Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1879-07-05

*, D. T., SATURDAY, JULY
and dropped down upon stump. The
glass was smashed into an infinite num-
Der of pieces. Only small portion of the
frame could be discovered. The piano
escaped with a slight splinter out of the
cover. Doors, panels of doors, slivers and
pitchers were carried several hundred feet
up the sloping bluff. Cars standing on
the track two hundred feet distant were
smashed in by flying splinters Mr. Cox,
the steward, was in the ladies' parlor,
when the steamer was struck. He started
forward but before he had gone forty feet
the cabin had slipped over his head and
he was standing on deck. The chamber
maid was pinned down by section of one
of the staterooms. Cox relieved her and
passed down stairs to the boiler deck and
out front When they got there the storm
was practically over. 1t was so sudden,
that no one had time to escape and when
they had time there was no necessity for
it. There were no passengers on board.
THE LOSS.
The Montana cost $4,000 and was in
sured against fire for $4,000 in the
Underwriters, Carroll & Powell, agents at
St. Louis. The damage is not less than
ten thousand dollars, which, Of course. is
a total loss. All of her chains are broken,
and must be repaired before she can be
moved Her hull and machinery are all
right She will have to be taken to st.
Louis at an expense of two or three thous-
and dollars. She will not appear in the
Missouri river again this season. The
stockholders, S. B. Coulson, D. w. Marat-
ia, w. S. Evans, of Pittsburg, N. Buescn,
Capt. John Todd, Mart Coulson, and
Banker McVay, OF Yankton, Of the Coul-
son line, are all owners in the Montana.
One thousand dollars will cover the dam
age to the Dakotah She took three ship
carpenters with her to repair the damage
under way.
THE DAMAGE ABOUT TOWN
was inconsiderable. The mule shed of
the stage company was uncovered and the
north side of the corral blown out. Two
new wagons were "pulveriZed," borrowing
the lucid description Of Henry Blakely.
In other words they were blown to pieces.
A hack was whirled through the ar one
hundred feet but not seriously hurt. A
little frame house in the east end Of town
was blown over and the occupant, Mr.. w.
H. West, badly used up. Two of his bones
were broken. A few chimneys and signs
were blown down.
The winds velocity at the signal Office
was "a miles per hour. Had the wind
gauge been ON board the Montana, 1t
would have registered nearly one hundred.
The rainfall was forty hundreths OF an
inch. sy y. ~ s
STEWARD ROSS MISFORTUNE. @
Steward James Ross, of the Montana,
lost his pocket book and siXshundred dol
lars in greenbacks He found the pocket
book on the bank, but mary greenback.
He had been in his room counting those
greenbacks and when the storm came up
Stepped into the cabin for a moment. The
fury of the blast knocked all recollection
of the greenbacks out Of his head and at
the same time strewed the bluff with those
most precious government documents.
.. cRAMERs PHILOSOPHY.
ergt. Cramer, of the U. S.Signal Corps,
saws: During the severe storm Monday,
the anemometer al the Signal Office show
ed an average velocity of SO miles per hour
for the half hour of Its continuance. and,
for five minutes, at its highest, it was blow
ING at the rate of 81 miles per hour. This
would give pressure of 1412 pounds
on every square foot of surface oppos-
ed to it; and allowing that man presents
SIX square feet resistance, he would en-
counter about 60 pounds pressure. The
storm extended as far north as Fort Stew
enson and with equal fury. 1t appears to
have travelled from the west, and its cen
tre to have passed between this place and
Stevenson. 1t struck both places about
the same time and the wind rushed from
either place toward the other, and, still
combating, moved onward to the east.
It did not appear to have all the features
Of tornado at this place, but may have
laken that form at some places in its
course. The display of electricity was
almost incessant here but it was north, to.
ward the centre where itsfull intensity and
were manifested. About halt an
inch of rain fell here during the storm.
The surroundings of andincidents in the
wreck of the steamer Montana at the land
ing indicate that the damage was done
chiefly by an explosion caused by sud-
den expansion OF the air within her cabin
which, being close, was forced to pieces
to allow the confined air to escape. Inc
Of the air would result from a
rapid decrease in the pressure OF the air
generally which is feature OF all severe
storms.
Another Rich Strike.