New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-17
CYCLONE BRINGS DEATH.
SWEEPS HARLEM V4LLEY.
Houses Blogn DoUn at Chappaqua
Bury Victims.

One Of she worst storms that has ever struck
Northern Westchester County occurred at about
4:3O p. yesterday, causing one death. many
injuries and great damage. Telephone and tele-
graph poles were strewn all along the line of the
Harlem Railroad north of Kensico Station. AT
Pleasantville. ChappaQua and Bedford hailstones
fell like bullets. Many persons declare that at
half in diameter.
The worst damage was at Chappaqua, town
OF l,SN inha bitants. The cyclone struck the
town at just O'clock In Chappa quasi. which
Is the principal street of the village. il demol-
ished five houses Three of them were complete
ly torn apart. In one of the houses Mrs.
Anna Washburn, Of Philadelphia who a
guest of her daughter. She alone in her
room when the cyclone struck the house, and
was found beneath the debris after the cyclone.
Mrs. Esther Cox, who was in the house ad-
Joining that occupied by Mrs. WashbuIn, was
taken from the ruins unconscious She had sew
eral ribs broken, and suffered severely from
internal injuries that her recovery was doubtful.
Miss Matte Morrow. daughter of Robert
Morrow, was in her fathers house wnen ii was
blown down. She was rescued by a party of
neiGhbors. but had two ribs broken by falling
timbers She is also internally injured and
may die
Cyrus Dodge farmer, who was another of
the injured. rushed out to attend to his cattle
when he saw the storm coming. AS he re-
turning from the barn to the house large
apple tree fell him and pinned him to the
ground He remained under the tree until the
storm blew over. when his son James heard his
cries for help and went his assistance. The
son was unable to remove the tree. and had to
get an axe to cut it away. Mr. Dodge is suffer-
ing from internal injuries.
The first indication of the cyclone was big
black cloud, which was first noticed by the resi-
dents Of Chappaqua shortly after O'Clock. 1t
hung over the place like parachute and finally
burst. A minute after the cloud burst the town
in complete darkness. and a terrific wind
began to blow. while the rain and hail fell in
torrents. The residents became terrified and
rushed to their cellars and other places of ref
uge. Many of the women tainted. The people Of
Mount Kisco, five miles away. thought that
Chappaqua had been wiped out and scores of
them drove to the scene of the disaster
All OF the houses that were blown down were
two and half story frame buildings Mrs
Washburn's house. which stood opposite the old
Quaker meeting place the first to fall. 1t
was lifted from It's foundation and turned COM
pletely over.
A few moments later greater crash followed
when the houses OF Walter Sarles a carpenter:
Warren Tompkins farmer; Mrs. Hester Coxs
and Robert Morrow all fell down. Mr.. Sarles 8
wira and children away at the time and
he was IN the house alone. He felt the house
going over. and saved his life by jumping
through window. The house is complete
wreck
After the storm had partly abated the fire de-
partment turned out. and. with the assistance
Of many summer boarders formed a rescuing
party. Drs. Mills. Hatch Champlain. Sazel and
Cox Joined the party. and did good work caring
for the injured. The rescuers drove from place
to place and assisted the injured and helped
farmers to gather their frightened cattle.
After spending its main force at Chappaque.
the cyclone visited Kensco Cemetery where it
destroyed several hothouses and took the flow
and plants out by the roots. The cyclone
also destroyed several farm houses at Union
Vile and then went down the Bronx Valley TO
Kensico Lake. where II seemed TO lose its force.
The tail end of the storm was caught at White
Plains. where II uprooted trees and did other
damage comparatively slight.
George Hunt. the postmaster at Chappaqua,
said
II the worst thing ever witnessed in my
life. 1t seemed though a man had come down
the Chappaqua Mountain with a scythe and
moved down everything in sight in the Harlem
Valley each side.
Last night the hremen of the village formed
n vigilant committee and patrolled the streets
and guarded the houses which blew down. A
conservative estimate places the loss of property
and crops at 100000 This 1t Is believed will
in.