The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-04
Houses Rock In Worst
Wind Storm of Many
Years = Trees Uprooted,
Factory Torn Down, Wires
Dismantled.
Keeper Judson of Stratford
Light Says It's the Worst
Blow Within His Expert
ence of 50 Years on Long
Island Sound = Local
Shipping Escapes Serious
Damage.

Old John Frost, Horace Boreas,
King Winter and several assistants
got together last night and bIeN
Bridgeport and the surrounding coun-
try to a young hurricane Before the
storm was over. things had been gen
orally turned topsy-turvy and thous-
ands of dollars worth of damage
done.
-"The worst blow I've seen in thirty
three years service was the opinion
of Theodore Judson, keeper of the
Stratford light. Anyone who was out
agrees with Mr.. Judson, even if his
experience does not go SO far into the
past.
almost at a standstill- Lighthouse
keepers in this vicinity saw no boats,
large or small, in distress, and report
that very few attempted to weather
the storm. One three-masted sctoon-
er rode out the storm just off Pen
field reef light.
lighting service went out of commits
sion temporarily, due to the breaking
of wires by falling poles and trees
Portions of the fire department were
called out to extinguish chimney fires
caused by back draughts due to the
high wind. No serious damage was
done by the fires.
An overcast sky became inky black
late in the afternoon and was follow
ed soon by a few real hope-to-die win
try blasts When the wind got a fair
start, it didn't stop until this morning.
The full fury of the wind was ex-
pended on anything that was not bat
tered down tight. Sky1ights, fences,
trees, poles, bi11boards, roof coverings
and all sorts of debris were picked up
by the breezes and swirled about play
fully.
SO far as the police or hospital stafs
can learn.
At Seaside Park, the wind came
across the Sound at a terrific clip.
their opinions as to its velocity. One
man of huge bulk says it blew 80
m1If neht fn Build hoVE Whose Per6T hnf fn of
frisked from his pate, swears the
wind had a velocity of between 8, 1927
and S,s2S miles an hour Huge limbs
trees, and the keepers house was
swayed by the wind, occupants de-
clare.
Theodore Judson, keeper of the
Stratford light, says he doesn't re-
member a blow like it in his thirty
three years duty. Mr.. Judson went
and he declares it took him half an
hour to get back, such was force of
the wind. He sighted no ships in
distress and has heard no reports of
small boats adrift.
A 2S-foot power boat, belonging to
Charles B. Hart, of MontcIair, N. J.,
a summer resident, was damaged.
The boat had been housed on the
flats near the light for the winter.
An unusually brisk gust of wind pick
ed it up, tossed it around a. few mo-
nentS and then roughly dropped it in
a heap The motor was badly dam
aged and the hull bracked.
At Lordship Manor, several resi-
dents today are trying to locate chick
en- coops thai went awaiting on the
wings of the storm. Half a dozen
hen houses were thrown about care
1esslil5e and owners today are busy
Identifying their property
In the city proper, the worst dam
age was done at the new factory of
the Bridgeport Deoxidfzed Bronze and
Metal company, at South and Iranis-
tan avenues. The new factory was
razed, as told elsewhere in The Far
mer.
Director of Public Works ]. A.
Courtade had men at work all night,
cleaning up the streets where falling
trees and limbs had blocked traffic.
root in Aann street, near the corner of
East Main street. In falling, it pluck
ed the chimney from a house owned
by George B. Clark and threw an
awful scare into the occupants.
A big shade tree went down in Will
liam street, between Barnum avenue
the street for some time. A shade
tree in Warren street, near Prospect
was Hprooted. tearing up a portion of
the sidewalk. The tree fell into a
yard without doing further damage.
house owned by John Cham ber-
lain, at Myrtle avenue and South
avenue, is shy one chimney and the
yard is full of badly smashed bricks,
to tell the story of the winds fury.
Col. T. J. Murphy has a fine shade
tree balanced against his house in
Warren street. A huge limb was
ripped off a tree in front of Holy
Rosary church, in East Washington
avenue, and blocked traffic on the
sidewalk.
The Board of Education had men
busy today repairing the big fence
around the F. w. Hurd property on
Golden Hill, lately acquired as part
of the new High school site. The
fence was thrown into the street. A
billboard at Lexington and Jones ave-
nue. was razed and hurled into the
roadway.
Some pyrotechnics were caused in
the South End when a tree fell in
Park place, tearing down electric
light feed wires. Lights went out of
commission on the circuit and traffic
was dangerous at that point until en-
ployes of the Illuminating company
made hurried repairs
Director COurtade kept his men at
work all day picking up limbs and
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