The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-26
Wires Tangled, Poles Razed and
Tents mt the Preside Ruined by
q Storm at San Francisco.
BAY WHIPPED INTO A FURY
SOLDIERS ON TRANSPORTS GIVEN A
STORMY WELCOME HOME.
Hospital Ship SoIace Blown from Her
Anchorage and Made to Reel
Like a Drunken Sailor.

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 We
Ioclty blowing forty-fve miles an hour
in the city, while at Point Reyes it reached
sixty miles at 7:3O o'clock. Ships dragged
their anchors or broke their moorings at
their docks. A fishing boat was capsized.
the telephone and electric wires were
blown down and awnings, shade trees and
fences were wrecked and pedestrians were
greatly inconvenienced. Telegraphic COM
munication with outside world was cut off.
The full force of the storm was felt on
the bay and the bar was so rough that ves-
sells were unable to leave port. North of
the ferries craft of all sorts was tossed
about like eggshells. The violent south
wind stirred the bay into a rolling tenn
pestuous sea, against which anchors were
almost futile. Swell after swell. each ap-
parently heavier than the one preceding.
pounded the vessels from a southerly di-
rection and sent them drifting in danger
Gus proximity to one another, drove them
close TO the piers and TO the islands and
kept the towboats busily engaged in ef-
forts TO prevent disaster.
The transport Solace, with nothing but
800 tons of coal TO keep her down, broke
from her anchorage off Beale street and
careened about the bay like a drunken
sailor She drifted broadside on until a
collision with the government steamer AL
batross seemed imminent but she veered
off i'm the nick of time. The wind and the
swell caused her to drift helplessly, send
ing her finally toward the transport wharf
at Folsom street. The officers of the serv-
ice gathered on the pier. fully expecting
the Solace to crash into the wharf. Fortu-
nately the direction of the swell carried the
transport around until she just cleared the
buffer and swung out into the stream.
The transports Hancock and Rosecrans,
which arrived from Manila last night, re-
mained in the stream. No effort was made
to land their passengers.
The San Francisco lightship. No. 40, To-
Gated seven miles from Point Lobos, parted
her moorings during the height of the
storm and was soon drifting toward the
harbor. which she finally made. AT the
time she went astray. the wind was blow
ing at the rate of seventy miles an hour.
Three three-story houses were blown
down in the Mission district.
DAMAGE AT THE PRESIDIO
The gale as it swept over the Presidio
reservation left in its trail wreck and ruin.
The signal officers of the reservation say
that at one time during the morning the
wind vas blowing al the rate of sixty miles
an hour. Dozens Of tents were wrenched
from their positions and after being carried
high in the air were landed yards away,
where they were afterward gathered up by
the rain-soaked soldiers who had fought SO
hard 10 save them. The majority of the
tents simply collapsed under the pressure
of the wind. TO the soldiers the wreck OF
the tents was a serious affair for the ma
jority OF them had all their possessions un-
der the tents and before they could collect
their belongings they We're thoroughly
soaked by rain.
In the residence portion OF the city
bordering on the military reservation much
damage was done TO high fences and lofty
chimneys
Prof. A. g. McAdie. of the Weather
Bureau. made the following statement: AT
D a m. the pressure at Neah bay was twen-
ty-nine inches which is the lowest record
ed this year The pressure far south as
Roseburg. ore, was 29.l0, thus showing for
over 900 miles along the northern coast a
pressure seldom indicated the baro-
meterfc map At $40 at the Weather
Bureau the barometer read 29.35 inches
Which, reduced TO sea level. gives 2g.5l