The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-09-17

csone not more than 100 miles I'm diameter
startled the weather prophets yesterday
morning by dancing in from the sea
across New Jersey and this section Of
New York. II was the fercest twister
for it's inches for long time that has
tumbled waters. uprooted trees. unroofed
buildings. drived steam craft ashore and
smashed window glass hereabous.
1t was born somewhere at sea south
east OF New Jersey II travelled on its
own track with unusual speed. and its
rotary velocity varied from 80 to 20 miles
an hour. The thermometer of Local
Fcrecaster Emery showed that for the
20 minutes ending at HAS o'clock there
was an easterly gale nuctuating between
II and 63 miles In the open sea the
force of the blast was higher.
The White Star steamer Oceanic, in
from Liverpool and Queenstown. was
nearing Fire Island when the little giant
.wirler hit her. She is the third biggest
liner In the world. but her commander
decided 10 lay her 10 a couple OF hours
and let the great blow go by. She had
had tempestuous trip. but the wind-up
beat all the other weather put together
She began her voyage in a mighty blow.
which forced her 10 bring her Queens
town pilot, John Whalen, 10 this port
"a he could not leave her in the tall
combers
The center OF the storm passed over
this city about I o'clock yesterday after
noon. The wind. which within 2lh hours
had shifted from east 10 southeast, whirl-
Cd into the southwest and west, making
lee shores OF weather shores, and vice
versa. and having already slammed
dozens OF htle anchor craft against the
Staten Island shore began slamming
dozens of them on the shores OF Grave
send Bay The barometer which had
fallen nearly an inch In the forenoon
oounded up again with phenomenal
swiftness.
At $50 O'Clock in the Afternoon when
the wind had faded to zephyr. a
double rainbow appeared in the eastern
edged clouds. The cyclone had gone
north.
COMMUNICATIONS CUT OFF.
Tclegraphic communication between
this city and the West and TO Connecti-
ct and Massachusetts was badly Grip
pleo. The worse damage was along the
Nov Jersey coast, where the poles were
blown down. Lines running through
Philadelphia to Chicago and other popu-
lous centres OF the West were broken
In r'apy places by falling trees But as
the repairs were merely neceseitated the
Jo'nibg or wres or the stringing OF new
one between poles IL required only few
hours to make good the damage
Lines running to Boston and TO the
towns OF Connecticut. as well as along
the Hudson river as far north as Pough-
ke eapsie. were either blown down or part
ed by falling trees.
The telephone people announced last
night that the wires to Long Branch.
Asbury Park and all places in Mon
n III
ccnnections could be made Atlantic CITY
and points south OF the Jersey coast could
Zrot Re reached at all. Calls for places In
Connecticut and east az far as Boston
were being refused. One wire was work.
Ing TO Boston by n roundabout way. on
which the service was so poor as 10 rem
der II practically useless.
Communica ton with Philadelnhia
FONTS west and places up the state was
AL right, II was said
AT FLAT IRON BUILDING.
Tho Flat Iron building weathered the
tsol IN In great shape today. great
deal OF fctioh has got into print about
this ssvscraper. but the hardest roast
~ ever got came yesterday from an even
Ing paper, which solemnly said that the
{ torn had broken every window I'm the
h"iding and that the tenants were NOV
Ing out The manufacturers Of glass will
no doubt be panied 10 hear that the first
part OF the yarn is untrue. So is the
second part.
The actual damage done was the break
ing OF two plate glass windows. eight
ordnary window panes and four fan
lights. The fan lights were In the IN
terror and were broken by back draughts.
The two plate glass Nndows were on the
ground floor IN the hnoss" The nose
gets the brunt OF every windstoTm and
the windows In IL have been broken sew
eral times.
This nose. or sidewalk projection. is
part Of the space occupied by a cigar
company. There are three plate glass
windows on each side. Two OF the Fifth
avenue windows were broken. Two OF the
widow panes that were broken were on
the Twenty second street side of the
building and the other six on Broadway.
A good many people went 10 look at
the Flat Iron building yesterday because
the newspapers had reported that large
stone had fallen from the 10Th floor at
Ii:30 a. m. What fell was n piece ~
I terra Gotta weighing about lb0 pounds.
and II dented the asphalt In Fifth avenue
where IL struck.
While there was 80 little doing In the
Il Flat Iron building during the storm there
was al sorts Of trouble outside the build
| iug The policemen at the crossing say
i the wind never blew 90 hard before. Not
only were men. women and children lifted
. from their feet. but wagons were over
turned and horses thrown
SAVED THE RELIANCE.
In this borough and In Brooklyn church
steeples were marks for the windstorm
That Of the St Bartholomews churci at
[Forty-fourth street and Madison avenue
| was so much shaken that the Rev. Dr
David H. Greer. the pastor. notified the
building department
An emergency Inspector was sent
around and two workmen went up into
the steepie. They reported that the ma
| sonry and ironwork was I'm bad condition.
Policemen were detailed 10 keep passers-
. by out Of the danger zone. The top OF
the steeple is about 800 feet above the
| ground
The cup defenders Reliance and Column
| bia. which. with the Constitution are
hauled out at City Island had close calls
| From serious injury during the storm
koday. The Columbia was saved only
~ g.