The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-28
SWEPT BY A GALE
SAVANNAH IN THE CENTER OF A
VIOLENT STORM.
EXTENDED ALL ALONG COAST
ELECTRIC WIRES BLOWN DOWN
AND THE CITY IN DARKNESS.

little Damage Done Though Many
People Spent Anxious Night.
Weather Bureau Besicged With
Inquiries All the Afternoon and
Morning News Until Early This
MOrning-PrecautiO Taken by
Shippiug-StOrm Expected TO Pass
by Noon TO-day-High Wind Reg
istered at Atlanta-Wires Down
both North and south of Savan-
nah.
A gale which reached a velocity of
thirty-two miles an hour up to s
o'clock struck Savannah yesterday A
high wind blew all the afternoon. but
it did not reach it's hight until in the
night, and even then the Weather Blu
reau predicted a higher velocity to-
day. Electric wires were blown down,
in all directions, the street car SER
vice was broken into; the light wires
were broken, and for awhile the city
was in darkness. The telegraph lines
were down North and South. The
shipping in the harbor was tied
into the slips for safety. No infor-
nation was received from Tybee after
8 o'clock, but early in the night the
wind had reached a velocity of 45
miles an hour. So far as known, how
ever, little damage has been done.
At 10 o'clock in the morning
storm warnings were displayed all
along the coast from Key West to New
York. These together with their early
verification in the increasing winds
had the effect of preventing many yes
sells from going to sea- On those
moored to wharfs extra precautions
ware taken in the way of additional
cables and in some cases anchors were
prepared for an emergency.
1t is believed that the wind reached
dangerous velocity all along the
coast north and south of Savannah
early this morning. After 1880
O'Clock very little telegraph
news was received over the
Associated Press wires.
In the city there was much anxiety.
So pronounced was the fear that the
gale might develop into a destructive
hurricane that the Weather Rureau
was kept busy all the afternoon am
swering telephone calls and even I'M
til an early hour this morning the
Morning News telephones were kept
busy with inquiries.
TIE storm to which the high winds
are attributable struck the Pacific
coast at Washington, Tuesday, crossed
the rockies and was central in Mon
tana the following morning, then
changing it's course reached Missouri
yesterday morning. Last night it was
central near st. Louis, was moving in
a southeasterly direction, and is ex-
pected to pass over Georgia to-day
about noon.
The sorm is peculiar in that since
it made its appearance it has main
tanned the same acknowledgements
pressure-which is the lowest of any
storm this winter. Also it has been
accompanied by high winds which have
prevailed over the Rocky Mountain
plateau. through the Southwest and
along the Central Gulf coast.
The high winds registered and re-
ported up to o'clock last night were,
Memphis, As miles an hour; Mobile,
46 Corpus Christi, AZ; Atlanta and
Dodge City. 40; Jupiter, So; Savannah.
80. and Palestine, 80. In Montgomery
there was the exceptionally heavy
rainfall of 4.0S inches, and at Atlanta
a fall of S.04 inches.
The forecast for to-day is for prob
able rain. o-morrow it is predicted
will be fair; brisk to high south winds
may be expected on the coast, becom-
ing southwest