The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-10-17
MINIATURE CYCLONE
TERRIFIC GALE STRUCK THE CITY
 YESTERD1Y AFTERNOON.

Narrow Escape of Pedestrians nt the
 Corner of Chapel and Church Streets
 AsHuge Elm Blown Down and Crashed
 to the street-A Horse Caught Under
 the Falling Mass-A Crowd of Hum
 dreds of People Attracted by the Oc-
 currence.
 The sudden gale of wind which came up yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock caused much damage about the city and vicinity, and in several instances there were narrow escapes from loss of life by falling trees and limbs The sun had been shining brightly during the afternoon and all day until about 3:30, when dark, threatening clouds appear ed Just before 1 o'clock fierce gale of wind sprung up and rapidly increas- ed in violence until in a few minutes the gale was the fiercest that has ragged this season. The wind was much like cyclone, whirling as do those wind storms
 About ten minutes after four o'clock, while the gale was at it's height, loud cracking was heard at the corner of Church and Chapel streets, which at tracted the attention of the hundreds Of people in the vicinity of that corner to a large elm tree on Church street about thirty feet from the large Franklin elm directly on the corner. The tree was sWaying and had just begun to topple oyer across Church street, when the loud cracking noise attracted attention. On the sidewalk on the east side of Church street, by the Exchange build ing, were dozens of pedestrians, and those on Chapel street and at the cor ners where that street meets Church street gazed in horror as the huge tree with irresistible force swept downward, seeming to carry almost Inevitable de- struction to the people on the sidewalk in the line of it's falling.
 The tree was so tall that it's upper branches struck the walls of the FIX change building, its downward course being thereby momentarily checked, en- abling those underneath to scramble to safety. Among those who were directly under the falling tree was Director Hugo of the department of public works to which department the care or decayed trees Is entrusted under the charter. MT Hugo, as the tree slid slowly down the side of the building, ran from under and just escaped the outside branches as the tree crashed to the street and sidewalk. Among others who just escaped being crushed by the falling mass were Pavement Inspector Bonn, ex-Assessor w. F. Shannon and Alderman John Adams of the Second ward.
 Standing at the curb and just under the falling tree was the horse and light runabout wagon of Constable Mlchaei R. Fnscoe MT. Enscoe had left the horse and wagon standing at the curb while he went up into the Exchange building to attend to some business. lie was just descending the stairs at the Church street entrance of the Exchange building and had nearly reached the door, when the tree struck the walk. The trunk of the tree crushed the light wagon and struck the horse on the hack. just over his rear quarters, pin ming him to the ground.
 At once a call was sent to the fire de- partment by the policemen stationed at the corner and a special detail of po- licemen was sent from police headquar- ters. At first it was feared that some of the pedestrians were pinned under the tree, and hundreds of people rushed m to extricate any one who might have been struck. They found, however, that, fortunately, no one had been caught.
 pr. Ross, the veterinary surgeon, was at once summoned, and Captain Cess
 4 A Hall tp1pnbOnGd for Dr. Kelly the veterinary surgeon. Both veterinaries arrived quickly and a crowd of men was soon at work extri- eating the horse. When finally ne was freed it was found that his back was broken and he was shot
 When the tree struck the Exchange building 1t gave the occupants of the offices on the Church street side bad scare. The main force of the falling mass struck the outer walls of the ot- fee of Henry c. Bretzfelder, agent for the building. A large limb struck window of the office and crushed in the brick walls about the window for space of about two feet. A large mass of brick was hurled into the office, smashing a chair near the WindoW Tn which Miss Metzger MT. Bretzfeider stenographer, usually sits. Miss Metz ger, fortunately, was not in the off1ce yesterday afternoon and so escaped se- rious and possibly fatal injury. Just before the crash came MT. Bretzteldef had heard a door slam in the corridor and the breaking of glass He left his office to see what had been broken and had gone out only few seconds before the brick crashed into his office, scat tering bricks and debris about the chair where he usually sits. number or windows in various offices on that side of the building were broken.
 When the tree fell it carried With It the telegraph wires and the trolley road wires strung along the street. The iron trolley wire pole to which the electric clock at the corner by the pump was at tached was toppled over by the strain on the wires to an angle of about forty- five degrees. but although many wires were broken, the wire which furnished mower for the clock remained intact and the clock was not stopped, but contln- ued running and keeping good time. A force of firemen was sent to the scene with the truck from No. Is house and the firemen, with their axes, soon had the branches cleared out so that the sidewalk was passable. The Fair ! Haven and Westville Railroad company