The evening Republican., 1902-08-07
EFFECTS OF
THE STORM.

MlQ.aIGernOOn was prdCtICdliv
turned into night all over the city
for a few minutes yesterday by the
dark, murky clouds that preceded the
storm of rain and heavy winds.
In business houses and public
places the lights were turned on as
at night, and everywhere darkness
lung heavy like thick blanket of
fog, making dangerous street car
and river traffic. Heavy storm clouds
that came out of the west on a slow
wind, which later increased to 32
miles an hour, were SO dense that
persons could not distinguish things
a square distant, and the outlines Of
buildings were perceptible only
short distance away.
The semi darkness lasted from ten
to fifteen minutes, aud coincident
with it was heavy downpour, terrific
wind and an electric bom5lrd.
ment that threw into terror the
throngs on the streets hurrying to
places Of retreat.
The rain, which had been slight
at 3.20 O'Clock, began at 3.3O to
come down in torrents. and at 4 Is
the gauge showed Al Of an inch.
While the wind AMI rain were most
severe the semi-darkness was intense.
For fully thirty minutes the alarm
ing conditions-heavy winds and
sheets of lightning-last
The time of general darkness was
during the greatest downpour and
electrical bombardment. Suddenly
about f. Is. the wind fell to mid
summer calm, the rain ceased and
the city became light again.
With the cessation of the curious
barometric phenomena in this city
the storm passed to the north, leav.
ing disaster 10 fields OF corn and
garden truck in its way.
Phila adelphia. which at 2. 30 O'Clock
was enduring sticky, humid day,
under SS degrees Of heat aud ceres.
ponding great humidity, was at 4.3o
experiencing coolness. Within the
hour of the storm the thermometer
dropped % degrees, registering 66
degrees at 4.30 o'clock. which is the
lowest point the thermometer reach.
ed in the day.
Loaded to the gunwales with
2,750,00 gallons of refined petrole-
um the tank steamer Burgomeister
Petersen is hard and fast in the
mud and another tanker is taking
off her cargo.
The exact cause of the Petersen's
going aground could not be learned
The steamer, which is owned by the
Hamburg branch of the Standard
Oil Company, cleared from Point
Breeze for Hamburg, and Captain
Andrew Thopvich said last night he
did not know what caused the acci-
dent.
The steamer went aground short
ly-before sunrise. 1t is said that,
during tho fury of the storm, the
pilot mistOok the flash of flame from
a blast furnace along the river bank
for a range light, and discovered
his mistake when it was too late.
Another story is to the effect that
her steering gear was disabled by
the storm and the wind blew her on
the mud bank
The Petersen Is lying iu a danger
ous position. Her nose Is deep in the
mud and her stern is swayed by the
ebb flow Of the tide.
At I o'clock yesterday morning the
Standard Oil tugs White Rose and
Insperator reached the stranded ship
but so far have failed to pull her in
to deep water. A tanker was hur.
ried from Point Breeze and the work
Of transferring the big cargo OF oil is
still in progress.
The Petersen is badly strained and
is leaking. The surface Of the river
is covered with refined oil and great
precautions are being taken against
The possibility Of fire. Should fire
break out now the ship would un-
doubtedly be total loss. At 2
o'clock this morning most Of the car
60 had been saved.
The Bri tish tank ste amer Broad.
mayne broke adrift from her moor
ings at the dock at Marcus Hook
during the storm last night and
drfted down the river. The vesseI's
fires were banked and it was help.
less to contend against wind and
tide. Captain Hayne. in comma and
of the Broadmayne, was In Phila-
delphia last night and received news
of his ships danger through one of
the crew, who rowed ashore and
notified him by telephone. lie caught
the first train to Marcus Hook.
The Broadmayne was loaded with
1,275, 900 gallons Of refined petrole.
UNI and was ready to sail on the
outward voy age. 1t cleared yester-
day through her local agent, Alfred
Turner, and was to weigh anchor
on hoodtide to-day, sailing to Dover
for orders. The vessel, angle.
screw tanker, was built at Palmer
& Co. q yards. Newcastle, England.
10 1883. Its length is 334 feet and
its gross register is 3, ,l2O tons. 1t
10 fitted with triple expansion
engines.