River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-06-16

A HoWLINo TORNADO.
1t Strikes the City Of Chicago. Causing.
Great Damage to PrOperty-Seven Lives
Lost and MANY Pc sons Injured.

Great Damage to Property-Seven Lives
Lost and Many Persons Injured
CHICAGO. June I4-Low. hurrying,
wind-laden clouds swept furiously over
the city of Chicago Monday afternoon
at 3 o'clock, leaving death aud desola-
ton in their path. A seething mass of
black mist, torn and tossed by wind
and rent by lightning, swept down
upon the city. The next instant the
wrath of the elements was loosed, and
when the first breath of the fierce tenn
pest had passed homes were demol-
ished, lives were lost, men, women and
children were mangled and manned
and property was destroyed.
The storm was of a cyclonic and
electrical nature and came from the
northwest, following a strong breeze
from tine southwest.
During the terrific windstorm that
preceded the rain the house at 1886
Whipple street was blown down and
completely demolished. One person
was killed and two were injured.
Amelia klima, aged , wears and 6
months. was crushed beneath a mass
of brick, and the child's mother, Mrs.
Frank Klima, aged 81, was badly
bruised about the left side and her
right leg was seriously cut by the fall
ing rafters. Annie klima, years old,
had her collar bone broken and suffered
confusion of the hip and serious in
ternal injuries.
Three men were drowned in the lake
in the black squall that settled down
la NJ lal
A rowboat was seen by the life
saving crew at the north pier and
an attempt was made to get the boat
launched for the rescue. The storm
broke before this could be done and
when the cloud lifted from the lake
the upturned boat was seen tossing on
the waves. Without a shadow of doubt
all were drowned.
Harvey +. Stewart, of Sac Washing
ton avenue, was drowned in the lake
off Sixty-third street.
The storm struck the lumber district
with a vengeance, destroying thou
sands of dollars worth of property,
killing Charles /. Roberts outright and
iniuring several others. The wind in
several instances picked up the tops of
piles of lumber weighing ton or more
and carried them bodily distances of a
hundred feet.
Armour's elevator ID, at the foot of
Morgan street, was struck by lightning
and a portion of the south wall torn
away. which crashed through the roof
of the boiler-room, 75 feet below, in
stantly killing the fireman, Charles l.
Roberts, married, about 81 years old.
Gustav Doering, carpenter at No.
3l4 Nashburne avenue, was killed by
the falling of three-story unoccupied
building at No 511 South Oakley avenue.
The fierce wind raised the roof appar-
emily 20 feet, then crashed il down over
the side of the walls, wreclxing the
building and carrying Doering down TO
death. Four other workmen were in
jured
AT the Edward Hines Lumber Com
pany's yards John Michon, lumber
shower. aged 20 years, single, and liv-
ing at 7sl West Eighteenth street,
was struck in the head by flying
board and seriously injured. He
was removed to the county hospital.
1t is thought that he cannot re-
cover. At l.. Il. Bankers lumber yard
Z. Erickson, lumber shower, was
caught under pile of falling lumber
and badly injured internally. lie was
removed to the county hospital and
will probably recover. Two other per-
sons were injured at the same time, one
having his leg broken.
j. J. =. Odell. president of the Union
national bank, was painfully injured
by the fragments of the heavy plate
glass window of his office which was
shattered by the storm. Fred Mer-
rill, assistant rate teller, had his
nose gashed t. the bone and two fingers
nearly amputated. The wounds OF
both men were painful but not particu
larly serious. Checks and valuable
papers were scattered far and wide
All, however, are subject to duplica
ton.
Another chapter of the storms tragic
work took place at Brighton Park The
wind blew heavy train down upon a
caboose and three Joliet trainInen were
seriously injured. They are: Edward
French, conductor. back, both legs and
right shoulder crushed and internal in
iuries, cannot recover; Peter Randolph,
brakeman, right leg crushed and body
covered with bruises; T.. A. Hazen
brakeman. both legs and right arm
crushed, confusion on the breast.
A great many other persons in vari-
Gus parts of the city received injuries
of a more or less serious nature.
AS the storm passed over the demo
cratic wigwam it ripped the heavy can
vas roof as a seamstress would .
breadth of calico, and seventy-five men
fed for their lives. In an instant the
vast auditorium was covered with wa
ter and what was scene of busy labor
became a spectacle of dire confusion.
Contractor A. NJ. Allen was IN the
building at the time and give a sigh OF
relief when he saw that the only thing
to give way was the canvas Within
twenty minutes he had ordered by tele-
phone over 100, 900 feet of timber for a
new roof.
Great damage was done by the storm
to property, especially in the south
western portion of the city. While il
cannot be accurately estimated. the be-
lief is that it is fully 500, 900. ionses,
fences, sidewalks, signs, telegraph
wires and poles, unfinished buildings,
vehicles and property upon the streets
left by merchants are all in the cata-
logue of injured property.