The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-10-20
CYCLONES
DESTRUCTION
(Contlnued from FIrat Page.l

been sent by n weather observer by
telephone.
The Rev. Loveat Gungoltl noted
weather observer OF Belano College OBJ
seryatory, telephoned to the American
camp at half past 7 o'clock Wednesday
night that cyclone was coming and
would sweep the city within an hour
The officers promptly gave orders to
secure all property, and the soldiers
Jumped TO the work. Exactly at half
past the blast hit the camp, and rows
Of tents went down like paper walls,
the poles flying through the air. The
men, however. had sought refuge In
the barracks, and these resisted the
fury OF the wind.
When the telephone message was re
celyed word was sent 10 the captains OF
the various warshlps, and they pro
ceeded Mt once 10 make all snug and
take every precautlon 10 save ships
and men. As result the Minneapolis
Texas, Denver and Prairie rode out
the gale In safety. but the cruiser
Brooklyn dragged her moorlngs and at
the height OF the hurricane touched
bottom. She was got OF, however. with
no damage.
The cyclone begun In a heavy rain.
which started about o o'clock. The
wind rose rapidly and increased with
great fury until at midnight II was
blowing at the rate OF eighty miles an
hour. The streets OF the city were del
uged. and many Of them took on the
appearance OF rivers, while stores and
cellars were flooded and street cars
were swampeds Great buildings shook.
Windows and doors gave way. and
signs and all superstructures not tight
ly fastened were blown into the streets
and parks.
The noise made by the bowling tenn
pest was intensified by the crushing OF
glass, the ripping sound OF tin and tiles
torn from roofs and the thud OF houses
blown down In the poorer quarters.
II was due TO the falling OF houses
that 80 many fatalities occurred. The
occupants who had sought shelter from
the rain and wind were caught In the
debris. and many of them died before
they could be rescued. II was almost
impossible for anybody TO venture out
to the relief, and little was done In the
rescue line until morning.
Then II was that the full extent OF
the devastation wrought by the furious
cyclone was realized. The beautiful
Prado. that has been the pride of the
city. presented n sad sight. Only six
trees remained standing out OF the
scores that shaded the thoroughfare
between the Malacon and Park Central.
The beautiful vista of the day before
was now a wild path, strewn with
thick underbrush, and the park itself
was stripped OF Its magnificent trees.
The laurels were all uprooted, and only
few stately palms wlthstood the fury
of the blast
The greatest money loss. which is es.
timated at s2,000.000. occurred in the
harbor, where thirty lighters, many
Of them loaded with valuable merchan-
disc, were sunk Nineteen belong to
the Ward line and Others TO Joseph Il.
Gonzales. Two coastlng schooners were
blown ashore, one at the Alalacon and
the other at VIdado. This latter suburb
suffered severely.
Reports of heavy damage from towns
In the Interior of the island are coming
In gradually. II Is said that tle town
Of Matanzas Guanajay has been practi-
cally destroyed, and II Is reported that
there has been much loss of life In
other places where the hurricane was
most severe.
The cyclone struck the island at Or
temesia and swept through Pinar del
Rio. its center passing very near and
little east of the city of Havana. The
city was In darkness all night, but not
crime was reported, as the storm
filed everybody with fear, and they
only thought of self preservation Most
of the damage done by the storm can
be repaired In n short time, but ii will
take years to restore TO their former
beauty the parks and streets where
trees were blown down.