The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-13
AN UNWELCOME VISITOR.
In the Shape of a Damaging Rain
and Wind Storm,
The City Suffers to the Extent of Thirty
Thousand Dollars -Where the Dam
age Was Greatest.

passed over indianapolis from the north about
seven O'Clock last evening, lasting about three
! quarters OF an hour, and doing q great deal Of
damage in all sections of the town, especially
west of Meridian street. 1t was accompanied by
the most unusual electrical phenomena, and The
| lightning struck several places within the city
| limits, with more or less serious results. The
sky presented a rose-tinted appearance and cleo
trical waves chased each other III rapid success
sion across the heavens The rain fell in torrents
and many of the lower streets were completely
Hooded, the cutters and sewers being incapable
Of carrying off the unusual body of wafer. Me-
rid1an street, for two or three blocks south of
Tinker, was overlooked. The Illinois street tun-
mel was rendered impossible by the presence of
several feet of water, and Pogue's run and the
State ditch were usual transformed into boil
ing torrents almost il the twinkling of an eye.
me appearance of the sky during the entire prog
ress OF the storm was most peculiar, and was
sufficiently awe-inspring to create an impression
in the minds of those who witnessed it that will
not be easily eradicated. The clouds seemed to
speed along at a marvellous rate and there is no
dosbt that had the wind attained velocity near
| the earth that it possessed a
few hundred feet apove, incalculable
amount of damages would haveSbeen DONE As
1t was, the city probably suffered to the extent
OF $4,000. Shade-trees were everywhere up
rooted or snapped asunder and the broken frag-
ments strewed about the streets and yards in
confusion; fences and outhouses were generally
levelled and shrubbery and gardens were badly
wrecked. So violent, indeed, was the storm
that the impression prevailed that the vicinity
of indianapolis had been visited by disastrous
cyclone, and that no more serious harm befell
the city is a general surprise.
The mercury fell lSo in twenty minutas. g.
cording to the report of the signal service office.
ON THE WEST SIDE.
The storm seems to have been most severe in
the western and southern parts of the city. Prob
ably the greatest loss is at the indianapolis glue
! factory at the canal and Sixth street. About
| seventy feet OF it was blown down, and the dam
| age is estimated at from 80 600 to 81 900 Over
| in Indianola much damage was DONE A part of
the west wall of the Indianapolis & St. Louis
reund-house was blown in and eight freight cars
| on switch OF the l., B. & W. we're blown from
| the track and overturned, but the damage was
| not especially great as they were unloaded. Ali
night long wrecking crews were at work restor-
| ing order In the yards. Along Washington
street, east from the railroad crossing nearly all
| the small residences were damaged more or less
large stable that had formerly been
| used for livery purposes, totally demol-
| ished. The lower portion had been utilized as a
residence for the family of Edward Washhurn,
| all of whom luckily escaped injury, although
their household effects were badly shattered.
The principal damage done in this locality, how
ever, was to the brick business block owned by
the Thames Loan and Trust Company. adjon-
| ing the west end of the new river bridge on the
south side of the street. A. Bowens drug store,
| situated in this building, had the show windows
| blown ln and stock damaged probably to the
| amount of $50. Adjoining HIM was a small res
/ taurant and bakery owned by Christian Desch
tScnt which ,ndO was almost h,o ruined; large
| draft thus made blew down two wooden
| partitions, and other debris smashed in the
showcases and bins, while the rain, which
| poured in torrents, greatly damaged the stock
| the whole loss aggregating about 5000. In the
west end of the building is the Davis grocery,
which was slightly damaged.
The old covered bridge across the river was
badly shaken up, ana about fifty feet of the roof
tered about in very promiscuous manner, the
railing on the new bridge being broken down by
IT, II is surprising that there was not some loss
| OF life here, for the people in that
vicinity report that for time the air
was filled with flying tlmbers. Mrs.
plOyed at Archdeacon's factory, started across
| the river in search of her boy when the storm
was approaching, and had just got out of the
| bridge when 1t struck her She held fast to IA
| hitching post to keep from being blown away,
and while in this position was struck by a board,
which cut her badly abent the head, but she is
buggy reached the bridge about the same time,
and were in imminent peril until some men ran
out and carried them into house, and their
up. On the east side OF the
bridge the wind was less destrlc-
Pennsylvania Grocerys near California street.
we're partially unroofed, and several panels of
the State-house fence were blown down.
A lateral development of the storm did some
| damage up on Indiana avenue. The front of the
millinery store of Mrs. Case, No. IVA, was
smashed in and her stock damaged, and Orifnpe's
shoe store, adjoining, was drenched by the sky
| light giving way. One of his workmen was cut
by the falling glass. All throughout this portion
| n GhlnhharU Al nat atrdd
ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
| Tie Southside suffered greatly by the
wind and rain. and last night it
was next to impossible to get the full
particulars on account of the extreme darkness.
In the southwestern portion of the city many
large trees were either uprooted or broken
down, and Bicking street and some others were
| almost impossible for vehicles. The northern
| gable of the new steel-rolling mill was blown in
and about sixty feet Of the iron roof was carried
away, 80 that the damage here was consider
able.
| Mothershead,s foundry. on Bates street, was
| almost entirely unrOofed, and two walls of the
Wagner block, now ia course of erection, at the
corner OF Meridian and Ray streets, were
leveled to the ground The entire front of John
! N hollands house, No. 76 Bates street, was
| smashed in by a falling tree, and the rain
ruined his carpets. Paulini's furniture factory.
| No. 429 South Illinois street, very badly
damaged, and last night 1t was rumored that
Uniee lntH were uurJ Ill Oft runs, Dub the rut0Of
could not be authenticated. All along Morris
| and McCarty streets windows were broken in
and chmnevs blown down, the damage gener-
| ally being light. HetheringtOD & Eerners foun-
dry lost part of the roof. Over on Virginia ave-
nue., two gables of No. school-house
were blown in, and near the corner
of South, John Hartmans blacksmith shop
was struck by lightning, and a young woman
named Sadie Baker Was badly shocked. Up on
Illinois street above the depot the back part of
| the building adjoining the Planters Hotel on the
south WAS unroofed. and considerable DANA ge
done 10 John Keen's book store and CapJain
jeremiah O'Leary's Judge, We don't man7s -,
saloon. On Meridian street the tin roof on
Stewart Barry's new block was torn loose and
partially rolled up, but was temporarily re-
placed after the storm. On the roof of the build
/ ing occupied by A. B. Gates & Co. was IA large
! frame work supporting telephone wires and
this, in falling, let in the water ON the stock,
which was damaged TO the extent of several
| hundred dollars.