The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-03
A TORNADO AT SING SING.
The New York Prison Damaged and
the Couvicts Puuic-StrIcLen-

the Couvicts Puuic-StrfcISen-
NEW YORK, July "A tornado struck
the shores of the Hudson River near
Ossining. yesterday afternoon. cutting
path two miles or more Iong and several
hundred feet wide Il struck the village
of Gssining, and all along its cCIrse trees
were uprooted. buildings Uur0ofed, and
windows blown in. No houses were
blown down so far as reported. neither
were there any fatalities so far as can
be learned.
The storm was first seen up the river
near Haverstraw. at As It was then
simply black cloud in the distance At
Ossining the sun was shining. and 1t was
oppressivety hot. Within five minutes it
could be seen that the black cloud was
travelling directly toward Ossining- It
was sweeping across the river at a height
of from 50 to $50 feet, rising and failing
| Sometimes it rose high into the air and
again svooped down to almost the wa
/ ter's surface In the fight of eight miles
down the river the cloud rose and fell at
least four times
As it approached the village and the
/ light changed. the color changed from
! black to yellow Those who saw the
/ cloud say it had motion like d wheel
| the interior motion apparently being OPP
| posite. or reverse, to the advanle the
| roll Of thunder could be heard when the
/ cloud WIS a couple Of miles away.
! The cloud hit the surface Of the river
within a short distance Of the village,
| and then rushed through It, causing
/ rain OF mud The wind blew gale for
! a few minutes. \ yellow substance Ike
/ mud which formed the cloud was driven
/ into the houses. through the windows,
| and lodged in streaks about the village
! The rain with which the mud was mixed
; was dense Conservative estimates are
/ that tn a brief space the wind was blow
/ ing - to 50 miles an hour If not more
( The tornado itself lasted only a minute,
/ but was followed by heavy downpour OF
/ rain, with thunder and lightning Min
/ eLed with the mud were large hailstones-
/ The tornado embraced practically the
! whole village. and the Sing Sing prison
/ down by TIE river was in the very cen
| ire of the storms path There was great
i excitement and considerable damage
Almost every window on the water side
| Of the prison was blown IN, and the rain,
/ laden with the yellow mud, was driven
| through the prison in every direction
| The prisoners had just been locked in
/ their cells for the night, and when the
/ blast hit the place they set up terr1fflc
| -boyvkne and screa ming Their terror was
| intensified when, moment after the
! windows were blown in, there was a rip
! ping and roaring sound This noise Was
/ caused By the wind ripping off the roof
of the Administration Building. The roof
/ OF the bakeshOp was also torn away
Warden johnson sent the keepers
/ through the prison to calm the men, VINO
/ begged to be released from their cells.
/ The thunder which accompanied the
: E. -ra.4s 10
J some time, and the men were kept in ter
ror. Some trembled and remained stand
/ ing cIasping the bars Of the cell doors
| Others threw themselves upon their beds
| and ruoaned. Others prayed. while some
| seemingly driven wild by the uproar, the
| cause Of which WAS shut from their SiShL
| cursed and yelled
! the boards from the Administration
! buildings roof were found ha!f mile
| away, and pieces OF taxpayer were scat
/ tered as far as the storm hug&ed the
/ earth
! Through the village trees and wires SUI
| fered most The trees were torn Up by
| the roots Some Of these were eighteen
| inches in diameter. Some were hurled
/ against houses and crushed IL the SIDES,
! carried away porches and caves NOt
! half dozen wires remain on the poieS
I They were either blown down or carried
{ away by falling trees The streets We're
/ fu4rassabIe because Of the trees The
! trolley cars ceased to run Those out on
| the road were unable to get back 70 the
carhouse. owing to the blocking Of the
/ streets. The village was in darkness be
( cause the wires were down.
! One of the big dialS on the clock on the
| tower of the Presbyterian Church was
/ blown in
| Down on the waterfront a score of small
/ boats were sunk Peter Smith boathouse
| was torn to pieces. The yerauda of the
! Ossining Yacht Club was torn from the
! building and Miller & Holden's coal sheds
were torn TO pieces
| Persons caught out in the lirst blow re-
/ ceived a mud bath James Shea was
! badly shocked by clutchiug live wire,
/ and William Marshall, driver Of d coal
/ wagon, had his spine broker by tree
/ which fell across the wagon Eeat- These
/ We're the only casualties reported