Mower County transcript., 1892-06-15
sMAlL-slzED TORNADO.
Chicogo Visited by Destructive wind
St0rm-A Number OF Casualties

Chicogo Visited by Destructive wind
storm-A Number OF Casualties.
CHICAGO, June 13.-A small sized
tornado ragged in this city between and
4 p. M. The rain fall was terrific, the
flood Of water IN many places being so
dense that it was impossible to see the
width of the street. The wind struck
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. j. j. P. Odeil,
president of the bank, was struck on the
thigh by q fragment Of glass and severely
cut.
The great canvass canopy over the
wigwam in which will be held the ma
tional Democratic convention 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. It is feared that this
arrangement viii impair the acoustics of
the amphitheatre but there is no way
out Of it. Seventy-fve men were at
work in the building when the storm
came up hut none of them were injured.
Wires All Down.
The telephone, telegraph and electrical
systems were almost totally demoralized.
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 cable trains for over an
hour. Many houses We're unroofed and
otherwise damaged. The Rentz &
Santley circus tent and poles were RACED
to the ground and the performers COM
PEELED to seek shelter in neighboring
houses. 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 was totally
destroyed by the storm and its three in
mates, Mrs Frank Klima and her two
children, were caught in the ruins. The
cottage was right in the path of the
storm and hardly one brick was left
upon another. When the storm came
up Mrs. Kllma became frightened and
made preparations to start for place of
safety. Before the three got out the
building collapsed and lot Of timber
fell upon -2-year-old child, killing it
Instantly. Mrs. Klima and Emma, 4
years old, were injured. but not Sc
ncnsly.
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 horizon with long
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.
Other Casualties,
Armour's elevator ''D'' on Morgan
street, was struck by lightning and
portion of it destroyed. In the ruins
was found the body of Charles J.. Rob
erts, foreman, who had been at work
In the boiler room, crushed under
heavy iron door. William Lossea. of
63e South Oakley avenue, was struck on
the head by bricks from falling chin
ney and his skull fractured. He will
probably die. John Lial, roofer work
ing on the roof of Douglas Park green
house, wss blown to the ground and so
seriously injured that he will die. John
NJ Dixon, lumberman, working in
Hines Brothers lumber yard, was
struck by flying boards and fatally
injured
Damaging Hail Storm.