
the surface
The next place struck was the Lyceum Thea
ire on the south side of Broad-st. The roof was
torn off and the Beerbower Pottery was also
unroofed
The whrling, funnel shaped cloud next passed
to East Jersey-st. and struck the spire OF the
Central Baptist Church. demolishing 1t and part
Of the church roof. The big bell was hurled
nearly across the street.
The top of the spire of the Third Presbyterian
Church was also carried away. while the big tin
roof Of the Star Theatre was ripped off and
blown against the side of the Central Baptist
Chufch
The top OF the spire Of the Third Presbyterian
Church was blown off, and the side OF DR. Moul-
forts house was crushed in by huge tree fall
ing against ii.
CITY Hall Park at the entrance to Madison
ave and opposite the Third Presbyterian
Church. was swept by the tornado and nearly
| all the fine trees in it were uprooted.
A TREE DRIVEN INTO A HOUSE
The front Of the Home for Aged Women. in
| East Jersey-st., was wrecked by great syca-
more tree over one hundred years old being
torn up and thrown against 1t. Part of the tree
was driven through the windows fully ten feet
into the front rooms. greatly terrifying the
forty inmates This building is the old Boudi-
not mansion. in which dwelt Elias Boudinot,
first Speaker OF the Continental Congress.
| The tornado then swept through Madison.
ave. and Catharine-st. to William-st, and down
this street to Spring-st.. where its fury ceased
| and II passed away to the northeast. II was
| on Wiiams-st., however, from Catharfne-st 10
| Spring-st., and for the same distance on one
| side of East Grand-st., which runs parahel 10
willam-st, that the greatest damage was done'
| there not being a house on these TWO DOCKS
| that was not more or less injured, and some
were completely wrecked
Charles Kelber's two and a half story house.
in william st. was lifted from its foundation.
twisted completely around In the air. ana
| dropped to the ground a complete wreck Fortu-
nately all the family were away on the Eliza
beth Orphan Asylum excursion to Asbury PARK
| and so escaped death or injury
William H. Huey's house near by had the roof
nfS Erada
Childs's house, opposite. had the roof torn off
and the upper story wrecked. Charles Fishers
house. next door. had the roof torn off and all
the shutters blown away. Patrick Clarks barn
was lifted in the air and completely demolished.
Al William and Spring SITS. Alderman Frank
KIein's house was wrecked. In East Grand-st.
the roof was torn off j. H. Kochs and II. W
Beebe's houses, and the upper stories were bad
ly damaged. Mr.. Beebe Is a florist and his
large greenhouses adjoining were completely
ruined George Kings house was partly un-
rooted as was J. Kettenrng's and Christian
Frederick's.
TERRIFIC ROAR OF THE TORNADO.
The people living in this neighborhood say tho
roar Of the tornado was appalling. and that tho
air was filled with flying timbers and bricks.
limbs of trees, shutters. signs and parts OF
fences The house of j. Ellis Robinson. No. l.OlS
East Grand-st, had its lower part torn 10 pieces'
and his wife was pinned between some OF the
falling timbers She rescued by the neigh
bors. considerably bruised and suffering much
from shock Remarkable to relate, so far as can
be learned no one seriously injured oy the
tornado Most Of the people who live In the Sec
ton OF the city visited by the storm were at
Asbury Park on the orphan Asylum excursion
or else there would certainly have been many
casualties.
Along Catharine-st. and Madison-ave there
was much destruction Of shade trees and these
.,raa,s are nearly impossible owing to the