The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-23
DAMAGE IS HEAVY
ALL OVER THE CITY
Thousands of Trees Are
Blown Down and
Ruined.
CITIZENS PASS THROUGH
4 NIGHT OF TERROR
Telephone and Electric System
Frustrated, and City
Is Isolated.

1.-The most destructive ana danger"
Gus wind in the history of Salt Lake.
This is the designation given by plon-
Ger Citizens to the great storm OF Sat
urday night and Sunday; and no one
who attempted to battle against the
force Of its elemental fury will be m
chned to dispute that statement.
Everywhere throughout the city the
damage Is great, IN many cases OF
nature not to be easily or quickly estl-
mated. Morning dawned, gloomy and
gray, with the tempest still raging
nercely, yet not so intense III its STEADY
violence as it was during the hours
from 3 to . o'clock, when the wlnd
reached q velocity of 60 miles an hour,
Men. women and children, who, had
lair awake all night in terror of the
immediate destruction or thelr homes'
looked out rs daylight came upon
scene of indescribable ruin and deyas.
tntion. Hundreds of the largest and
finest OF the beautiful trees that limo
the broad streets had been uprooteq
bodily, OF splintered by the force OF
the tempest. Numerous houses were un'
rooted, scores of barns torn into kndl"
ing wood, few wooden fences were lett
standing, ornamental shrubbery was
practically annihilated, the wires OF the
telephone and electric system were
complete wreck.
Caught in the Storm.
To realize lust how awful was the
force with which the demon of the
wind made sport Of the ordinarily
stable structures, one must have fought
it personally. as many Of the night
shift of the city's newspaper mon
did, as they made their way TO their
homes after night of work that kept
one IN suspense because OF the con
slant shutting of OF the electric light
and power,
Two of these night lsborers {tarted
10 their homes on the East sidGa few
minutes past clock Sunday morning.
While not then at its very worst, the
wind had velocity approximating 45
miles per hour. The streets were de-
serted, save for mufled-up policeman,
now and then TO be seen sheltered III
some aarkened stairway.
IT was difficult to say where was the
safest place to walk; no place was safe,
some might be considered less danger
GUS than others. On the sidewalk one
had TO dodge, IN the business portion
OF the city, flying signs, torn from their
moorings by the terrible force of the
wind, bits OF plate glass windows
smashed TO bits with crash like the
rattle of musketry and run the risk
of being struck down by falling brick
or stone driven from the top of a four
story structure by the tempest, that
would have crushed one s skull Ike an
egg shell,
Danger Everywhere.
Then out in the middle of the street
there we're other dangers that were
even greater 10 life, for there were cleo
tric light and trolley wires that were
momentarily breaking under the strain,
charged with the fluid that would have
instantly killed any person with whom
it came in contact.
Then turning down State street the
night men who were struggling TO got
home that their wives might not be
kept in suspense, were met by
and clouds Of dirt, that would have
blinded even an auto driver with the
heaviest Of helmets and goggles. In
the Language Of the noted Happy it
was "sumpin fierce The, pedestrians
skurried from side 10 side of the street,
TRYING ia vain TO preserve their normal
gait Not even rounder with the
required as much OF the street in which
to navigate as did these scribcs.
Four-Hcrse Team Runs Away.
Passing the Knutsford hotel came a
cry Of "Lookout' from behind. and
down the street dashed at top speed a
four~horsc team hitched to dray.
frightened into frenzy by tie furious
battle of the elements and the rattle
and crash OF falling signs and walls.
Going east on Fourth South street,
You reach the treelined portion Of the
thoroughfare. The newspaper men had
veered up rather close to the sidewalk,
seeking the slight shelter of the dense
foliage, when suddenly half dozen
trees fell with crash on both sides
Of them. Then peted by flying
the street once more. preferring 10
take their chances with ''live'' wire
Street Lights Are Ont.
The arc lights went out, all electric
power being cit of. and for the re-
mainder of the mile and half Jour.
ney home it was truly q battle in the
tempest as best you could and took
your chances on being struck down By
falling tree or flying branch. Your
eyes were blinded both bv the terrific
force OF the storm and the clouds OF
dust and gravel blown from the
streets But YOU got home ot last and
thanked God that your wife and babies
were safe, finding Iarnp burning in
your own homc, and lights we're to be
seen in almost every house on the
street. even the wealfhiest citizensl re.
sorting 10 tallow candles
Understood It's Fury.
When you walked II the storm you
understood It's fury. When Won got IN
nc1t day You began to realize the cx-
tent OF the damage done
Scores of residences on the east side
min, a III =