rivers and presents a rather sharp point to the incoming tide. A 

 widening of the point might well cause a backing-up of water in 

 the low streets behind the Battery sea wail. 



Damage to the Museum 



It is a pleasure to report that the Museum suffered compara- 

 tively little damage from the hurricane. The large semi-circular 

 window over the entrance and a number of east windows were 

 blown in and admitted the wind to the main hall, where the pres- 

 sure lifted three-quarters of the skylights out. One of these fell 

 inside and broke the top and back Ughts of the Elk Case. It is 

 remarkable that no other cases were injured, but the loss of even 

 one of the large cases so recently installed is discouraging at a 

 time when the need for rapid progress in installation is so urgent. 

 The roof was cut in many places by broken glass from the sky- 

 lights and will require extensive repairs. Minor damages in- 

 cluded the loss of awnings and the destruction of many of the 

 shrubs about the grounds. 



Effect on Trees and Gardens 



A most conspicuous result of the hurricane was the destruction 

 of trees throughout the city. The park commission estimates 

 that about forty per cent of the street trees fell during the storm 

 and that a number now standing will probably have to be removed. 



The morning after the storm the streets of the city were lit- 

 erally blocked with fallen trees. By strenuous efforts the park 

 department succeeded in clearing the main thoroughfares so that 

 traffic was obstructed for a day or two only, but many of the 

 streets were impassable for over a week and it was several weeks 

 before the debris could be removed, even with the entire street 

 force working nights as well as days. It is no exaggeration to 

 say that there was scarcely a large tree in the city but lost some 

 branch or bough and every tree sacrificed its leaves. The ever- 

 green trees, as the live oak and cherry-laurel (mock orange), at 

 first appeared to have escaped, but their leaves also turned brown 



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