The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-08-08
TRAINLOADS OF GLASS.
WILL, BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR
MISSING PANES.

MISSING PANES.
Sioux Falls Visited by q Most Terrific Has
and Wind .storm-Nearly Every Building
in the City More or Less D~amaged-The
Loss Will Amount to 100000.
The most terrific hailstorm in twenty
years struck Sioux Falls about 9 O'Clock
Sunday morning and lasted with undated
fury for fifteen minutes. The damage
done will reach away up into the thou
sands of dollars. The storm came
from the northwest and was OBJ
served gathering some little time
before it burst. People who had not risen
from their beds at the time, were aroused
by the rattle of hail stones against their
houses, the loud roar of the wind on glass.
A perfect panic was created at all Of the
hotels, guests who were at breakfast,
rushing pell NELL from the dining rooms,
and others racing through the halls pro-
miscuously, half dressed and half crazed
with fright. There is no exaggeration in
stating that the average Sioux Falls citi-
zen has not had his or her nerves racked so
painfully in many q long year, and future
events will be dated from or referred to in
connection with the great hailstorm of
Sunday, Aug. 8, 1890. During the heighth
of the storm the wind must have reached
a velocity of sixty or seventy miles an
hour, as substantial brick and stone buila-
ines were shaken, billboards, signs and
awnings blown down, lumber piles scat
tered and the mir filed with flying debris.
Trees and shrubbery was more or less in
iured-leaves and branches being stripped
off and the bark ruined. Corn and oats
within an area of the storm wi ! be ruined,
but fortunately wheat, oats and rye is
mostly in the stack and will not be SER
iously damaged. A perfect deluge of rain
accompanied the hail, filling open cellars
and flooding the streets. Some esti-
mate of the damage done in
this city alone can be formed
when it is known that nearly
every light Of glass on the north
and northwest sides of business blocks,
churches, public school buildings and
dwellings was broken where not protected
by wire screens. The north front of the
Masonic temple, the syndicate building,
the three leading hotels, postofics and
other well-known buildings look as
though they had been shelled and stood a
siege. A massive plate glass window
in the Van Epps block was shat
tered and pieces of the same
are on exhibition to show it to have been
nearly, if not quite, half An inch thick.
Any number Of tame doves and other
birds we're killed and an unfortunate hack
driver, who was caught out in the storm,
had both eyes BACKED and his hands
severely bruised by the murderous hail.
The hail stones varied in size from two to
six inches in circumference, and one
responsible citizen tells of one he
and party of gentlemen
weighed that tipped the scales at Il
pounds. A large drove of mustangs
herded near the city, stampeded and at
last accounts the owners had not succeeded
in overtaking them. It was about the
busiest Sabbath Sioux Falls has known
for some time, and the corps of Western
Union employees was kept busy
sending specials and especially send
ing orders for glass. 1t will
be several days before the Queen
City is blessed to receive company and
wears her wonted looks of beauty.
A dozen car loads of window glass will
not more than put her in presentable
shape again.
Later telegraph reports from the re-
gion affected by the storm show that it
originated in the vicinity of Pipestone,
Mimi, and followed the course of the Big
Sioux river. Thus also been determined
fhat.N .,It p uor1, =. ,u,&l -. 49,
ceeding two or three miles wide, and that
Sioux Falls has been the greatest sufferer
from it's ravages.
The Western Union operators mani
tested great heroism during the storm, and
remained at their posts under very ad-
verse circumstances Their Office faces
the north and is close to the river, where
the storm seemed to rage with the greatest
fury. Every light of glass in the operating
room had been smashed by the huge hail
stones before the storm had lasted a min
ute. The floor was flooded with water,
blanks, messages and Office utensils in
company with any number of hail stones,
VI assorted sizes, filled the air and threat
ened instant death or mutilation, but the
Hold guard" remained firm to the last and
the newspaper boys are under obligations.
Additional reports received show that the
storm extended east as far as Worthing-
ton, MINI. An Illinois Central train that
was nearing Sioux Falls when the storm
broke was badly dis6gured, every light Of
glass in the coaches and the engineers
cab, on the north side being broken, and
several of the passengers being cut with
flying pieces of glass. A COW belonging to
Mr.. MoCrarrier was killed, and Banke,
Avery's little boy, who was driving
3 COW to pasture, was knocked
insensible. The damage to st. Augustine
cathedral, presided over by Bishop Hare,
will amount to over q thousand dollars, all
of the beautiful cathedral glass, stained
windows, presented to the church by Mrs.
John Jacob Astor, having suffered the
common fate that has overtaken window
glass in Sioux Falls. A conservative
dealer in window glass estimates the loss a,
over $4,000.