The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-02-29
so mile AN HOUR
GALE STRIKES CITY
Trees Also Broken OF In and
About Capitol Square-Tele-
phone and Telegraph Wires
Suffer, but No Great Inter-
ruption of Service.
RICHMo ND. vA.-speoial.-

RIG HI MON d, Wisconsin,
For noise and bluster and mis-
chievousness, as well as for damage
to property, last nights windstorm-
which, by the way, had not entirely
abated at noon today-was something
long TO be unpleasantly remembered,
IL came bowling up from the un-
known somewhere about o'clock. on
the heels OF drearisome rain, and s.ll
through the dark hours of the night
it's mutations could be heard far and
wide.
Indeed. it produced such ugly
noises and such a great variety OF
sound that many were kept awake.
AT times it seemed, too. as IL the wind
would not play quits until II had
wrenched of the housetops and caused
losses reaching far into the thou
sands.
But the sequel shows that the
blow, after all, was mostly buster.
True, 1t did a great deal harm, but
the damage was not commensurate
with the noise it made.
On the whole, the telephone and
telegraph people hereabouts are pretty
well satisfied with the results. They
expected rather worse than thew got
For example. only 15e phones were
out OF commission in Richmond.
though the long distance wires Jared
Tar worse. They ere nearly all down.
Two lines to Baltimore escaped in
jury, but others proved easy victims.
Inc harm done would have been
infinitely worse had not most of the
city wires been underground. And
the same may be said OF the city no.
lice and fire equipment. Twice the
municipal employees had to be called
out TO repair breaks, but Superintend-
ent Thompson shows no inclination
TO grumble. He has experienced far
more VeXauouS situations in the past
-especlaliy when sleet formed.
Capitol Square Damaged.
The hurricane, IL the blatant storm
may be dignifed by such a name.
wreaked vengeance on many trees In
its path. Nor was IL a respecter of
arboreal age or dignity. Two mag
innocent willow oaks on Bank Street
near the Eleventh Street entrance to
capitol Square, were dragged down
as though they had been mere corn
stalks One fell with a stupendous
crash against the iron fence and tore
down whole section Of II. The iron
palings, which are considerably more
IMAM an inch thick. were, snapped as
though they had been worm-eaten
kinding wood.
venerable alanthus tree near the
ancient. Bell House also bit the dust,
but il was moribund anyhow. and il
Will not be much missed.
Trees in other sections of tho CITY
were laid low and many fell across
sidewalks.
Dozens Of signs were blown down.
and in some neiShborhoods fences,
chicken coops. showcases and other
mercantile properties were given gro
teSque lessons in aviation.
Smashed Store Windows.
The blow" played an ugly prank
on Sydnor x Hundleys magnificent
new furniture store at Seventh and
Grace streets. II smashed three OF
the plate glass windows Jhere-broke
them into smithereens-and elft the
adjustment thrice gaping and ex-
posed, but treated the costly furniture
within with singular consideration.
me damage at Sydnor & HundIey's
VIII amount to only about $3.50
plate glass window on the qround
moor OF the new Ferrandini building.
soon to be occupied by the Globe CLOTH
ing company, also was sna she'd to bits
At times the hurricane seemed bent
increasing up all the theatrical per-
II29rmances in Richmond. The Spring
oDhgato of outside howls which. at
times; almost drowned the voices OF the
With the storm came drop in tenn
Pera,ure. though the freezing point was
barely reached But the wet streets
were quickly dried or and lungs need.
ing stimulating ozone got all they re-
CURED.
sixty Miles an Hour.
The hurricane, when at the maximum,
OF its perversity had a speed that wos., d
put the average auto or locomotive To
"A
OF sixty miles an hour, Suggesting fSs
march OF the Nalkyries and audacious-
~ Shaping in the fact every obstacle
that stood-or attempted to standNin
its path. "
The local Weather Bureau TODAY
cheerfully gave out the BertiIIon
measurements and police record of
the storm. while Chief Werner's office
had many records showing the thumb
prints of the insolent marauder.
Klchmond's -siXty-mile visitor was
porn somewhere in the Lone Star
State day before yesterday. and, hac-
ing ready means of loromotion. cut
a wide swathe. 1t came rip-snorti..
mp the Ohio Valley yesterday and tbr7
split in twain.
one section Haunted itself i'm the
race or Lake Erie ahd the territory
therea bouts. The other scurried over
The Atlantic al Incidentally lashed
me waters of Hampton Roads into a
sllVern foam. 1t was this section of
the bIunterer which came Richmond
ward
Today the wild. robustious Texan is
slapping the Empire State with his
sofnhrero and he has acquired a mo-
mentum Of seVenty-two miles. Rut his
all in all, the storm hasn't done any
great harm. Really, il may be called
a secOnd-class hurricane
This city has had sixty-mile gales
no particlar hospitality has even been
extended them. Last nights visitor
QUICKLY wore out his welcome.
The indications are that the winds
now Skylarking here-they are hut
measly tailenders. of Yesterdays blow
viii entirely. abate by night. Mean
weather and rise in the thermometer
BRADY Tells 0F