The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-07-13
TORNADO In CHICAGO.
A Yacht Capsized and Many People
Narrowly Escape Death.
The People in the Worlds Fair Balloon
Badly scared-Passengers in the Fer
ris Wheel Had u Unique Experi-
ence, But Nobody Was Hurt.

CHICAGO, July 10-Chicago was Wis
tied at $50 Sunday afternoon by the
most terrific storm it has experienced
for several years. The wind blew al.
most hurricane, and the rain, fell in
torrents. The earlier part Of the day
was well nigh perfect, cloudless, and
with cool, gentle breeze blowing of
Lake Michigan. The storm gathered
in the north and west with marvellous
quickness. Nobody was looking for il
or expecting it. All at once it was
here, and the next minute it was sweep
ing over the city. leveling trees and
spreading death and destruction among
the many pleasure boats which were
out upon Lake Michigan. Many mar
row escapes from death were expert
enced, but, so far as known, the loss of
life is limited to four, all of them lost
by the capsizing of the sailing yacht
Chesapeake, which was overturned
about two miles from shore.
The party on the boat consisted of
nine people, and of these four were
drowned. The dead are Ethel Chase,
sixteen years old, Of Boston, Mass. !;
Themistocles Timballs, Harry NARROW,
VIM. b. Cornice.
The Chesapeake was a well built
yacht, and was owned by the Avery
brothers, William and Fred. The par
ty had been out during the afternoon,
and had been enjoying the pleasant
sailing. The sudden fury of the storm,
however. gave them no chance, and
,,-ara IN, 1xyo ta,. 1>a f.,o 4 1,o ,,,o,,
of the party, several of whom
were experienced and skillful sail
ors, could do anything to prevent
it. Gray, Fred Avery and Elliot clung
to the side of the boat, and managed to
keep their heads out Of water Will
Avery was hurled nearly fifteen feet
from the boat and went down head
foremost. Near him was Edith Cramp-
ton, and as Avery rose he seized her
and swan to the boat. There, with his
three companions. he made a gallant
fight for life.
Capt McRae, Of the steam tug Robert
Torrent, which was in the harbor, saw
the Chesapeake Capsize and went to
its assistance at once. He reached
it in time to rescue the Avery
brothers. Gray, Elliott and Miss
Champion. The bodies of the others
We're not recovered. Miss Chase was
employed by the Western Union Tele-
graph Co. of this city, and her parents
reside in Boston.
Other tugs in the harbor were busy
FOR time in picking up row-boats, and
no less than six people were saved in
the harbor alone. but no lives were
lost. Charles Saunders, of st. Louis,
started out for boat ride and hung to
the bottom of the boat for forty min
utes before he was rescued, more dead
than alive. The yacht Flora, with a
large party on board lost her masts off
Evanston, twelve miles north of here,
but her passengers were taken off by
the Evanston life-saving crew.
At the Worlds fair grounds little
damage was done to the buildings, but
the passengers who were aloft in the
captive balloon had a close call. and
the balloon itself, after being brought
to earth, was blown in pieces, and the
pieces were carried out of the grounds.
All day the balloon had been busy
making ascensions. Each time the
huge body started slEyward the basket
was filed There was no wind to in
terfere, and it arose straight up each
time. When the limit of height had
been reached on the last ascension
Capt. Adler noticed, away over the
smoke of the city, a black moving
body. 1t was coming toward him.
Picking up his field glasses, he saw
great angry bank Of clouds preceded by
low. scudding vapor. Instantly he
seized the signal flag. Leaning far
over the edge of the basket he signaled
the lookout to draw in rapidly. Down
came the balloon, and none too soon.
The storm, which hung low, traversed
the distance in twinkling. With
crash and roar it dashed through the
trees of South park.
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 sixty feet
from the ground. When the first gust
struck it, in spite of guy ropes, it bent
over. The 10000 cubic feet of gas
were but speck in the gale. Then, in
an instant, the force of the wind seemed
to shift and bore down on the great
body: It tiattened out and shook and
trefhbled under the terrible force like
jelly. With succession of cracks, the
giant silk covering was rent completely
in two.
The gale struck the Ferris wheel
with all it's force. The cars were all
filed. 1t blew SO hard that the engi-
neer could hardly keep at his post. But
hard as it did blow. it did not move the
gigantic structure a hairs breadth.
Some little excitement was shown
by timid people as the wind howled
around the cars that hung in the very
heart of the storm, but the wheel kept
moving as steadily as II the sun had
been shining.
just before the storm, Andrew Cum
minss, who rents boats at the foot of
Barry avenue. gave two boys each
about sixteen years old, apparently,