Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
BLEW GRAVEL OFF ROAD
STORM YESTERDAY WAS SEVERE
NEAR MONUMENT.

According to the weather bureau it was
not much of a wind storm that Washington
experienced yesterday afternoon. The
breeze as registered at the bureau, was
travelling at the rate of only thirty-fve miles.
But apparently it was a cyclonic disturb
ance, and the center of 1t hit the Wash
ington monument between $3.50 and 4
o'clock. 1t may have been the influence of
the high shaft or 1t may have been Almost
anything else, but the Waterman there says
it was one of the worst blows they have
ever known at this season Of the year. 1t
was of sufficient strength to blow gravel
off the road and hurl 1t with a force almost
like that of gun into the faces OF pedes-
TRANS. Not umbrella was to be seen in
the vicinity of the base Of the shaft after
the first gust. Some which were raised at
the moment promptly sailed away or were
converted into walking sticks. Others that
were not even raised were wrecked as their
owners scurrfed to cover.
One of the licensed Surveys was blown
over as it stood in the lee of the shrubbery,
and small boy who was among the Wis
itors was caught bodily and blown across
the pavement at the foot of the Monument.
There is no telling whether he would have
stopped short of the bureau of engraving
and printing If a bystander had not dragged
the lad into the doorway for protection.
Watchmen Seek Shelter.
Even the watchmen had to get down and
crawl for shelter inside the doorway. The
storm hurled pebbles as large as marbles
inside the entrance till the crowd in wait
ing was compelled to seek shelter inside the
storm doors. There were half hundred
neonIe storm bound at the shaft for half
an hour though scarcely drop of rain fell,
and it was only after the wind had died
down considerably that they managed, by
twos and threes, to get across the open
stretch of ground between the monument
and the 18th street cars
and vicinity last night. and there were
scenes on the street which were sug-
gestive of the first days OF winter. re-
destrians bundled up in overcoat Is an 10
the cool 'northwester," which at times
blew with considerable force, and those
who left home without extra coverings
were seized with sudden chilliness
This condition followed a quick drop In
the temperature which came on the heels
of a breeze that blew up soon after 8
o'clock yesterday afternoon. A sudden
darkness appeared above the northwest
ern horizon, quickly followed by dark
and lowering masses of storm CLOUDS,
which churned angrily. Then came a gust
of wind which turned into gale, ana
then the rain. ,
TT is the clearing-up blow" remarked
veteran weather man as the trees
bowed in the teeth of the wind
These words were prophetic. Tor iolloW-
ing the rain the clouds disappeared and
the stars peeped out from behind the
riffs.
Prof Garriott predicted today and to-
morrow will be clear and cooler. and 1t
| is hoped the same conditions may pre-
vail Tuesday, when the parade of the
Spanish War Veterans is scheduled to
take place.
Squall on the River.
The sudden squall which came up from
| the west about o'clock yesterday after
| noon was the heaviest that has been ex-
| perience1 on the river in several months.
In the harbor the wind made quite a
heavy sea and covered the surface of the
| water with whitecaps. All the larger