Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-26
SEVERE STORM ON PACIFIC
Wind Blowing FOrty-Five Miles an Hour
Does Great Damage,
CRAFT is SWEPT FROM THE nOOUHGs
BuiIdinks in Mission District Are
Blow Down and Soldiers Tents
4 Preside Badly De-
moIished.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 25.-one Of the
heaviest southwest storms that has been
experienced In many years struck this city
this morning. The wind attained great
velocity. blowing forty-hve miles an hour
In the city. while at Point Reyes It reached
sixty miles at 4;S0 o'clock. Ships dragged
their anchors or broke their moorings at
their docks. a fishing Doe was capsiEed.
the telephone and electric wires were down
and awnings, shade trees and fences were
wrecked and pedestrians we're greatly In
convenienced.
Telegraph communication with the out
side world was cut OF. The full force Of
the storm was felt on the bay. which was
30 rough that vessels we're unable to leave
port.
North Of the ferries craft Of all sorts was
tossed about like eggshelis, the violent
south wind stirred the bay into a rolling
tempestuous sea, against which anchors
we're almost futile. Swell after swell, each
apparently heavier than the one preceding,
pounded the vessels from the southerly
direction and sent them drifting in danger
Gus proximity to one another, driving them
close to the piers and to the plans and kept
prevent disaster.
Collision Barely Averted.
The transport solace, with nothing but
300 tons Of coal to keep IL down, broke from
its anchorage off Beale street and careened
about the bay like a drunken sailor. II
drlfted broadside- on until a collision with
the government steamer Albatross seemed
imminent. but It veered OF In the nick Of
time. The wind and the swell caused It tc
drift helplessly, sending 1t finally toward
the transport wharf at Folsom street. The
officers OF the service gathered on the pier
fully expecting Solaoe to crash Into the
wharf. Fortunately, the direction Of tbs
swell carried the transport around until
It just cleared the buffer and swung out int
the stream.
The transports Hancock and RosecranE
which arrived from Manila last night, 70.
NAMED in the stream. No effort was mad,
to land their passengers. San francisco
light ship No. 20, located seven miles frou
Point Lobos, parted its moorings DURING
the height of the storm and was soon drift,
ing toward the harbor, which It finally
made. At the time 1t went astray the wint
was blowing down at the rate Of seventy
miles an hour.
Leave Wreck and Ruin I'm Trail.
Three three-story houses were blow
down in the mission district. The gale al
1t swept over the Preside reservation lef
In It's trail wreck and ruin.
The signal officers Of the reservation So,
that at one time during the morning thu
wind was blowing at the rate OF sixty mile
an hour. Dozens Of tents we're wrenchet
from their positions and after having beef
carried high in the air, we're landed yard
away, where they were afterward gatheret
up by the rain-soaked soldiers, who hat
fought 30 hard to save them. The majorit.
of the tents collapsed under the pressur'
of the wind. To the soldiers the wreck o
the tents was a serious affair, for the ma
jority of them had all their possession
under the tents and before they could col
iect their belongings they were. thoroughly
soaked by rain,,,,
In the residence portion OF the city bord
ering on the military reservation mucl
damage was done to high fences and loft,
chimneys.
weather Mans Statement.
Prof. A. @. McAgie Of the weather bureau
made the following statement:
At 8 q. m. the pressure at Neah bay wa
20 inches, which Is the lowest recorded Thu
year. The pressure as far south as Rose
burg, Ore., was 29.lO, thus Owl 10
over 400 miles along the northern coast