Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-05-12

CHICAGO, MAY 6.-About5 o'clock
this afternoon terrific rain storm,
accompanied by rotating tornado,
visited this city and did great damage
to property. The storm spent itself
chiefly on the south and north sides;
the west side escaped almost unin-
jured. The wind seemed to come from
above and dropped here and there
over the city, skipping some places
which lay in its course. Among the
casualties reported are the Michigan
Southern depot unroofed, and SIX Ia
borers working in the vicinity were
injured, one seriously. The massive
steeple of Grace church, 175 feet
high, fell, and crashing through the
roof, penetrated to the aisles. The
choir were practicing in the church
at the time, but were not injured.
Loss to the church, exclusive of stee-
pie, is estimated at $1,000. The spire
of the Wabash Avenue Methodist
church also broke off and fell into
lot adjoining. The TN roof of num-
Der SIT Wabash Avenue was carried
off and the building left defenseless
against the storm. The upper por-
ton Of the roof of the old county
hospital was carried away and the
chimneys falling on the lower por-
tons caused much injury to the
building. The patients were speedily
removed, and none were seriously
hurt. The wind took off large por-
ton of the Osborn harvesting ma
chine mandatory, and 60 feet Of
the wall fell in, smashing the ma
chinery and intlicting other damages
to the amount of about $4,000. The
Palmer and Gardner houses are said
to be badly damaged, but no partic-
ulars can be ascertained at this hour
On the lake its force was less, but |
nearly every vessel lying in the har-
Dor and in the river, rs well as those
outside, lost their sails or masts or
portion of the rigging. The light
ming struck several times, but in only |
one case was man injured, aud he
but slightly. The storm lasted but u
few minutes. A three story frame
house, on the corner of Paullna and
sod streets was blown down and one
boy killed. 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 $1,000
Hacks and carriages were wrecked
i'll the streets and abandoned. Near
ly so vehicles were seen on the south
side, after the tornado passed, all
turned over, and some Of them worth
less on account of the damages by
the storm.
At q late hour tonight a few fur
thcr particulars have come to light.
The loss to the Palmer house is about
$4,000, to the Gardner house $1,000,
and to the county hospital about
$4,000. In Pages candy store on
Lake street, four girls were seriously
injured, and two of them may die
from their injuries, received from
rock falling through the roof from
the chimney. Six men were buried
under the falling walls of the Michi-
gan Southern railroad freight depot.
One of them will probably die, and
the others had legs and arms and
bones badly broken, and some may
not recover. The roof Of the pas
senger depot was partly demolished.
The total damage is roughly esti-
mated at quarter of a million dol
lars, and will probably not be much
less than that.
The same storm lifted Il whole
train from the track of the Illinois
Central Railroad, near Neoga, ILL.,,
and dashed it to the ground, injuring
every person on board, but, fortunate
ly, killing none.