The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-10-27
DISASTROUS STORMS.
Immense Damage Inflicted West
and Southwest.
Heavy Loss Of Life in Louisiana
and Texas

Disastrous storms have been sweeping over
a wide area of the country, the severest
losses being in the Southwest and the West.
Dispatches from various important points
give the following details:
From Chicago: A high wind, accompanied
by driving rain, struck this city this morn
Douglas, Garfield, and Humboldt parks with
the fury of a hurricane. Soft NAPLES
and saplings were twisted off close
to their trunks and hurled over the
tops of the large trees. The frame
buildings on West Madison street, near Gar
field Park, were picked up by the wind and
pounCed to pieces on the prairie. All the
tion of the city are Uttered with broken
trees and shivered signboards. The drivers
and condu tors of street cars hal oil they
could do to keep on the platform, such
was the violence of the gale. This after
noon q brick cottage at Sacramento
avenue and Congress street was
struck by the storm and the walls blown
down. A man and a woman were In the
cottage, and were taken out badly injured.
About the same time the walls Of build
ing in process of erection at California ave-
nue. and Madison street were blown down,
and, falling upon cottage near by, made
complete wreck Of it. No one was injured.
Reports show that the storm extends over
a very wide area, but no particulars can be
obtained, as the telegraph wires are down i'll
elmost every direction. A tornado between
YpSilanti and Elk hart, Ind, tore down all
the wires in that neighborhood, and on the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railway
the tip of a car was blown off and carried
against the wires with such force aS t. break
them all.
From Cincinnati: A despatch from Fort
Wayne, Ind, says that terrific gale from
the south Iassed over the city and at two
o'clock ragged in full force. Odd Fellows
Temple, Centiver's brewery, Hakes bottling
works, Adams Express Office, and some OF
the princi. al business buildings were un-
rooted A fire broke out in tie outskirts Of
the city, and at the time the despatch was
sent five frame buildings were in flames,
with the gale spreading the confagration.
From Toledo: The storm to-day struck To-
ledo about noon, and from that time until )
P. NJ the velocity of the wind was about
forty-fve miles per hour. There was con-
siderable damage done in small way, blow
ing down thimneys, breaking in show Win
dows, ,unrooting buildings, blowing down tele-
graph and telephone lines, and overturning
shade trees. An unfinished two story frame
building was razed to the ground. There wero
no casualties Reports from northwestern
most serious so far being to the Court House
at Napoleon, which was injured to the ex
tent Of 81, 600. There was much excitement
here during the afternoon, as four yachts,
one from Detroit, and three from here. were
engaged in race on Lake E:ie. The yachts,
however, all arrived safe at Monroe, Mich.
From Louisville: A hard wind storm pre-
vailed throughout the State this morning
The wind started freight car from siding
N<;k 10 o,oi,,
track, and was run into by south-bound
Louisville and Nashville freight train, caus-
ing wreck. Two unknown tramps stealing
q ride on the cow.catcher were killed.
A Lake Charles La dispatch says: The loss
of property along the Cameron Parish Gulf
coast and for some dis ance west Of Sabine
Pass by the storm Of Tuesday night was fear
full The ma boat from Cameron Parish
reports That the water at Calcasieu Pass was
eight feet deep at the lighthouse, and
that the entire country, east and
drowning thousands of cattle and running
crops No lives were lost at Leesburg or Cal
casfeu Pass, but the following are reported
lost at Johnsons Bayou, La: The entire
families Of Alfred Lambert, Marion Lukes,
George Striever, Charles Blanchet, Radford
Berry, and two families by the name Of
Franeswar, beside many others whose names
are not known.
At Sabine Pass, Texas, the inundation
caused by On overflow of the Sabine River
after heavy rains was as calamitous as
The following list of the drowned
was obtained from two gentlemen who
came in on an engine: Miss Mahala Cham
bers; Jim Vondy, and family of six;
the wife Of Otto Brown and two
children; Homer King, wife and
child; Mrs. Junker and son: Mrs.
Pomeroy and family of five; Mrs. Stewart,
daughter, ard son; q man by the name OF
Wilson; Mrs. Arthur McReynolds; Mrs.
Mcdonald, daughter, and grandson; Frank
Mulligan and family; Columbus Martin and
family, and about twenty-five colored per-
sons whose names could not be learned.
The above list comprises over fifty human
victims of the storm, among them some OF
the-leadiug families o. the place. Many
others were reported missing and were prob
ably drowned. Fifty lives were reported
lost at the Porter House where many persons
had congregated 1t is said that the situation
during the latter part Of the afternoon beg,
CARED description. The manifestation Of
terror and agony by the people looking face
to face at death and realizing that there was
no escape; the dying cries ofwomeu, audible,
butrendered almost no:selsss by the roar OF
the mad sea; the hoarse voices Of pallid men
trying to save those dear to them, all COM
bined, made O scene too horrible to be de.
scrited.