The quiet streets of Woodhaven, Queens, were forever altered by a violent storm that swept in from the south on July 13, 1895. This was no ordinary tempest; it was a force of nature that left an indelible mark on the community. The cyclone’s wrath extended far beyond Woodhaven, reaching as far as Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where one victim perished more than 100 miles away from the storm’s origin.
The storm cell, estimated to span 300 square yards first made landfall at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Elderts Lane. It had already wreaked havoc in Cypress Hills Cemetery where it toppled monuments and uprooted trees and headstones. Eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying sight of a massive, dark cloud, some describing it as funnel-shaped, with an eerie red glow within. The storm’s power was such that it tore trees and chimneys from their foundations, hurling them through the air as if weightless. Several individuals were lifted off their feet and carried through the air, landing blocks away from where they had stood.
The Devastation at P.S. 59
The most severe destruction occurred at the newly constructed two-story brick schoolhouse at the corner of University Place (now 95th Avenue) and Rockaway Road now known as Rockaway Boulevard. P.S. 59 built in 1890 on land purchased from manufacturer Florian Grosjean suffered catastrophic damage. The roof was ripped away, and the upper half of the building collapsed. Fortunately, the storm struck on a Saturday in July, sparing the students and staff who would have been present on a school day.
However, the tragedy did not spare everyone. One block east of the school, at the intersection of 3rd Avenue (now 84th Street) and Rockaway Boulevard16-year-old newlywed Louise Petroquien was seated at her sewing machine when she heard the commotion outside. Glancing out the window, she saw the ominous cloud overhead and rushed outside to warn her mother. Tragically, a large beam torn from the roof of P.S. 59 struck her in the head and neck, killing her instantly. Her mother, returning after the storm had passed, found her daughter’s body beside the steps leading to their home.
The Aftermath and the Forgotten Victim
The storm continued its path south toward Jamaica Bay leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Nearly 150 homes were damaged, with estimates suggesting that between 15 and 30 were destroyed. In the days that followed, more than 100,000 people traveled to Woodhaven on the Long Island Rail Road along Atlantic Avenue to witness the destruction. Residents worked tirelessly to clear away debris, while visitors contributed coins and bills into barrels set up to aid the nearly 300 people who had lost everything.
The Petroquien home became a site of pilgrimage for many visitors. The family allowed people to enter through the same doorway Louise had rushed through moments before her death. Visitors stepped past the spot where she had fallen before entering the parlor to pay their respects as the young bride lay in a rosewood coffin beneath a mound of flowers.
For over a century, accounts of the 1895 storm referred to Louise Petroquien as Woodhaven’s only fatality. However, another victim has been largely forgotten: five-year-old Johnny Kolb. Johnny had been playing near Atlantic Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard when the storm struck. He was later found beneath the rubble with a broken arm and leg and died the following day from his injuries. Both Louise Petroquien and Johnny Kolb were laid to rest in Cypress Hills Cemetery.
A Legacy of Resilience
Today, the intersection of 83rd Street and Rockaway Boulevard now part of Ozone Park shows no signs of the devastation that once occurred there. A new school was built just one year later on the same site where the original building had stood. In the latter part of the twentieth century, the building became well known as a Friendly Frost appliance store.
The events of July 13, 1895 serve as a poignant reminder of nature’s power and the resilience of the human spirit. The storm that ravaged Woodhaven left a legacy of both tragedy and unity, a testament to the community’s strength in the face of adversity.
