Huntsville gazette., 1892-06-18
CHICAGO zEPHYRS.


Tornado. which Resulted In the Loss of
at Least Two Lives and the Fatal In
Jury of Several Persons-A Large Amount
of Property Wrecked-The Canvas Roof
of the Democratic Wigwam Torn to
Shreds.
CHICAGO. June IA small-sized tor
nado ragged in this city between 3 and 4
o'clock yesterday afternoon. The rain
| fall was terrific, the flood of water in
many places being SO dense that it was
impossible to see buildings across the
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 shattered into fragments
upon the desks and fixtures.
]. ]. p. Odell, president of the bank,
was struck on the thigh by a frag-
ment of glass and severely cut He
was taken home in a carriage, and it
will be week or two at least before
he will have recovered from his wounds.
The other occupants of the bank es-
capped unhurt-
Several small plate glass windows in
other parts of the building were demol-
ished and many of the young women
employed in the offices tainted.
The great canvas canopy over the
wigwam in which will be held the ma
tional democratic convention next week
was torn to tatters and so utterly ruined
| that the contractors determined to have
done with it and use instead timber
roof. A number of columns will be
erected to support the roof. 1t is
feared that this arrangement will i'm
pair the acoustics of the ampitheater,
but there is no way to avoid it. Work
was begun last night on the roof, and
| the contractors declare the wigwam
will be ready for the convention at the
stipulated time. Seventy-five men were
at work in the building when the storm
came up, but none of them were in
jured.
The telephone, telegraph and electric
light systems were almost totally de-
| moralizei Poles and wires were torn
down and general havoc was caused.
The 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 unroofed and otherwise damaged.
The Rentz Santley circus tent and
| poles at the corner of Twenty-eighth
and Wentworth avenue were razed to
| the ground and the performers com
peeled to seek shelter in neighboring
| houses Several of the horses made
| their escape during the storm and have
not vet 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.
| Twenty minutes before the storm
broke forth boat with three men In it
| was noticed on an almost even line
with the south pier about five miles
| out in the lake. After the storm had
passed the lake was swept to the hori-
| zon with 1ong-distance glasses, but no
trace of the craft could be seen. There
seems to be but little doubt that the
three men lost their lives and that the
boat went down.
| Armour's elevator ''D'' on Morgan
street was struck by lightning and a
| portion of it destroyed. In the ruins
was found the body of Charles J. Rob-
erts, fireman who had been at work
in the boiler room, crushed under a
heavy iron doo<
| VIM. Lossea,, of 63s South Oakley
avenue, was struck on the head by
bricks from falling chimney and his
skull was fractured. He will probably
die John Lial. slate roofer working
on the roof at Douglas park greenhouse
was blown to the ground and so seri-
ously injured that he will die.
John Michon, lumber shower work
ing in Pines Bro. S lumber yard was
struck by flying boards and fatally in
jured.