Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-10
LPT BY A SEVERE STORM
J City Was Visited by a Tor
nado Wednesday.
t DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED

AT DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED
dings We're Wrecked and
Trees Uprooted.
ts We're Flooded, windows Broken aud
Us Blown on, Railway Traffic Was
ously ImEedsd bv Debris ana Several
sons We're Slightly Injured.
Btorm resembling tornado visited
bington and vicinity between 5. 40
5. 25 o'clock Wednesday and much
hge resulted therefrom. Some
lings were wrecked, hundreds of
and large limbs were blown down,
is were flooded, windows broken
roofs blown off in some places,
here was no loss of life, although
tal people were injured. At the
the rain began to fall many work
people we're on their way TO their
bs, and the great number of people
be- streets and in tho cars made
ers worse. To add to the trouble,
S and other obstacles Flew across
i car tracks and wires, whi,e sand
mud covered the tracks in some
es and cars on nearly all of the
were tied up for short time.
bile the chief storm was at about 6
ck, it was preceded by % heavy
accompanied by hail, thunder and
lining, betw cen 4 and 40 o'clock.
rain fell in torrents during that
bd and the thunder and lightning
heavy. During this storm the
ssmith shop of Robert HI. Kite, at
easter avenue and Union street. and
flag pole at Wawaset Park were
ok by lightning, but no serious
age was done ut either place. The
ksmith shop caught fire, but the
es were quickly extinguished. The
Its of the first storm were not
BUS.
ich was not the case with the later
m, however. At 5.30 O'Clock heavy
TX and yellow clouds gathered north
Wilmington and advanced on the
rapidly, reaching here about 10
utes before 6 o'clock, but rain did
begin to fall for 10 minutes after
III. With very little warning the
came down in torrents, while the
ii blew "a gale, first from the north
b and then from the northeast,
|cking trees, knocking shutters and
IS off buildings, tearing awnings and
dow shades to shreds and doing
pr damage. The rain fell in such
hmes that the sewer inlets were I'M
to take it all for short period,
at one time the water was at least
be feet high on the street 10 some
places. At Delaware avenue and
Point street, for instance, where there
fall fioAa Delaware avenue and du
t street, in both directions, the
place filled up rapidly, the Water
fhing the floor of the drug store of
rett S. Smith, which IS some
ance above the sidewalk. This
lining there were marks of muddy
pr on the police booth on the OPP
to corner, which is higher, showing
the water had been about 21b feet
/ at that POINT. This condition of
IRIS prevailed at hundreds of other
les about the city, while the streets
ing to Brandywine Park resembled
Ing torrents for few minutes and
food carried everything movable
pre- it. AS natural result the
hrs of hundreds of houses were
he'd and the water was several
bes above the first living floor in
b places. This was particularly the
at houses in South Wilmington
over Eleventh street bridge, and
eome instances people moved from
b dwellings fearing they would be
jed away. Many took refuge in the
er stories and carried their vauables
FAIRS with them.
DESTRUCTIVE WIND AND HAIL.
be most destruction, however, was
hight by wind and hail. The WING
with great force and appeared tc
De from several directions. The roo
torn from the dwelling of Johr
shaw, at Thirtieth and Washington
let's and carried nearly 100 yards.
III Kershaw, who was on the porch
the time. was badly injured by fall
ID bricks. Three houses on New Castle
|4nue near Guthrie's lane we're also
nrQofed. Signs were blown down al
7ex the city. The large sign on Ever,
vening Building was torn from i'll
and thrown to the pave
ent and partially wrecked. Tree
suffered most from the wind
eing blown down and dismantled il
i parts of the city. A tree at Della
Ne avenue and Harrison stree
ISpped off and fell across the trolle,
IA wires, breaking them and delaying
&1ic for a short time. Trees wer,
9&n across wires and against build
M in other parts of the city. Sooi
I'D the storm began trees fell aoros
East Eighth street tracks and tiet
the line for short time, Will
- lines suffered in the same manner
ing the first storm the West Eight
ut trolley wire at Orange stree
broken, but temporary repairs wer
y made and travel was resumed
II brief interval, only to be inter
Jed again by the second storm. Th
- Castle and Brandywine Spring
= were handicapped as well as thos
the city, but there were no seriou
@olhents. Mud and sand choked th
jtches at Sixteenth and Marke
lets and cars had great difficulty il
ing that point for some time.
}5fby car jumped the track there an
ICED a delay of about 25 minutes
~ Tenth and Market streets, o
13punt of the numerous accidents
IA on several lines were tied up, bu
84n after the elements became quie
4<e began to move as usual. /.
fees and large limbs were blow
I'm at Fourth and West streets
4rteenth and Market, Sixth an
<nall, Ninth and Walnut. Fourt
jackson, Delaware avenue an
Inns street, Washington street be
zen Fifth and Sixth, Second an
nch, Ninth and Poplar, Eighth an
fnall, Washington below Seconc
tpnd and Justison, Sixth, betwee
lar and Lombard, Eighth and Roc
two on the causeway beyond Ma
street bridge, Second and Walnu