The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-30
HURRICANE AT EVANSVILLE.
The City Damaged to the Extent Of at
Least a Quarter Of a Million Dollars.
The Transfer Steamer Belmont Capsized
by the Force Of the Wind, and Ten
or Fifteen Passengers Drowned.
TERRIFIC STORM.
Capsizing of the Steamer Belmont--Ten or
Fifteen Lives Lost.


Capsizing of the Steamer Belmont-Ten or
Fifteen Lives Lost.
EVANSVILLE, Aug. 29-At 9 o'clock this morn
ing most destructive hurricane below here
broke upon Evansville, doing damage to the
extent of not less than quarter of million
dollars in the city and vicinity. Houses were
blown down and roofs carried away. Three
or four steamboats, were badly injured, thou
sands of shade trees were torn upEby theroots and
other injury done. It is impossible at this
hour to give the amount of damage done. Prob
ably the heaviest individual loser is John II.
Rocker, whose new foundry was almost wholly
demolished The steamers Josh V. Throop and
Silverthorn were badly damaged, the former
being almost wrecked Several churches suf-
fered severely, also one new school-house.
The steamer Silverthorn, with steam up, had
her chimneys blown overheard, but the boat was
not much damaged. The Two States was blown
from her mornings and driven the full length of
the city, landing at the upper coal dock without
damage. The Josh " Throop had just arrived
and had landed, bit broke all her lines and
drifted to the upper landing, losing
her chimneys and narrowly escaping
destruction by fire. She was badly wrecked.
Her starboard guard is all gone and her upper
works badly damaged. The bar in front os the
city was full of barges, among them the trans
fer barge, loaded with freight-cars. A ferry
boat was blown on the bar, and is hard aground.
Many houses were demolished, and roofs and
chimneys blown of, and stables blown down;
the streets full of fallen shade trees, but no
lives are reported lost in the city
The loss of the transfer steamer Belmont and
the drowning of ten or fifteen persons is re-
ported, going to Henderson with barge
and a train containing passeng-
ers of the Louisville & Nashville rail
road, the boat separated from the barge All
on board the latter were saved, and all on the
boat except four or five were lost. Amongst
the lost were:
Captain John Smith; E. C. Roach, son of a
prominent merchant of Evansville; Mrs. Laura
Lyon and her sister, Sallie Bryant, teachers
here, and their mother; also, Mrs Wood
tree, of Henderson, and lady and a
babe; the lady had a satchel with
a card on it marked miss Hattie Murray, Brook
field, Ala
The bodies of the three latter were found.
One of the survivors says that the pas
sengers on the boat were terror strick-
en- some time before the accident oc-
Cured, and when the boat actually capsized
it was all over in few seconds. The circum-
stances were such that those who remained on
the barge saw the steamboat sink with all on
board without being able to assist them.
The boat lies in fourteen feetof water, and will
be total loss. She was built in Pittsburg,
three years ago, at cost of $22, 900. When the
ropes broke the wind drove the barge ashore
The storm extended to Henderson and Union
town, where large warehouses and buildings
were unroofed and demolished In this. city
the damage to buildings is incalculable. but very
large. The streets are full of shade-trees, up
rooted, tin roofs and other debris.
The latest arrival from the steamer Belmont
reports no additional recovery of bodies The
drowning of Mrs Lyon and her two daughters
is confirmed.