The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-15
GALE IN RIVER
FORCES CRUISER
ON THE ROCKS
Hurricane Sweeps Hudson
and Hits Riverside Drive
Apartments.
BIG HOUSE UNROOFED
Tons of Debris Blown High
in Air and Crash to Tops
of Buildings.
PARK TREES UPROOTED
Windows Forced In. Chimneys
Knocked Down, but No In
iuries Are Reported.
PARK TREES UPROOTED

Driving out Of the New jersey hills
with cyclonic ferocity an eighty mile
an hour gale dipped down TO the surface
Of the Hudson River late yesterday
afternoon and gripping a French
cruiser as in vice piled her up on the
rocks below Grants Tomb before even
the ships engines could be set in motion.
Further down the river the wind en-
braced an Argentine battleship as she
swung at anchor and tore her loose. The
battleship, however, sat lower In the
water than the Frenchman and her
crew reganed control Of the big vessel
,us; as sae was nosing about for rest
Ing place among the rocks.
Up over the steep slopes of Riverside
Drive swept the hurricane. its centre OF
greatest velocity striking full against
the Riverside Drive wall OF the big seven
story granite structure called the Chatil-
'on Apartments, 214 to 2i7 Riverside
Drive. a heavy metal cornice Tapped
over the top OF the building and the
wind got under it and lifted It upward.
Roof Blown High in Air.
A moment later a section of the
hati,lon's roof that measured 100 by
10 feet had been pried loose. blown
high in the air and fell with the roar
Il a great explosion on the roof of the
s., Louis Apartments. six story build
'ng at 3l9 West Ninety fourth street.
nd on the roof OF another apartment
u'dng at 3oi West Ninety-fourth
sigett
he tenants Of all three Of those build
'-rs and others along Riverside Drive
md the side streets in the path OF the
Gale In those structures windows were
blown into the faces OF men, women
and children who stood looking out
across the Hudson at the spectacular ap-
Troach of the most wonderful storm
coui they ever had seen.
Fortunately the blackness of night
had pre- eded the arrival Of the gale
BY many minutes and the hundreds OF
promenaders usually to be found in the
drive a, that hour had scurried to shell
Ter In Railways and other places where
the tons Of falling debris could not
reach them, 4 search that lasted for
;Hp hours was made by the police re-
serves from the West Tooth street sta
ton but they could not find single
person who had been injured.
Trees Iprooted In Central Park.
Beyond the Drive the force OF the
wind lessened somewhat. or else the
gale uptilted and sought higher level.
Reaching Central and Mount Morris
parks il had lost at least half of its
force and was able only to uproot a
dozen trees. Two of these fell over
the Central Park wall into Fifth av-
erle and twenty or more were torn
up IN Mount Morris Park.
The French cruiser provided an excel
snt target for the gale as 1t whipped
W the river, blowing out of the south
Ne-' Sn rode at anchor with her en-
Ire rev aboard and most of them on
GssN Some time ago she had been ca
'''Nns about the tropics, and for that
reason nal hc'n fitted with an odd ap-
fearing awning arrangement Of canvas
taat stret sned out above the main deck
completely about the ship.
The awning was fastened tightly above
ana neavy ropes pulled 1t SO taut when
'Ney were fastened to the ships deck
taa' her captain recently told OFF,
GERS and men OF an American man Of
war that nothing but a tornado could
"dF the sun protection loose"
me awnings provided an excellent
sr"1ins spot for the wind. which lifted
.e cruiser high enough in the water to
YEAR ner anchor out OF the mud. Her
He'h mad been pointing up stream and
Ne wind whisked that about Just enough
Sci II facing Grant Tomb.
On the Rocks in a Jiny.
Ihen the wind pushed with a mighty
.uice' and the cruiser glided along as the
lHa tugged under the stretch OF avn
"ss on all sides. and within less than
minute and half the wondering crew
'nooard the cruiser heard the rocks graf
ing beneath her hull.
rehtly, almost without even a slight
,oeNhg the cruiser slipped up on the
nocNs and stuck fast. The engines finally
'e me,e set to going, but the cruiser was
ISM. She did not bulge. Boats put
Wv from American vessels to see II the
.h manuing them could help the ap-
'r"ht'y imperilled Frenchmen.
ne Americans boats started up the
'"'r ana the wind caught them. Only
continued on Fourth Page.