Ottumwa weekly courier., 1876-05-10
TEIlEGR GRAPHIC.
TERRIFIC STORMS.
Disastrous STORMS i'm Chicago
Many Build ings Badly
Damaged.
LeavenwOrth Also Gets a
Blowing UP.
New York Startled Out Of He'd
by an Explosion Of Giant
Powder.
ATornndo n, ChicnSo.

CHICAGO, May 6--About 5 o'clock
this afternoon terrific rain storm,
accompanied by q roaring tornado,
visited this city and did great damage
to property. The storm spent itself
chiefly on the north and south sides.
The west escaped almost uninjurcd.
The wind seemed to come from above
and dropped here and there over the
city some portions which lay i'm its
course,
Among the casualties reported arc
the following:
Michigan Southern depot nnroofcd
and six laborcrs working in the yicin-
ity were more or less hurt, one of
them seriously.
The massive steeple of Grace
Church, l75 feet high, fell, and crash
ing through the roof, penetrated to
the aisle. The choir were practicing
in the church at the time, but were
not injured. The loss to the church.
exclusive of stccple, is estimated at
$1,000.
The spirc of the Wabash Avenue
Methodist Church also broke off and
fell into the adjoining lot.
The tin roof of No. SIT Wabash
Avenue was carried of, and the
building left defenselcss against the
storm.
The upper portion of the roof of
the old County Hospital was carried
away, and the chimncys falling on
the lower portions caused much in
jury to the building. The patients
were speedily removed and none se-
riously hurt. The wind took off q
large portion of Osbor,e's harvesting
machine mandatory and sixty feet
Of the west wall fell in inflicting 9th
er damage to tho amount of about
5000.
| The house of Henry w. King was
unroofed and damaged badly.
The omnibus barn. on Blue Island
Avenue, near Twenty-Second Street
was blown down.
4 A three story frame house, corner
of Paulina and Twenty-second streets
was blown down and one boy killed.
Besides this, several tenants were in
iured and some limbs broken.
AT :l5 the massive fog bell at the
crib, together with the newly erected
tower, was swept into the lake and
entirely destroyed. The loss will
probably be over 5000.
ATrees, lamp-posts and other debris
were strewn in the streets in some
portions of the city; sidewalks were
turned over and jammed against the
houses. breaking glass, etc. Hacks
and carriages were wrecked i'm the
streets and abandoned. Nearly 5Ot
! vehicles were seen on the South Side
after the tornado had passed, all
turned over and some of them worth.
less, on account of damages by the
storm. Innumerable chimneys were
toppled over and signs hurled into
the streets in all directions. Little
loss of life is reported as yet.
On the lake the force of the storm
seems TO have been less. but nearl,
every vessel lying inside the harbol
in the river, as well as those outside
lost their sails or masts or portions OF
rigging. The lightning struck sev
eral times, but only in one case was ;
man injured, and he only slightly
The storm lasted but Il few minutes
At this writing ii is perfectly calm
Att late hour Tonight few fur
ther particulars of the damage hav,
come to light. The loss to the Palmer
House is about $1,000; to the Gardner
House $1,000, and to the old count,
hospital $1,000. in Pages candy
store on Lake street four girls wcr,
seriously hnrt and two of them ma,
die from injuries received from
chimney falling through the roof
: Six men were buried under the fall
: ing walls Of the Michigan Southern
! depot. One of them will probably
die and others had legs and arms
and bones badly broken, and some OF
them may not recover. The roof ot
the passenger depot was partly de
molishcd. The total loss is estimated
at $3.50, 600 and will probably not bt
much less than that. There are n,
great losses but innumerable small
ones.