Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-17

1
done yesterday afternoon about $50
, O'Clock in one of the worst storms
| In this section since that of Saturday
| afternoon. July IA. 1917. when the
Bnei Zion Institute. formerly the
| First Baptist church in Fayette
| street, was wrecked and other dam
| age done in that section of the city.
| The wind blowing at the rate of 100
miles an hour came out of the north
| west and swept across Staten Island
| sound and with cyclonic effect spent
| Its fury on the lower section of Tot
| tenville.
Wilbur Gray, twenty-five years old.
| of $50 Elliott avenue, Tottenville,
| son of George w. Gray, of the Gray
| Marine Railway. who with his broth
| err Archie Gray, were In the power
boat Era, owned by the latter, off the
Lehigh Valley docks when the storm
broke.
The powerboat had a barge in tow
and was headed for the docks. The
wind struck the craft. which was
thirty-slx feet long. and turned 1t
over on its side. filling the cabin half
full of water. Not wanting to be
caught In the cabin, Wilbur leaped
overheard and was drowned. His
brother Archie was unable to save
him. Wilbur, who had been in the
navy for two years. was a good SWIM
mer and IL Is believed that he be-
came entangled in rope over the
stern of the boat. He was on the u.
S. Aroostock that laid mines in the
North Sea and was a member of the
crew that greeted Lieutenant Com
mander Reed after his flight across
the Atlantic in London. Two other
of his brothers, Charles and Alfred
Gray, were also I'm the navy.
The gale swept path up Main
street Tottenville leveling the former
pavilion used as a fight club two
years ago, and taking the roof off OF
the big West End hotel, together with
the chimneys and strew the bricks
and timberS over an area of two
blocks Tin roofs We're torn from sew
eral buildings. There is hardly a
chimney in the lower part of Main
street that is left standing. The side
Of the Hotel Brunswick, kept by Pat
rick Harding looks as If 1t had been
bombarded with shrapnel. This was
done by the bricks flying through the
air from the West End hotel on the
opposite side of the street.
Pieces of timber were carried
blocks away and driven into the side
of two frame structures The timber
pierced the walls and did damage to
the interior of both. Trees, telephone
and electric light wires were carried
down by the storm.
Several people had narrow escapes
from the flying debris as It was carried
along. Dennis Burns. residing in the
former hotel adjoining the large pavil-
ion that was blown down was going
into his back door when a piece of
timber passed over his head and land
ed against the next building. A two
story structure In the rear of his
home that he had been in a few min
utes before was blown down.
The wind seemed to have taken
circular course and turned into Amboy
road where it blew down a number
of trees. The railroad station 1T At
lantic near Tottenville was blown
down and carried about one hundred
feet into the field nearby. The for
mer Bentley Yacht Club house and
the Tottenville Hygeia Ice Company.
owned by Mayor Frank Dorsey and
Floyd Decker of Rossville, adjoining
were badly damaged.
A three masted schooner that had |
left this city shore time before the |
storm broke was caught in Raritan |
Bay and every one of its sails torn
in ribbons. 1t had to be towed back
here.
The storm hit the northern part of
the city and did damage in the vicin-
ity of the Lehigh Valley docks where
roof of a power house was blown Off
and five smoke estacks were razed.
When the first signs of the storm were
came black and then could be seen
the wind driving the clouds before it
with q cloud as if it was a trail of
smoke in it's wake. Then came the
heavy crashes of thunder and light
ming accompanied by deluge of rain
and hail.
A portion of the roof over the rail-
road platform at the TOttenville term
inal was blown off and telegraph pole
was knocked over. Tottenville was
in darkness last night because of the
electric wires beng down and many
telephones were put out OF commlS-
sion. The police and firemcn helped |
to clear the wreckage last night. The |
men from the telephone company,
Richmond Light and Railroad Com |
pany that supplies the light and the
fire departm repair gang were on
the job last night. They expect to
have everything in shape tonight:
Searchers were out last night ana
again this morning in power boats
in an attempt to secure the body of
young Gray, who was drowned.
Shortly after the storm had sub
sided a report was received at police
headquarters that several of the large
advertising signs on Amboy avenue,
near the Spa Spring turn. had been
blown down and that their presence
on the road was likely to result in a
serious accidept
Sergeant Jol Il Morris assigned Of
fcer William Buchan to investigate
and have tke distractions moved. The
officer told Alderman Benjamin A.
Riedy of the conditions and armed
with axes and lanterns they secured
the assistance of two or three other
men and weS.Y to the spot. There At |
was leorned that one automobile had
already crashed into the wreckase,
damaging the car but not injuring |
the occupants.
Further accidents were aVerted by |
the use of lanterns placed there by |
the men while they worked at clear |
ing away the wreckage. Some of the |,