The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-14
SEVERE BLOW AT CHICAGO.

Several Buildings Wrecked, q Child Killed
and Other Persons Injured
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CHICAGO, June 13-A small sized tornado
ragged In this city between 8 and O'Clock
this afternoon. The rainfall was terrific,
the food of water in many places being so
dense that 1t was impossible to zee build
inRs across tho width of street The full
force Of the wind struck the southwest
corner of the Home Insurance building,
occupied by the Union National Bank, and
blew in three large plate-glass windows. So
terrific was the shock that the plates were
carried bodily into the bank, hurled half
way across the counting room and shat
tered into fragments upon the desks and
fixturea j. j. p. Odell, president of the
bank. was struck on the thigh bv q frag-
ment of glass and severely cut He was
taken home in q carriage. and it will be q
week or two at least before he will have
recovered from his wounds. The other oc-
cupants of the bank escaped unhurt Sew
eral small plate glass windows in other
parts of the building were demolished. and
many of the young women employed in the
offices tainted.
The great canvas canopy over the wig
wan in which Will be held the national
Democratic convention next week was
torn to tatters, and so utterly ruined that
the contractors determined To have done
with 1t and use instead q timber roof. A
number of columns will be erected 10 sup
port the roof. 1t Is feared that this ar
rangemenJ will impair the acoustics of the
amphitheater, but there is no way TO avoid
It. Work was begun tonight on the
roof, and the contractors will have the
wigwam ready for the convention at the
stipulated time. Seventy five men were at
work on the building when the wind came.
but none of them was injured. They say
that pole holding the northeast corner OF
the um brella- shaped canvas roof gave way
and tore through the canvas. The wind
got under II; Ruy-wires snapped like twine
and an instant later tho great ety-foot
center-mast snapped and fell with crash,
smashing through the floor and running
hundred chairs. The canvas cover went
In tatters and rain flooded the wigwsm.
Contractor Allen said this evening that
the damage to the wigwam will amount to
fully 5000.
The electrlc-light systems were badly
damaged and general havoc wrought.
Poles fell across the South-side cable tracks
and. together with other debris, blocked
the passage of the cable trains for over an
hour. Many houses were unroffed and
otherwise damaged. The Rentz 81 Santley
circus tents and poles, at the corner OF
avenue. were razed to the ground and the
performers compelled TO seek shelter in
neigh boring houses. Several of the horses
made their escape during the storm and
have not yet been found. A number OF
small children were in the tent and became
panic-stricken, but the attaches of the
show succeeded In getting them out In
safety.
A one-story brick cottage at No. 1895
Whipple street was destroyed and It's three
inmates, Mrs. Grant klima and her two
children. buried beneath the ruins The
cottage stood directly In the path of tho
storm and hardly one brick was left upon
another When the storm came no Mrs.
Klima became frightened and made prepa-
ratlons to start for a place of safety. Be-
fore the three got out the building col
lapsed and q heavy timber fell upon Mrs.
Klima's two-year-oId child Anna and killed
her instantly. Mrs. Klima and Emma,
tour years old. were injured, but not seri-
ously.
In the district between Twenty-second
and Thirty-second. east of the river. o
graph, telephone and electric systems
were completely demoraliZed for q
time. Large chimneys on two or
three manufacturing establishments
struck by lightning and badly damaged.
One large window In Armour ~ Co.'S. office
was blown in, but no one was hurt On
the upper floors q number of windows
en- employed in the office tainted and there
was precipitate rush for the staircases
and elevators. To make matters worse
lightning burned out q switch board near
the dynamo and all the electric lights in
the building went out at the height of con-
fusion. The Flagstaff was torn from the
tower of the Pullman building, and fell
into Michigan avenue, narrowly missing q
buggy occupied by two women- The storm
play ed havoc with the great piles of lum-
Der in the district about Blue Island ave-
nue. and Second street. For half an hour
the air seemed full of flying boards and
shiDgles. and the piling of the lumber will
entail considerable expense. Three en-
ployes IN one yard were badly injured.
An idea of the force of the wind may De
cleaned from the fact that o six-iach tim
ber was picked ND and driven endwins