New-York tribune., 1901-07-03
SOME RELIEF IN STORM
WIND AND LIGHTNING CAUSE DAMAGE
IN THE SUBURBS.

The storm which brought relief from the
long continued heat in the city broke over the
lower end OF Manhattan Island shortly before :
p. m. 1t had been gathering in the sight of many
thousands for more than hour and it was
welcomed with glad outcries by thousands who
were sent scurTying to shelter when the rain
began to fall heavily. The breeze which had
given warning of the approach of the storm
freshened TO a short lived gale that seemed to
blow life into the painting and jaded multi
tude.
For a time the lightning sharp and al
most incessant. and there were heavy thunder
peals. but almost everybody seemed TO be enjoy
ing the atmospheric disturbance
Excitement was caused in the district west
Of Central Park by a large fire caused by the
lightning. newly completed but unoccuped
apartment house in Ninety-ffth-st, West
End-ave.. was struck. and flames soon demol-
ished the large building. The fire spread to
three other buildings of which damaged
badly, and the high wind carried sparks against
the awnings OF many houses in the neighbor-
hood. creating considerable fright and small
havoc.
The wind hlew d~wn an old tree at Bowling
Green, and the falling trunk smashed the metal
railing Of the little park The railing is a relic
of the Revolutionary times, because at the time
| the British were driven out OF New York the
busts of royalty which adorned the tops of the
main pillars in the railing
CHURCH BURNED IN BROOKLYN
St Agness Church. in Brooklyn, was struck
by lightning and destroyed by fire The.
high wind caused some damage in Brooklyn
North of the city. along the Hudson River
Valley. the gale was of greater force At Haver-
straw it unroofed several houses. blew down
trees and wrecked a large trestIe on which cars
were run from & stone crushing plant 1t had
much of ttc force and appearance of a tornado
at Ossining where 1t swamped and sunk several
yachts. wrecked boathouses tore up trees by
the roots, carried away roofs of several houses
and demolished many windows of Sing Sing
Prison. Two of the prison buildings were un-
rooted, and the prisoners were in a state of
terror for time. The tornado was ACCOMPANIED
by a great downpour of rain
In the harbor of New-York the wind light
ming and thunder caused excitement on many
excursion boats which on their way to or
from watering places near the city. AS the boats
were crowded with passengers. il was fortunate
that no accidents occurred The steamboat Mary
Patten, on her way TO the city from Long
Branch. rode safely through the saual but was
unable 10 make landing at the Battery with
safety and went on to Little TweIfth-st to nm
i3ad her passengers. The Liberty Island boat.
the Bay Ridge. came near being swamped at the
Battery landing, where the seas were running
high, but she got off without damage The iron
steamboat that left Coney Island at 4 80 D. m
ran INTO the storm at the Narrows and she
rocked so badly that the women and children
were sent into the abins for safety. The Grand
republic, with one thousand persons aboard
was hit by the storm off Manhattan Beach and
many passengers lost their head gear cloud of
mats leaving the boat at the first puff
REMARKABLE SCENE AT THE BATTERY.
The scene at the Battery while the storm
ragged was one Of the fercest ever witnessed at
this season Of the year, and old boatmen de-
clared that there never anything Ike il
even in winter time. within their recollection
The waves almost as bad as those en-
countered during Atlantic gales, and the upper
and lower bays were covered with whitecaps
The seas broke against the Battery seawal
with fury, throwing the spray at times nearly
twenty feet into the air.
The two swimming baths at the Battery were
pounded by the until it looked as if
they were TO be carried away. and the bathers
were driven ashore as quickly as possible The
free bath stood the buffeting best and was kept
open for business last evening, but the pay
bath will have to he mended before it can be
used again.