The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-13
A FIERCE STORM
Trees and Houses Fall
Before the Wind.
Greater Damage is Reported From
Auburn and and Garner But
No Definate News Obtain
able.

Raleigh and all this section was Wis
tied yesterday afternoon with the
fercest storm in the history of the old
est inhabitants.
Fortunately this was of BRIEF dura-
ton and no great damage is as yet
known of. though reports today from
the country may tell of these.
Reports were current last night ana
Yesterday afternoon of great destruc :
lion at Garner and Auburn, but as
both telephone and telegraph lines
were out of fix because of the storm,
no definite information as to the de-
struction there was obtainable.
The storm began here about half al
ter three O'Clock. In the west heavy
cloud arose. grew blacker and blacker,
swept over the entire heavens, and was
so heavy as to require lights In
houses and stores. Just before the
storm reached here the clouds showed
a greenish tinge and were lit up by
frequent flashes of lightning.
A fierce and rushing wind came be-
fore the rain. The streets were per-
feet whirls of dust. Awnings, were
thrown into the air and signs swung
To and fro. In the midst of this, while
the lightning flashed, the rain came in
a perfect deluge. So strong and fierce
was this that even the hackmen at the
depot left their stands and drove to
the stables to escape the storm.
Only one accident to a person is
thus far learned of, this being the in
juries received by a colored woman
the wife of Rufus Kicks, who lives
about a mile from Raleigh on the Hol-
leman road. Part of the house was
blown down, and the falling timbers
struck the woman on the head Her
husband. who works for one of the
laundries here. brought her to DR..
Knox and when her injuries were
looked after the couple went back to
their home.
The feed barn of Mr.. James Rob-
bins. some distance in the country is
reported as being totally destroyed.
as is also a small house near the col
ored Deaf and Dumb Institution. In
the city chimney at the residence of
Capt. 7. V. Bunch CT South Harring-
ton street was blown down
There was much damage to the trees
in Raleigh. Thousands of limbs and
branches were torn off and the entire
tops of hundreds of trees We're broken
off. 1t is estimated that upwards of
fifty trees, elms and oaks, were blown
down in the city.
OF these about a dozen went down
at st. Mary's. three or four in Oak
wood cemetery, one big oak in the
Centennial school yard, one in Mr. B.
r. MontagueS front yard. A big elm
was torn up by it's roots on Blount
street near Pogue's tobacco factory
and this fell on the fence, crushing 1t
a big shade tree fell on the porch of
Mr.. Hunt, on South West street, break
ing out some panes of glass in the sec
end story. Another big tree was torn
up on Mcdowell street, just beyond
the Park Hotel, this falling across the
fEt1fa aN . TN11to Al
Waldorf House We're IN the force of
the storm, but only one was broken
off. Three trees in Capitol square
were badly broken and squirrel was
killed. On Hiilsboro greet near Mr.
Garland Jones, a big elm was blown
down. There are only a few of the
trees uprOoter IN the city.
The Southern train, due at $3.50
was late, and the passengers report that
the storm as very fierce between Au-
burn and Garner The wind is said
to have cut down fruit trees, pine
trees, oaks and others as if they were
twigs The wind is said to have hit
these straight and to have beaten them
down in immense numbers The engi-
neer ran his train very slowly while
in the storm, and through the windows
the passengers saw hundreds of trees
torn up.
Information last night was that at
Auburn the top of the depot is blown
off. From Garner it is reported that
tree crushed in the home of MI.
Harvey BagWell. A party of young
men drove there, late yesterday after
noon and their repc-t is that the storm
was worse about Raleigh than 1T Car
ner.
The telegraph and telephone com
paGSs suffered greatly. For the Bell
Telephone Company between $50 and
300 telephones in Raleigh were rem
dered useless and all the long distane
lines. The Interstate and Raleigh
likewise suffered, but it is hoped to
remedy the local troubles by tonight
longer time being required on the long
distance lines. In such bearful
storm 1T is wonderful that
there are no casualties to report AT
one time it seemed as if a tornado
or a cyclone was on the city. In
coming passengers from the east say
their experience between Auburn and
Garner was terrifying, while between
here and Durham there was also
flerce storm. Up the Seaboard there
does not seem to have been so much
damage.
The Western Union wires to the
east were put out of order, and only
Norfolk and Richmond were open.
The Postal Telegraph Company was
also affected and its wires Were put
out of working order. Poles are re-
ported as down in all directions. In
the city electric light, telephone and
telegraph wires were down, and the
llghts on, the street could not be used
last night. Many private houses and
stores were in darkness, and for a
time candles were used in the dining
room at the Marlborough House.
Card Party