The Penn's Grove record., 1889-08-03
KILLED IN A STORM.

Al11uO 1AS II uxOltlus
Ia TEMPEST OF WIND AND RAN
VISITS CHICAGO.
AN UNFINISHED BUILDING WRECKED.
ITS FALL CRUsHEs A COTTAGE
AND KILLS sEvEN PERSONS.
CHICAGO, July 2S.-The storm OF
last night was one OF the most severe
that has ever visited this section oil
the country. The rainfall was the
greatest ever known here in q like
period, over four inches In two hours
and fifteen minutes. AS nearly as can
be a~scertained 1t was 1920 O'Clock when
a terrible gale of wind struck a three
story brick building. which 8 God at
the corner OF Leavitt street, and which
had not yet been rooted; 1t toppled
and fell on a cottage at TAT crushing
1t as though it was paper and burying
the inmates beneath the ruins.
The three front rooms of the cottage
were occupied by Cornelius Ferdinan-
dus, a Hollander, and his family con-
slsting of his wife, Reka, and his five
children, the eldest q girl of 10 and the
youngest an infant OF one year. In the
three rear rooms lived Charles Book, a
German laborer, and his wife, Amelia,
and three children, the eldest ID and
the youngest six years of age. As soon
as possible an alarm was sent to the
Human Street Police Station. and
Lieutenant Beck and every officer on
night duty, eighteen in all, responded.
Engine Company 70 and So, and Truck
~ was also quickly at the scene of the
disas'e r. There was not a trace Of the
cottage to be seem. 1t had been buried
completely out OF sight, but the painful
cries of a child were heard through the
shrieking of the gale. With a will the
iremen and policemen went to work to
remove the debris, and shortly after IL
O'Clock the bodies Of all who were
known to have been In the building
we're taken out.
The dead are: Cornelius Ferdinan-
dus, aged SO; Reka Ferdinandus, his
wife, aged 81; Cora Ferdinandus. aged
s; May Ferdinandus, infant child of
MIR. and Mrs. Ferdinandus, aged !
year; Amelia Book, wife of Carl Book,
aged 80; Annie Book, aged 8; Albert
Book, aged 6.
The wounded are: Carl Book, aged
AS, slightly crushed; August Book,
aged IL. skull crushed and will probably
die.
Taken to the county hospital: Linda
Ferdmandus, aged IL. badly crushed;
Luia Ferdinandus, aged s, slightly
hurt; Gertrude ~Ferdinandus. aged g.,
skull fractured and cannot survive.
Ernest BlOoter, the owner of a
lumber yard at Sixty-sixth and Wal
lace streets, was instantly killed by an
Eastern Illinois engine during last
nights storm. and Henry Dues, Il of
his employees, was badly hurt, The
men were crossing the track at Sixty
sixth street. They waited for IA freight
train to pass and then started to cross.
The rain blinded them. An engine
approaching from the opposite direc-
ton struck them down.
CHICAGO. July pa brick build
ing, in the course Of construction, at
the northeast corner of Oakley venue
and Twenty.Hrst street, not far from
the Leavitt street disaster, was blown
down during last nights storm on a
cottage in the rear, but, fortunately,
none of the occupants were killed.
The families of W. H. Keefe, the
owner of the building, and John Hayes.
occupied the cottage. The only persons
serious hurt were a little girl of IL
years. who received a cut two inches
long across the side Of her head, and h
boy, whose spine was injurs d. Neither
Of these wounds is necessarily fatal
Charles Shaffer, a boy . years old,
who lived with his parents at 1888
yorktown street, was killed last night,
by lightning during the storm. He
was sitting by the fireplace at his home
when lightning struck the house, and.
going down the chimney, killed the lad
instantly. The house was damaged 10
the extent of several hundred dollars.
Other members of the family were con-
siderabIy shocked.
Four unfinished brick houses at
Rockwell and Sixteenth streets were
blown down last night. while the storm
was at Its height. Shortly before 8
O'Clock the storm struck the row.
They swayed for a few seconds, and
then fell. About Is minutes before
the crash came a pedestrian was seen
to take refuge from the rain in one OF
the houses, but it is thought he escaped
the falling brick and tim5ers. There
were no wOrkmen in the building at
the time. and it is not thought that any
one was injured.
The houses were wrecked completely,
nothing but the foundations remain
ing, with a pile of iuins on top. A
6fth house. similar IN construction to
the other four and adjoining them, re-
manned standing. The wrecked houses
were two stories high, with basement.
The outside walls and roof were conn.,
pleted, but none Of the inside work was
done. The houses will be almost a
Otal loss.
CHICAGO, July 27.-A despatch from
Parkersburg, W. Va, says: Further
details OF the disastrous flood in Writ
county have been received. The
brother of Thomas Hughes, whose wife
and children were drowned Sunday,
has arrived from Pittsburg to assist in
the care of his brother, who is dying
from injuries received. Thomas Black,
wiz iiNCu CIOoo ~ thC AAukhco nuAii
and who was drowned with his wife,
had but recently been married. A Cir
Gus was showing on Tucker creek when
the cloud-burst struck that section.
The food struck the show Just after the
performance began, and tore the
canvas to shreds, utterly wrecking and
running the whole concern, carrying
off horses, wagons and tents. Miss
D'Alma, who performed on the trap
exc, was drowned. 1t is reported that
some employees also lost their lives, but
the whole section of country where
the misfortune occurred is still in such
a state OF confusion that 1t is impos-
sible to get full particulars. salisbury,
on the Big Ligart river, Is virtually
wiped out of existence.
PARKERsBURG w. Va. July 2S.-.
Telephone reports from above say there
was a terrible rain and flood Friuay
night in the upper waters OF the Little
Kanawha. Reports from Grantsville
say Calhoun county was devastated,
and crops, fences and houses were