New-York tribune., 1886-08-14
WILD WESTERN STORMS.
HURRICANES OF WIND AND RAIN.
THE DROUTH BROKEN IN VIOLENT MANNER
DEATHS FROM LIGHTNING

THE DROUTH BROKEN IN A VIOLENT MANNER
DEATHS FROM LIGHTNING.
CHICAGO, Aug. 13.-The long drOuth was
broken many places In Southwestern Iowa ana South
ern Illinois yesterday. But the break was OF so violent
character that the fears that more harm than good
Special dispatches from towns along the line
of the Burlington road IN Iowa-which passes through
.h best the ntry-indlcate that tho storm
was of great severity, the wind and sweeping rain com
bning produce great hurt to trees and crops Prom
Creston, 100 miles from Council Bluffs, the report Is
that rain late to do any good. From Mount
Pleasant thirty miles west of Burlington. the corn was
blown nat to the ground and its present condition
Is worse tnan II was before. The from sptinS-
field, to tho ehect that
the storm has done irreparable damage to the corh
though will revive the and Insure fa pasturagc
The reports from along the Rock Island road
are much tho effect Othor places in Southern
Illinois we're visited by the wind and rain and houses
trees fences and corn suffered. From the regions
further west and southwest reports OF general rain
have been received.
The signal Service Office here received reports at 0
o'clock to-day showing that the storm yesterday even-
ing snied by less rain than was indicated In
the special dispatches In the upper Mississippi val
ley the precipitation was from onefourth 10 one-haf
au inch; at Springfield Ill., tho fall an inch at
indianapolis, three-Qnarter or au luch, ana thTouS"
Iowa and Nebraska about half an inch.
The state Grain Inspectors branch Office. at Centre
s,royed, and the occupants missed being killed by
thunderbolt during u rain-storm this morning The
bolt sru ok telegraph pole that stood against the wn
Of the building III on tho switchboard OF the ee
crapn and went out OF the window Oh the
side OF the once taking the glass sash and al
with it, messenger boy who was sitting on the thDc
on which the telegraph instrument was fastened was
thrown twelve feet through the open dOOf anu
knocked iusensibe and the telegraph OPERATOR whose
hand on the key board at the tmc hal the rlght
arm paralyzed and was partially stunned. The iele-
graph apparatus was melted the table thrown across
the and all OF the occupants OF the apartment were
stunned and partially deaiened by the shock. Frank
McCloud Board OF Trade grain sampler, said that the
bolt looked Ike round ball Of fire about as large a.
mans head. 1t shot in as far tho table and dsa-
peared with fash leaving the crowd standing bolt up
fight with their limbs rigid aud their ears ringing pam
fully. Mr. McCloud was quite deaf when he appeared
the board later in the day and the ringing In his ears
had not ceased. The office took fire from the bOt, but
the flames were speedily eXtuguishcd.
AT the little village OF Jefe Park the rain fe IN
enormous quantities Mrs. John Gray and Mrs. Mary
Benson were at depot when the sirom was raging
furousy Ihey took shelter ou the platform. under
the caves bolt OF lightning struck tho building. IL
Jumped from the depot to post and from thence Into
the ground. When the other persons VINO were IN inc
depot recovered from their fright they saw Mrs Benson
ana Mrs Gray lying the plafor Ihcy were lnseh-i
bic and 1t was only by the most active measures tInt
they revived. Mrs Gray recovered from the shock
IN few hours but Mrs Benson, al noon, was stu In
serious condition.
Warren smith, North Evanston carpenter.wa' work
Ing on the Incubator shop OF r. d. Craig when lightning
struck II. smith was ser Dusly hurt
Daily Nors Wayne H. dispatch says that william
Gorham and his hired Gustav Pbiizke were struck
by lightning this morning while stand barn door.
Both were killed instantly.
ST. PAUL, Minn.. Aug. 13.-A committee from Mar
shall, Minn., waited upon Governor Hubbard to-
day and said that 1O2 families In their vicinity had been
left destitute by destructive hastOrm in July last
and that mortgages on their property would bo
yet remains 81 900 of the Cyclone Fund and the
Governor will probably appropriate this to the relief OF