Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-04-08

far this year and had not the wind
lnterfered there is no telling just how
high the mercury might have crept.
1t hovered between "A and n de-
grees yesterday afternoon, but when
the wind towards evening started to
increase in velocity 1t became chilly.
All day yesterday there was stiff
breeze blowing and one could not
venture on the street without getting
mouth and eyes full of dust. Shortly
before s o'clock last night the wind
increased and was blowing forty
eight miles an hour according to the
New York Weather Bureau, and
shortly afterward increased to sixty
three miles.
Later the gale decreased slightly
but to the pedestrian it seemed to be
blowing harder than ever. Shutters
we're blown from houses all over the
city and not few chimneys suffered.
Wires were broken and the fire alarm
was affected so that it had to be
overhauled this morning. To those
inside of doors the wind last night
sounded like winters gale, as the
dull whistling sound was in evil
dence.
Statue is Blown Down.
No one in this city was hurt
through the wind, but several people
had narrow escape on Hall avenue
last night shortly after o'clock.
Al, statue which rested in a niche on
tIss third floor of the Musslgbrodt
building at 48 Hall avenue, was dis
lodged by the gale and fell with
crash to the sidewalk. Several per-
hA cNondfncr {t, hA
way were grazed by the statue, which
struck the pavement in front of
them.
Patrolman Calvin at 1:15 O'Clock
this morning discovered a telephone
wire down at Market and King
streets and notified the N. Y. & N. j.
Telephone Company Along shore
there was slight damage by the wind
but, on the whole, this city Jared
much better than surrounding
places. Smith street, last night,
was practically deserted and a num-
Der of storekeepers braced their
windows, fearing that the glass
would be blown out.
Damage on Staten Island.
On Staten Island there were a
number of brush fires and yesterday
afternoon people on this end of the
island did guard duty for fear that
the brush fires would spread and set
fire to their home. The wind chafed
electric light wires against trees
and, the insulation on the wires be-
ing rubbed off, branches were ignit-
ed. A house was burned down at
Richmond and there was a chimney
fire at Kreischerville.
Woods Burned at FOrds.
Forest fires last night did consid-
erable damage to timber land be-
tween Bonhamtown and Fords Cor
ner. In the fires path were
several dwellings and 1t was only
through the vigorous work of many
residents from Fords and vicinity
that the flames were kept from con-
suming them Much of the land
swept by the blaze is part of the
Pfeiffer estate. Lawyer William A.
Spencer and other members of his
family assisted in fighting the fires
with shovels and other implements.
The extreme high wind played
havoc with the flames which travel
ed faster than the fireflghters could
subdue them. The men kept up the
work until nearly midnight, when
they had about exhausted all their
energy but had the fire practically
under control. 1t is not known what
started the fire, except that some
person might have done it to burn
off dead grass and rubbish on his
property. The timber on approx
mately 100 acres of land was con-
sumed. The firefghters numbered
about twenty.
Havoc in New York.
In New York city the tower of the
Pilgrim Congregational church, at
Madison aveniie and 121st street,
was blown down. The tower was 75
feet high and was built twenty-five
years ago. One hundred parishion-
ers who were holding services in the
church were thrown into panic,
but no one was hurt. The brick wall
of the five-story piano factory at 80
East Twenty-second street was
blown down and a three-story frame
house owned by Carl A. Hayes, in
Fort Schuyler road, was demolished !
by the wind. Many signs were blown
from buildings and pedestrians We're
bruised by being blown against
buildings. Between 9:16 and gQ20 |
o'clock last night the wind in Mem.
York blew 72 miles an hour BobbH
Wagner. six years old, OF 526 t54tt7y
street. was blown against troll y