The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-04
SURBRUG COMPANY
CHIEF SUFFERER
Storm Tears Giant Water Tank
From 85-Foot Steel Tripod and
Hurls 1t Through Roof of Ad-
joining Tobacco Warehouse,
Uncorking $4,000 Gal
Ions of Water.

ed sixty four miles an hour at its high
est, the worst windstOrm recorded by
the local Weather Bureau tore through
Richmond yesterday, wreaking wide
spread ruin. Incomplete reports. gath
cred from police and other sources.
placed the damage in Richmond and
immediate vicinity of $50. 200. Narrow
escapes and minor injuries were re-
ported by the score, but there was no
loss OF life.
The largest single sufferer was the
Surbrug Company. tobacco manufactur-
ers North Twenty second Street. The
Southwestern, blowing AT that time about
fifty miles an hour, hit large water
tank standing in the courtyard of the
plant at 1890 o'clock in the morning.
and sent il crashing from an elevation
Of eighty-fve feet through the roof of
adjoining building. used by the com
pany as a warehouse for storing boxes.
Luckily. the plant was closed for the
holiday vacation, and no employees Were
in the building when the crash came.
Alexander Cameron Jr.. general
manager OF the Surbrug Company.
placed the loss between $1,000 and 81.
600. Most of this represents damage TO
the roof and walls of the warehouse.
The tank, which was valued at $4,000.
is a complete loss. a small amount OF
tobacco was injured when the build
ing was inundated by $4,000 gallons OF
water turned loose by the bursting
tank.
City In Clutch Of storm.
From s o'clock in the morning until
shortly before nightfall. the city gasp
ed in the clutch of the storm. At s:i5
o'clock the gale tore through the streets
at the rate of sixty four miles an hour.
For sixty seconds, a few minutes later,
ii reached seventy miles an hour and
assumed the proportions of cyclone.
During the high rate period. between
S:45 and 10 o'clock. most of the dam
age was done.
In the downtown business districts
the storm all but tied up traffic 1t
tore through the skyscraper canyon of
Main Street and defied man or vehicle
to cross the street. Shortly before
reaching its maximum velocity. at S:45
o'clock, the wind drove in the large
plate glass window of the Kneeland
Shoe Company, e1S East Main Street.
and sent $3.50 worth of glass hurting
to the sidewalk
Two hours later it veered into South
Tenth Street, and picked off a bakers
dozen of window panes from the upper
floors of the new The Times Dispatch
Building, showering the glass in a
crowd gathered to see the pyrotech-
mics. but squad of policemen. sent
down In hurry from headquarters,
chased 1t from the danger zone
Billbosrds. trees and commercial
Signs fell an easy prey. \ sixty-foot
sign from the roof OF 3 Governor
! Street was hurled TO the street like
toy. and the big steel sign over the
plumbing establishment of the Nc
(.~.zrx III
Eighth Street, emerged from the tussls
a nervous wreck.
Lifts Rueser's Roof.
From the top OF Rueger's temporary
! establishment at - North Ninth Street
the storm lifted a heavy room protect
ing the central skylight and shifted
! Il twenty feet TO the north No par
ticular damage resulted, but it regis
tered the lifting power of yesterdays
blow.
Awnings took wings. some OF them
| departing to be seen no more. Two
from the upper floors of the First Ma
tional Bank Building broke from their
mooriugS and rode away on a gust.
/ lodging a block away in Ninth Street
IL all parts OF the city. and particu-
larry in the lower Main Street district.
biilboards were laid low, and in some
distances torn from their supports.
IA tNt ltctQtHtc ana tfs
parks the storm tore up trees aud
shrub berry By the score Practically
40 section Of the city escaped. Sew
eral choice shade trees were reported
down in the West End. AS far as
could be learned last night no single
park suffered heavy damage The
storm exscted tribute from each. but
forebore from laying waste.
Heavy Damage I'm County.
toli Incoming farmers reported wide
spread destruction OF fruit trees and
damage to farm buildings. Details ol
the damage in the country were slow
TO come in. ". 7 Taylor. who lives
on the Williamsburg Turnpike north
east OF the city. reported that the
storm carried away the roofs Of his
barn and siiO. causing a monetary dam
age - $4,000. The blow came AZ the
noon hour. q few minutes after Mr.
TAYLOR had turned sixty head Of cattle
out OF the bara to secure them from
the danger OF a possible collapse. Mr.
Taylor said last night that he car
ried no Insurance
south Richmond provided nesr-fe-
taiitv when the storm lifted a hsH-
completed house and deposited u OF
. carpenter named 7. II. Perkins. In
some manner the carpenter was taken
out uniniurcd. In Two w6ciy-sep7-
ratsd parts o. the city delivery va
CONS turned topry-turvv under to i'm
7srt % the gle. ourying horses and
drivers under TIE debris. bat in Doth
cases men and animals escaped unnurt
ref~Ernyh service u gfsDsiret-
For a short time during thc carly
proercss % The storm tn~ city rss
practically without tcicxrarhic co1-
municatson with the outside world ~
the heizht Of the storm. - s;tS c'clocS.
thirty Western Union wives between
r,rbmosus ara washington were down.