The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-04-29
The Great Hailstorm at st. Louis.

The Great Hailstorm at st. Louis.
The St. Louis Democrat gives the following
graphic account Of the terrible storm OF thnn-
der lightning, wind, hail and rain which swept
over that city on the 10th inst
Between three and four O'Clock yesterday
afternoon our city was visited by terrlnc anu
destructive hailstorm. accompanied by high
wind The like of which lives not in the memo
nv Of the Oldest inhabitants. The hailstones
were on an average about the size of marbles,
while many of them were as large as pigeons
crcS. and we heard of a few that were fully as
large as hens eggs. The hail fell thick and
last Tor several minutes, covering the ground
and the fat houSetops, breaking windows and
street amps beyond enumeration. 1t is diff
cult to estimate the damage, but it can hardly
be less than 100000.
THE STORM,
1t was quarter to four when the first hail
stones began TO fall, mingled with heavy
shower of rain. The first stones were smaN
and scattering, but in q minute or TWO they
came down larger and more abundant, striking
the windows and walls at an angle OF ABOUT 10
degrees The wind was blowing very strong
from the west and increased to almost hurTl-
cane. The hail now came down so thick and
in such large globes that the sky was darkened
and the air had milky appearance, as though
the whole milky way had broken loose and
was dropping shot upon the ground.
The shower of ice created loud roaring,
Kissing noise, while the wind howled around the
house tops, slammed shutters wrenched signs
from their fastenings and blew the hailstones
with great violence against the windows. The
fury Of the storm drowned the noise Of the
breaking window panes, but the fragments OF
the glass could be seen falling upon the side
Walks ana mingled with the piles of drifted ice
globes that rolled and bounced and danced
! ;l-o Will hot fro hn of
millions of efn spirits of the air The hail had
ceased in six or eight minutes, but the rain con-
t;nued longer, and gradually died away in
misty shower.
All the hotels, schools and public buildings
indeed private residences as well-that pre-
scented a front to the storm were terrifcally
riddled by hailstones. Upwards OF 800 panes
Of glass were broken in the Everett House
alone. Out of 1872 panes of glass in the
exposed front of the Broadway Hotel only nine
escaped demolition.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
funeral procession of forty carriages was
caught in the storm about mile this side of
Calvary. The horses became frightened and
ran away, and the carriages and buggies were
ianmed together in confusion. Women and
ehildren screamed and tainted, and one lady.
with an infant in her arms, jumped out OF the
carriage window and broke her leg. Several
carriages had the wheels wrenched off and the
occupants were thrown out; but no one except
he lady mentioned was seriously injured. A
colored funeral procession was also stampe-
ded- The horses drawing the hearse ran away,
ana the cOtiined corpse was thrown upon the
ground. Several of the vehicles were broken
down but after the storm subsidized the corpse
was replaced in the hearse and was borne to its
last resting place.
The storm was as hard on men as horses.
Officer kuss, while running after a frightened
teamh, ad a huge haistone strike him on the
top Of his head, and he was sent to grass. A
tealnster on Fifteenth and Market streets was
also struck on the head by chunk of ice as
large as hens egg and was knocked down.
Many persons were struck on the face and
nose and will bear the marks for several days,
On Market street quite number of farmers
teams We're coming and going, and their horses
all ran away and created a scene of the most
lndicrous confusion. One sagacious pair of
horses ran into a store and stubborny refused
to bulge until the storm had passed.
AT East St. Louis most of the lights of the
windows Of the Chicago depot, fronting the
west, were completely broken; also the lights
on the west side of the Sherman House were
destroyed. About three hundred panes of glass
were broken in the National Hotel. Some of
the hailstones measured about five eghths of an
inch in diameter, A man who drove lumber
wagon at the Terre Haute depot was struck
IN the temple by haistone, from the effects of
which ho blod frnn'y Those who o->anAi,od
The horses say that large protuberances were
formed on their bodies by the shower of hail.
On the levee but few windows were broken,
but there We're many drays and wagons injured
more or less by the horses running away. One
of the terryboats had just landed on this side
with several loaded OmnibuSes on board. The
hail came down in such masses that the passen-
gers became alarmed, and ladies and children
Jumped out Of the windows of the cmnibuses,
receiving bruises and scratches. The horses
reared and kicked, and the scene was quite
alarming. Persons who were on steamboats,
describe the noise of the hailstones falling up
on the hurricane decks as absolutely deafening.
1t reminded some of the crew Of the time the
rebel batteries were opened upon the gunboats
at Fort Fisher and Fort Darling.
AS one of the results of the hailstorm here
Yesterday, it is stated on the authority of ply
sicians that over one hundred premature births
occurred last night and to-day, brought on by
the excitement, and in many cases terror caus-
cd by the storm. Nearly every doctor in town
has had more than he could do.