The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
FIERCE THUNDER SQUALL.
GREAT DAMAGE WROUGHT BY WIND
AND LIGHTNING.

Manhattan Got OF Easy-Two Bnby Car
riages Struck in Brooklyn and Hum
dreds of Spnrrows Killed at Bay Ridge
Several Steamboats, Caught In the Storm
Athunder squat struck this town yesterday
afternoon. and for a little while the wind blew
aRale. its velocity increasing within the space
OF few minutes from three to slxtysix miles
an nour. The approach OF the storm was very
rand. but Manhattan Island did not feel its
full force. The rain fall hero was very incon-
siderable and the lightning did no damage to
speak Of. In BROOKLYN. Bath Beach. Coney
Island. Bayonne. n j.. and many neiRhborinR
settlements however. the rain fell In torrents
and the wind and lightning did great damage.
Many steamboats, running to nearby resorts.
including tho Grand Republic. the Republic
| and the Columbia Of the Long Branch Line,
and the Taurus and the Cygnus OF the Iron
Steamboat Line. we're caught in the storm Al
these boats had big crowds on board, but no
| accidents were reported. Hundreds Of Spar
rows were killed along the Shore road. be-
tween Eighty-third and Eighty fourth streets.
Bay Ridge II is believed that they were blown
out Of the trees by the wind and beaten to the
ground and drowned by the rain. Lightning
struck two baby carriages IN Fort Greene
Park. BROOKLYN. child had Just been re-
moved from each.
1t was day OF extremes in a weather way.
Up to So'clock in the morning rain fell inter-
mittently. The temperature at that hour was
720 and the humidity was 100. Then the sun
came out. and up until the storm broke shortly
after o'clock the temperature rose rapidly
| and the humidity grew less The highest tenn
perature during the day at the Weather Bureau
was at 2:lJ O'Clock In the afternoon when the
thermometer registored 81. The humidity
had by this time fallen to o5. There was not
breath OF air stirring In the streets and even
the Government wind gauge high above
the sidewalk showed only three miles
an hour. These same conditions existed
until O'Clock. when the Thermometer showed
SO and the humidity had increased little.
From the Weather Bureau black clouds could
be seen in the southwest and northwest and
they seemed to be hurrying toward New York.
1t looked ns II they would meet inst over the
lower end Of Manhattan. hut shortly before
they arrived over the Hudson River they
veered of and passed around Manhattan to
the north and south. Manhattan thus escaped
the worst Of the storm
Up in the Weather Bureau. meanwhile. the
recording machines were working at a great
rate. At 80 O'Clock the gauge showed that
the wind was blowing at a velocity Of three
miles an hour. Four minutes later It showed
that the velocity had been increased to twenty
miles an hour Within tho next ten minutes
the velocity increased to sixty-sx miles an
hour. and there 1t remained until 4:4S O'Clock.
when the fury OF the storm was spent as far as
Manhattan was concerned, Then the gauge
dropped to forty miles an hour and two min
utSs later 1t only sh9wcd record OF sixteen
miles an hour Att4 l.i; O'Clock the thermome-
utes there was n fall of 1"'. Tho rainfall did
not amount 10 much.
was beautiful as viewed from the Weather
bureau once. The ,giided top OF the big flag
s6"n loo iset away The pole rosted With tie
wind. the ball describing a eirele Of at lsast
b@rhood were also swayina. The SKY was Of
inky hlnckness and was illuminated frequently
All Tn 81 Is OF nS1 s4"R
ths aEts Rsa. the Dun The YAH
angles with the Eos md hung sHspenish about
aged, The hagr9le was Th 20 feet long apd 10
knocke ed on the halliards carried away and the
pole spnterSd down to the iron collar which ia
shoct' 50 did Policeman barry Of, the Broad.
OF or the St' GudinE It'll" airl. apparc a
about 10 years old who was standing in the
alter the csS Sa
she had been struck on the neck by piece Oh
hnt snnnt nr that she
She was not injured. The same bolt Of liektt-
ming put ont several nsanhes,cent lights IN
telephone wires in the neiGhborhood ' ''
IN IKE Wind and liz
felled many shade trees and injured fruit trees
sx Inst street t' near Avenue B. Bergen Point.
lightning almost wholly stripped the bark
R4ss 2s "et IN 0s F ss I'll Tstss sG
Constable Hook. The, flango OLA ,vapor pipe
leading t? the tar stills IN the Tdswater O
the gases in the pipe were set on Are: Ths
n S ths @ p%G s
same ,instant. and the whistles OF both works
gnished by the employees before the flames
could spread to other stills.
of rain fell. flooding the low-lying streets and
inundnting scores OF Easements and cellars
floods beneath the New Jersey Central Rail-
road bridge and at other points
On staten Island the rain came down In
hs pHd a the snS Fs Sofs So ears
%..nsS ,%c Ia ,5scEs Near fSs ioos 3, Gs
q The trolley g cars, xtthe tost olFEapkn G and
where these thOrouRhfares run into Richmond
Terrace, the cars Of tho electric company were
Of men were put to shoveling on the obstruc-
GY TSs an hoT bs sqa hT Sf no the
ths F ea Mr rnnnns into the Interior was COM
plctcly tied up and was not in operation for
Tho wind blew down trees all over the island
several stores in stNpoton were Hooded
Lightning struck the house of L. W. Smith at
n New brighton .. Lightning also struck the
hrok" it OF. The staff teii on the skyIieht Of