The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-06-17
SWEPT BY A CYCLONE.
High Winds Play Havoc in tho
West.
Loss of Life and Property in
South Dakota.

Over one half the United States was SIM
ultaneously soused in water on a recent
night, says a dispatch from Chicago, ILL.,,
and the edge of the great spot of wet was
made ragged with cyclone. The condition
of telegraph wires north, south, east and
west from Chicago showed state Of affairs
seldom, if ever, equalled.
Soaking rains were in progress, accom-
panied with driving winds to New York on
the one side, to New Orleans on the other,
stretching beyond st. Paul and Minneapolis
to the north and in the west for an indefinite
distance.
Milwaukee, Wis, reported the worst elec-
trical disturbance on record, making tele-
graph and telephone communication impos-
sible except at brief intervals.
Further northwest in the Dakotas many
towns were cut off, and a cyclone ravaged
the country about Watertown, South Dakota.
A dispatch from Watertown says. A
small, dark, funnel-shape1 cloud suddenly
appeared in the south during the afternoon
cane. 1t appeared close to the ground
and in its whirling motion people
saw that it was the dreaded tornado, and the
roar which accompanied it was like huge
fire swapping and cracking in its onward
course. Fortunately it struck the city on the
extreme eastern limit, where the buildings
were scattered, and the whole city tonight
is thankful that it came no closer.
Six barns were demolished. The path Of
the storm was only about 100 fest wide, and
it was remarked as strange that not single
house within the city limits was in its
way. Horses were lifted from the
ground, hurled into the air. and
sent sprawling to the earth. Wagons were
taken up bodily and hurled to atoms. Five
miles northeast Of WaterSown two houses
and three barns were literally carried away.
The debris frop the storm as it left this city
spread along its line for nearly mile.
AT Waverly. twelve miles northeast, two
coal sheds were ruined and the smokestack
of the roller mills fattenei to the ground.
o. P. Chandler and his son were in one
Of the barns when tho storm struck
it and they were pinned under the
boards until assistance came, but were only
slightly injured. Three people were killed
at Hazel, sixteen miles southwest OF Water
town, and the storm is said to have been
very severe in that region.
a heavy rain followed the storm, but did
no damage. This is Watertown's first cy-
clone experience, and many people were bad
ly frightened. The damage to property in
the county cannot be correctly estimated
until the places have been heard from.
A storm passed over st. Louis Mo-, and
did considerable damage to wires OF all kinds.
Telephone poles were blown across the street
railway tracks and caused cessation Of that
traffic and q great Inconvenience to thoss
living in the suburbs. Travel on several Of
the electric lines was suspended for several
hours. Many shade trees were destroyed and
some little damage done to buildings on the
outskirts Of the city.
There was an energetic electric storm in
Cincinnati, Ohio, and Coyington, KY, &C
companied by strong gale. The telegraph
wires were more or less useless for several
hours and 1900 telephones were burned out.
In Covington the lightning struck in many
places-one being the c.ccx in st. Aloysius
Catholic Church steeple. The cock was shat
tered, but the steepie was not injured.
A heavy windstorm with rain visited Lin.
coin, ILL.,, doing great damage to property
and fruit and shade trees.
A waterspout burst near the little village
of Farmount, Kan. Fortunately. no lives
were lost, but many houses were hooded ana
the Union Pacific tracks were washed out for
several rods.