Evening journal., 1903-02-05
MANY PEOPLE HURT
AND HOUSES WRECKED
CONTINUED from First Page.)

righted herself. The immense electric
travelling crane, used in handling heavy
work on the new boats, was a mere
wisp Of straw. The crane is about
fifty feet long, and weighs perhaps
eighteen tons. 1t is ordinarily an
chored at night in some manner but
last night the storm paid not the slight
est attention to that. 1t simply pushed
the crane along its running track for
a distance, it may be, Of forty feet, to
the curved piece designed as a buffer.
These curved pieces run right to the
caves of the mold loft. Not stopping
with the curved up portion. the wind
simply turned the crane over and let
it fall upon the slated and sheathed
roof Of the mold loft. 1t crashed
through the roof, but was caught by
the heavy iron glrders that support
the roof, and did not go any further.
Having played that serious prank
the storm rushed on. 1t made such
great suction over the carshops close
by as to tear most of the doors from
their hinges.
a large section of tin was torn from
the roof of the draughting shop and
blown upon the iron gate at the en-
trance to the yard.
Railroad Property Damaqed.
The interlocking switch tower at the
West Yard Of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company. which controls most OF
the switches in the yard, was blown
down, and now the switches have to
be operated by hand. A three-arm semi
four signal was also crushed by the cy-
clone. Added to the signals put out of
service by the wind, the telephone and
telegraph wires are down, and it is
with great difficulty that the yard work
is carried on south of the city. is no
communication can be had with the
yardmaster's office
The roof was blown from a freight
car on the siding, and was discovered
by a party of railroad men, who hap
| poned to be passing just in time to get
it off before an express train thunder
ed past What would have happened
had the men not found the roof in
time is difficult to determine.
The wind storm did considerable
damage in the vicinity of Ninth and
DUPONT streets. The roofs Of the new
dwellings,, Nos 9O4-6-S-1O DUPONT
street, were blown completely off and
other damage done.
Railroad a Sufferer.
One of the safety gates Of the Penn
| sylvania railroad was wrenched from
it's position like a reed and hurled
against a building with such force thai
it was broken. One of the towers on
the Blumenthal warehouse was badly
damaged, the slate being pulled off one
side. The gateman's box at Front an6
| Orange streets was shifted while the
gateman was inside. but It came dowT
right side up. and he was not injured
| The strength of the tlast was broker
by freight car which stood beside The
box.
1t is said much damage was done il
the storm before it reached this city
Reports to the effect that barns have
been blown down and live stock l0ille'
have been received. In wooded districts
paths have been cut through the trees
showing the track of the storm.
The strength of the cyclone was ex
pended in this city, for little damage ha
been reported outside OF Wilmington
to the northeast. in the direction o
Edge Moor, where the storm made it
exit. The tornado appeared to be of
rolling nature while passing through
here. as in some cases high building
were damaged and low structures al
lowed to stand unharmed, while at othe
, points small buildings were more dam
aged than high ones.
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