Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-07-10
HIGH WIND AT THE FAIR
Glass Roofs Broken and Muct
 Mischief Done.
THE CAPTIVE BALLOON SMASHED

Four Persons Drowned In the Lake by tn |
 CapsixIng of a Yaeht-Almost . PanI
 Among visItors-ExhIbIts Soaked With
 Rain.
 CHICAGO, July 1o.-A windstorm of ter rife force, followed by a heavy downpouI of rain, passed over the White City, doins considerable damage to the different build ings and the exhibits stored within. Som' damage, principally in broken glass, wal done in nearly all the buildings, but thu exact amount of harm done the display by the soaking they received will not be knowr until some time today.
 About 5:45 the storm burst suddenly ovel the park. Ten thousand people were group ed about the pavilion to the east of Manu factures building enjoying the music being given by the Cincinnati band. The wind, sweeping dense clouds of binding dust be fore it, caught them totally unawares, ai it did everybody. They hastily rushed fol the shelter of the big building and entered the doors in much disorder, many fright ened women losing hat and parasol in the confusion.
 The guards, after admitting the crowds epdeayored to close the doors, but the force of the wind shut the doors with such vio fence that the glass in the three big en. frances was shattered into fragments, while the uniformed preservers of the peace were sent sprawling on the floor.
 There was much confusion, but as the blow lasted but 10 minutes, the people soon became calm.
 The Wreck of the Balloon. The persons who were aloft in the Cap tive balloon had a close call, and the bal. loon itself, after being brought to earth, was blown into pieces, and the pieces were ! carried out of the grounds.
 As the basket touched the ground the | passengers were let out, and as the last anchor was made fast the wind struck it. | The big balloon stands 60 feet from the ground. When the first gust struck it, in spite of guy ropes, it bent over. The 150, 900 | cubic feet of gas were but a speck in the ] gale. Then in an instant the force of the wind seemed to shift and bore down on | the great body. It flattened out and shook | and trembled under the terrible force like | . jelly.
 With a succession of cracks, the giant | silk covering was rent completely in two. | The strong cordage which had covered the silk with net work, snapped as though 1t had been pack thread. One-half blew one | way and half another. The gale struck | the Ferris wheel with all its force. The ears were all filled. It blew so hard that | the engineer could hardly keep at his post. | But hard as it did blow, it did not move \ thsigigantic structure hairsbreath. Some little excitement was shown by timid peo- | pie as the wind howled around the ears that hung in the very heart of the storm, \ but the wheel kept moving as steadily Ra | If the sun had been shining.
 r. Just before the storm, Andrew Cum II nings who rents boats at the foot of Barry avenue, gave two boys, each about II 16 years old, one of his boats. Nothing had
 been heard of boys or boat this morning. The gale came from the northeast, and
 did but little damage to the evenly formed | east front of the building. On the west
 side, near the north end, however, two sec
 tions of glass roofing, 30 by 10 feet, were
 blown in, doing considerable damage to
 the Japanese section, the rain drenching
 the paint and varnish department of the
 United States division of the building, as
 we'll as that of Japan, which it adjoins. A
 amber of handsome Japanese fans, para
 sols, vases and carved bric-a-brac wert
 soaked, and water stood on the floor two | or three inches deep for some time, until
 holes were bored to let 1t escape. The other | exhibits in the near vicinity were hastily
 covered and further damage prevented. A Candy Clerks Escape.
 The full force of the gale was felt mainly
 fn Agricultural building. Large crowds had thronged the east front of the build ing during the day inspecting the newly
 arrived Spanish caravels, and when th' | storm burst they made a rush for Aheltel in the building. Just aB the greater DOT tion of them had gained the doors a sec | tion of glass roofing over the center Aisl' | near the north door gave way and came t
 the floor below with a crash. It fell al around Miss Minnie Gates, an attendant at a candy counter in the center of tn aisle, but she miraculously escaped with out a scratch.
 A minute later a smaller section fell owe the edge of the French division of tn building, breaking one of the glass show cases containing fruit. This, added to tn
 great confusion caused by frightened wo
 man rushing from place to place, put tn
 building in an uproar, and but for the fac that the crowd was not very large ther 3 would have been 6 panic.
 } The greatest damage was done to tn } French section and the New York exhibit f the latter, however, being protected b.
 heavy tarpaulins thrown over the show 3 cases by the guards. Many leaks wer : sprung by broken glass in different part
 of the gallery and main floor, but the dam
 age was not serious. The cotton sheetinl
 used to subdue the glare of the sun unde 8 the glass roofs held a considerable amour | or DEOkeu SldSS, anu bulb dCSOOheS G0E u a total absence of any injury to the visitors F Two sections of the roof of the Transpol F tation building, 17 by 20 feet, were dii e lodged by the force of the gale, and tn F carriage exhibits of a New York and Oh
 Sago firm were considerably damaged.
 A large amount of glass was broken i
 the two domes of Machinery hall, but D l. damage was sustained to the machinery A small section of the glass roof in th + northwest corner of the Electrical builC f- ing was smashed.
 :, V Four Were Drowned.
 CHICAGO, July 10-During the terribl
 windstorm the sailing yacht Chesapeak l. was overturned about two miles froI o shore. The party on the boat consisting y nine people, of these four were drowne'