St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-21
DELUGED WITH ICE.
Pittsburg and Vicinity Visited by
Hail Storm Unprecedented
in Violence.
All Traffic Suspended. and Many
Injured by Broken Wires
and Runaway Teams.

PITTsBURG. May 20.-A $3.50 O'Clock
this afternoon Pittsburg and vicinity
was visited by the most violent hail
storm ever known here. The effect was
most disastrous both to life and prop
erty. Heavy black clouds suddenly OBJ
scured the light of the sun. while the
air became oppresively hot. Following
a terrific electric flash came the
crash and roar OF thunder shak-
ing the very earth. Before
man or beast could seek cover
the deluge of ice came in all its intens-
ty, and for five minutes there was a
war of the elements most terrific. Tele-
phone and electric light and telegraph
wires were Frustrated in every direc-
ton. Electric and cable cars were
stopped in every direction by broken
wires or debris blocking the conduit,
and for a time traffic was suspended.
In the east end of Pittsburg
and upper wards Of Allegheny
City nearly every window glass
on the south sides of the buildings was
shattered, while all skylights, green
houses, private and park conservatories
were shattered and foliage ruined. In
the Phipps conservatory i'll Stanley
park over 1900 lights were broken. En-
tertainmentS were in progress at all the
theaters. At the Opera house and
Bij0u theater serious panics were mar
rOWlv aVerted and several women
tainted from fright.
The singing pelting of the hail
caused a number Of serious accidents
by frenzed horses that broke away
from their drivers. Twenty head of
horses. some of them valuable animals,
ara known to have been killed in Pitts
burg, either by collision or becoming
entangled in electric light wires, John
DoWney, the driver of one team,
was dragged several squares and fatally
hurt Michael Dunn. aged fourteen,
was almost electrocuted by stepping on
an electric light wire Oh Second avenue.
One valuable team attached to car
riage standing i'll front OF Monongahela
avenue plunged into the Monongahela
river and was drowned. The funeral of
Joseph Craig was proceeding along
Stockton avenue. Allegheny, when the
storm broke. In an instant there was
terrible confusion. The horses reared
and plunged and were ineXtricably
ammed together. Some of the teams
ran away, crashing into the carriage
preceding them. The hearse was badly
damaged. 1t is reported that the cas-
ket was broken open. Many of the
ladies in the party tainted. The funeral
was postponed. An almost identical
experience befell a funeral cortege as 1t
entered the gates of the Allegheny
cemetery in Lawre melville. The money
loss will be very great, various estl-
mates placing the damage above half
million dollars.
At Marietta, O., a number of build
ings were destroyed and crops were laid
to the ground. Great destruction is re-
ported in the Belmont, Eureka and Sis
terville oil fields. AS far as known no
lives were lost.
WILMINGTON, o., May 20.-A terrific
wind and hail storm passed over this
county this afternoon and did much
damage. The frnit crop is damaged
about one-half. Hailstones Of unusually
large size fell for about thirty minutes.
The damage will be very great to grow
ing wheat.