Evening journal., 1915-01-13

Accompanied by wind that attain 7
ed a velocity of fifty miles an hour
and rain which fell in torrents, the
first real storm of the winter struck
this city and vicinity last night and
early this morning. The storm dam
age will amount to thousands Of dol
lars. Houses were unrOOfed, build
ings wrecked, trees by the hundreds
blown down. fences demolished and
the telephone, telegraph and railroad
companies hard hit by the gale. Traf-
fic was practically suspended and to-
day hundreds of WOrkmen were em-
ployed in repairing the damage done
about the city and suburbs. Nobody
was injured.
The storm also caused much dam
age along the Atlantic seaboard, but
when daylight came the wind had
abated. This allowed property own
ers and others to make examinations
OF the properties, and then the eX-
tent of the storms havoc was seen. The
streets throughout this city today
we're literally covered with debris,
trunks of trees being strewn in many
places, and at intervals a pile of
bricks marked the remains OF
chimney or a portion of a wall that
had been demolished.
The greatest damage reported up
to II o'clock from this section was
the destruction of the two two-story
brick structures used by Samuel Zutz
a tailor, and the Delaware Auto Radi.
ator and Repairing Company, on
Tatnan street between Delaware
avenue and Hamilton street. These
two buildings extend against the Ave
nuc theatre. which was destroyed bl
fire several weeks ago.
While the storm was at its height, a
ll.30 o'clock last night, the theatre wa
extending along 1atnall street wa
blown outward and the mass OF brick
fell on the small buildings below. Bot
structures were stored with material
the Zutz establishment being we
stocked with clothing and cloth, lhei
wera practically destroyed the bricl
and mortar from the theatre wall en-
ting the material and otherwise damaI
ing it. The Auto Radiator Company
building was filed with radiators al
other automobile equipment and the
were destroyed. Efforts made today
secure an estimate of the amount
damage done the buildings and q
contents failed, the owners not havii
started to clear away the debris. III
radiator company has taken temporal
quarters i'm the Haddock Nixon CARA
and is doing business rs usual.
Steeple Blown OFF.
Shortly before midnight the lar
brick and slate stceple on Bethel
NJ. Church, Sixth and Walnut street
was torn loose by the wind and 4
to the street with crash. Several pc
ple who were passing at the time ID
narrow escapes from injury.
The steepie. fell against the side
the church parsonage occupied by q
Rev. w. H. Hoxter, the pastor, and b
family. None of them was injure
but the steeple tore gaping hole
the side of the residence. The vii
also tore out the large stained gla
windows in the front of the buildir
The pastor of the church conferr
with his trustees this morning. b
It was impossible to state what {
damage would be. The base of
steep,e, which is of brick. is crack
and il will in all probability have
he rebuilt.
Many Narrow Escapes.
Although no cases of injured p
sons we're reported to the police
hospitals many narrow escapes W.
reported and in some instances VIII
families were forced 70 fee from tn
homes.
Two families living in Frer
street narrowly escaped injury, If ]
death. when the gale partially ripI
the roofs off their homes while q
we're sleeping. Harry A. Spoerl
No. 1910, and G. A. Dawson. Of