The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-01
CITY IS SWEPT BY
A FIERCE GALE
Northeaster Breaks Veloc-
ity Record, Tears Ruins
and Menaces Shipping
CRAFT HUNT SHELTER

II San Francisco were so placed that
the wind would blow continually from
the northeast, the fairest country in
the world would be as desolate as ST.
IBERIA or Labrador" said Professor A.
9. McAdie yesterday as he sat at his
chart in the little brick dome topping
the Merchants Exchange building.
incidentally" continued the Govern
ment weather expert, ''the record for
northeasters was smashed in this city
by this gale, which reached sixty-four
miles an hour. The wind will be brisk
all night and there is no telling when
it will die down.
In December, 1892, according to Pro-
lessor McAdie, the wind blew from the
southeast over San Francisco and the
windgauge registered sixty-six miles
an hour. 1t was blowing at that rate
yesterday from the northeast over
Mount Tamalpais. but at sea, on the
Farallones the wind cups showed thir-
ty-nine miles an hour.
In some parts of the city dead walls
vibrated and fell. Shipping along the
seawan was threatened with disaster.
While there were no disasters, there
were many small mishaps on the water
front, and the shipping on the bay was
kept in great state of agitation until
the raging winds quieted down late in
the afternoon.
The first to suffer from the effects
were the barkentine Cleaner, the
schooner Oregon and the schooner
Louise, which were dashed against the
north seawall and more or less dam
aged and chafed- They were all hauled
out into the bay later, where they
dropped anchor
The pilotboat Oracle drifted from
her mornings and ran afoul of the bark
L'Hermite. which was lying off the Pre-
sidio, and carried away the latter's jib-
boom The steamer Enterprise came
over from Oakland and made a vain en-
deavor to land at her dock at Howard
No. 8. She was towed out into the
stream later.
The Manchuria dragged her anchors
and was drifting toward the Paul Jones,
when the torpedo-boat destroyer got up
steam and put for safety farther I'D the
bay.
The guard of the tug Dauntless was
torn away while she was lying along
side her dock. and the tug Alert's
guard was damaged while the latter
was going to the assistance of the
Enterprise. The scow Dora, which
was lying at Broadway wharf. was
beating against the dock with such
vigor that she was in danger of knock
ing the end of the dock down. She
was hauled up to Hunters Point by the
tug Pilot.
All the small craft lying in the
harbor rushed to safety points early
in the morning.
Thirty-five years of December wealth
er In San Francisco, as studied 10y the
Weather Bureau, has furnished the fol-
lowing averages. which, the bureau
adds, are not to be taken as a predic
ton for the present month:
The mean temperature for December
for thirty-flve years has been 81 de-
grees. The warmest December was in
1885, when the average was 81, and
the coolest was last year, when the
average was 49 for the month. The
warmest single December day was in
1891, when the mercury climbed to 70.
and In 10 it is on the record that it
fell as low as "a.
The prevailing winds have been
north, and their velocity has averaged
seven miles an hour. while 1T is of
record that on December %, 1892. it
blew from the southeast at rate of
sixty-six miles an hour.