The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-13
TIE CHICAGO WHIRLWIND.
4 TORNADO Suddenly SWEEPING
OVER TIE LAKE CITY.
Two Hundred Tbonsaud Dollars Worth Of
Property Estimnicd to have been DESTROYED
"A wonderful Sprctncie on the Lnle.


Two Hundred Thon-aud Dollars worth Of
Property EstiDinicd to have been DESTROYED
A Wonderful spectacle on the Lnko.
CHICAGO, May 7.-Tho fearful wind storm
that swept over q part OF Chicago yesterday
seemed to follow nearly In the track OF that
which ragged during the night Of the great Dire In
1871 and IL made its appearance unannounced
by Old Probabilities, who Ia usually so keen
scented and 40 prompt TO warn the Western world
OF danger afoat and ashore. 1t came from the
southwest and moved In q direct line, marking
its progress with ruin. AS II crossed the prairie
IL appeared like what might be called wind
spout, tall, irregular cylinder Of visible or ro-
tatng on Its axis a thousand times o minute,
and rushing forward with a horrid roar at tho
rate OF 100 miles an hour. The upper end touched
the low lying clouds, and while II seemed to
borrow force from them, left them broken and
Jagged like the rags OF worn-out funeral pail
and the lower end swept madly along the EARTH
ripping. tearing, rending everything In Its
course, and filling Its vast area between land
and sky with heterogeneous mass OF gyrating
debris.
As II neared the city II began to rise. and by
tho time II had fairly entered the limits II was
whirlIng along far above the housetops. Two
or three times, as though desirous OF testing Its
strength in a tussle with mans brick and mar.
be handiwork, II descended TO the earih, ana
less rage. Houses were torn to pieces like card
boxes In tbreshing machine trees were up
OF sidewalks were twisted from their eds end
made to beat the tattoo against neghboring
fences and house fronts.
As the spinning. whirling. roaring column shot
ont upon the lake, IL mace downward dash,
striking the water at about a mile from the
shore. Here for n moment 1t seemed to remain
stationary. like a giant RyroscOpe waiting Tor a
Fes n PPy u % dyn a. SrSe S Sq IKE
a drunken man. suddenly eight or ten spirals
| took the place OF the single column; and
| then began waltz such az tho visual oros
of no hashcesh eater ever gazed upon. Around
and around the shadowy monsters danced, the
wator boiling and fo1min9 under their demon
tread, and the black clouds above them rifting
and driving hither and thither like black heDds
at the beck aud call Of an imperous Satan. At
this moment the group OF whirling columns
| was fully 200 yards In diameter, and the
was acres In extent. Ever and anon one
column would separate from its fellows and cut
piceon wing all 70 itself then returning To-
contact with the fast revolving mass, the
impact driving out into space column from the
minute. Then came vivid lightning
Fishes from ,er the SpsTy eloId, ,r,m and i
gloomy depths, and the whirlins throng Of
dust-colored columns came together again ss
| one, and shot OF tO the northeast with horrid
| roar, the waters beneath them answering with
| louder hiss than that Of Lernian snakes IN the
| reeds Of Achcron, aud IN moment more the
| II is impossible now to tell what amount OF
| damage was done IN the city by tho wnirlwnd
but that the loss Of property Is AT least S2OJ,OOJ
| there Is little reason to doubt. Church steeples
| were thrown down, houses unro oofed, fences and
| sidewalks destroyed, and mucn other mischief
| done, full reports of which have not vet come ~.
The roof OF the County House, at Eghteenth
| and Arnold streets, was lifted bodily into the
| air and dropped TO the earth, q mass OF splin-
| ters, leaving the lso inmates OF the building ut
| the mercy OF the elements. For,unatel ~ none
| of them were injured, but for some u ays their
| quarters will be far from comfortable.
| Hut little damage was done 10 the shipping,
| and none OF the bridges were injured. The bell
| tower of the crib out in the lake was destroyed,
| tie iron framed skylight blown down, and the
| crib keeper was stunned
| Several men were injured at the Michigan
| Southern depot. and one Is not expected to- re-
| cover. A boy was killed by the iai,ing of Reap
| or Mission, and a number Of gir!s wo.kiug In
| Pages candy factory more less hurt,
| one, IL Is thought, fatally.