New-York tribune., 1901-08-25
BIG LOSS IN JERSEY CITY
WALLS BLOWN DOWN, CHURCHES ,xn
HOUSES UNROOFED AND MANY
TREES UPROOTED


COW o,'S was visited yesterday by hurrt-
"i''On seemed to be the outcome OF tvo
,ro-. meeting one from the east, the other
r. - west III came during the height OF
'ne thunderstorm. and. thought il lasted o,1,-
ABOUT six or seven minutes If 5fd = -. -,
u NaAhase- Its ravages were confined 20 =
space OF two blocks bounded on the east bv
narroW-st- and on the west by Varfck-st. That
was lts width In its length it traversed the
cIey north and south from it's southerIy limit at
IFaho-st' TO the Hoboken line. Most Of the
damage done. however was In a small area
me hurricane struck the city at Bright and
Grant sts' tearing the tin roof from the Palma
CIuo house. in Jersey-ave. II next struck the
Union League Club house. in YorEx-st-. tearing
on the tin roof and forcing in several windows.
Thence it passed to Van Worst Park on the
opposite side of the street where il uprooted
ABOUT forty big trees. some of which are over
halr century old. tossing them about as though
they had been wisps Of hay. The storm syvent
over the park doing nc damage to the houses
on the Montgomery-st. side beyond breakinz a
! dozen panes Of glass. In Mercer-st just north.
IL Frustrated dozen trees. tearing them up by
the roots, and with these roots large areas Of
the sidewalk In passing over Wayne-st il
unroofed st. Matthew'S German Evangelical
Lutheran Church. throwing down part OF the
west side wall The Rev. Mr. Hafer the pastor
could not estimate the damage last night but
he thought IL would take fully two weeks to
make the necessary repairs
The storm then seemed 10 90 I'D IN the air
passing over Railroad-ave. and descending
in Newark-ave., where it struck the Bi1ou
Theatre The wind apparently entered by
the front windows and passing through the
building. tore out the entire rear wall. except
fifteen feet at the base. The corner OF the
roof sagged down and some Of the timbers fell
TO the stage. tearing great hole in one side OF
it. The house. which has been closed for the
summer. was TO reopen last night. A dress
hearsal was going on at the time. the play
being The Man Who Dared" In one scene two
! lions are used. Some Of the ruins fell on the
cage. and it was feared that the lions would
get loose but the bars proved strong enough
to resist the timbers that fell on it.
Only one casualty occurred. a stage hand re-
Ceiving a severe cut the chin. The man
ager. Mr.. Holmes. who owns the theatre. could
give no estimate of the damage last night. but
said he hoped to have the house ready to re-
oHen in two weeks
From the Bijou the tornado Ieaped to Second
St. where il tore away the steeple and roof OF
ST Mary's Roman Catholic Church. also damag-
ing the walls. In the steepie. which rose forty
feet above the roof of the building. was a bell
weighing 500 pounds The steeple was scat
Z tered over two blocks, and the bell was dropped
in a vacant lot adjoining the rear of the church.
which was to be the site OF a new reetory. The
Rev Henry r. Ter Woert, rector OF the church.
said the edifCe badly damaged that tt
would probably be necessary 10 rebuild H. from
SeCoud-st to the northerly limit Of the city
; further damage was done beyond the stripping
of tin roofs and the prostration of trees. some
. forty more having been uprooted In Hamilton
Park alone while hundreds were overturned in
the streets over which the storm passed
II is believed that the damage wrought VIII
not fall much if any short of 100000. That no
person was injured is due 10 the fact that the
rain which preceded the hurricane had driven
people from the streets. Trolley traffic was In
interfered with because the wires In Montgom-
cry and York SITS were torn down by the trees
that fell across them. The fire alarm and poles
telegraphs were also damaged by the same
cause.
Mount Zion Chapel, of the Faith Cure Church.
on the New York Bay shore, was blown down
and completely destroyed 1t was a frame
structure and cost about $1,000 1t had Only
been used for baptizng services in the last three
years the Rev. Martin ID. HancoX, PASTOR hav-
ing erected a substantial brick edihce at Ocean
and RramhaH aves., where the regular services
are now held.