The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-24
VERNAL EQUINOX WAS HERE
Baromeiric Conditions Indicated q
Storm Though a Day or Two Late.
Heaviest Wind in Quarter Of Cerealine Mills
and Coffin WOrks-Several Persons Badly
Hurt-Narrow Escapes from heath.


The windstorm that visited the city be-
tween and o'clock last night was no in
significant breeze. IL was a rampant, roar
ing. screeching wind with q strong arm,
and raised roofs with reckl less disregard
for property rights and personal safety. It
came with rush. did its damage and
passed on quickly. BY half paste o'clock
the city and suburbs were quiet again and
quite number of people started on
search for their roofs, barns. henhouses or
fences.
There was but little warning of the ap-
proach of the storm. lts coming was an
nounced by few titful flashes of sheet
lightning followed by a rum bling roaring
thunder. and about the time people were
expecting that a storm was coming. it was
upon them. There was no time for prepara-
tien. even IL it could have prevented any of
the damage done. By the time persons IN
the sections where il was the most severe
had concluded that there was cause Tor
alarm. the storm had passed, and with it
the cause for alarm. The observing ones,
however. realized that with the sultriness.
which made overcoats oppressive, the con.
OAhous WeIo ripe Juce sum VIZ" ~
the equinOctial period.
North of Fall creek and in the vicinity
of the cerealine works, the storm came
with terrific force and so frightened were
those capable of giving an Intelligent ac-
count of the blow, that IL was almost i'm
possible last night TO secure particulars.
AT the corner of Vorster and Post
avenues 10 the Marion Park Hotel and
saloon combined and owned By Charles
Behnke. A number of the employees OF
the manufacturing establishments in
that district were asleep in the
hotel when the storm struck, but
niraeulously escaped serious injury. The
entire root was blown from the building
aud nearly every window shattered. The
wife OF the proprietor was standing at q
window of the third story and was struck
on the foot by piece of the chimney. She
suffered painful injuries. No other injuries
were reported from the hotel. although .
mum Der of persons were slightly bruised.
In the barrOom below Lyon Edwards and
Thomas Lack were seated at q table.
gagged IN play ing cards and slipping beer.
They were not hurt aud describe the roar
and general conduct of the wind as some
thing awful They made an effort to close
the doors and windows, but were blown
around Ike straws, and were not SO ex-
cited that they failed TO note that the beer
Was blown out OF the glasses. Charles
Sherman. an employe of the cerealIne
works, was sleeping in the third story of
the Marian Hotel. but did not wake and
knew nothing of the storm until he was
aroused and saw the sknrrylng clouds
above him. The ocrealine works. at
Gent street. suffered severely. al
though bnt one man was injured.
All three OF the mills were damaged to q
considerable extent. but mill was nearly
blown TO pieces All the machinery was In
operation and dozen hands were at work
on the third floor. The employees bad no
warning of the approaching tornado until
the ROOF was lifted from the factory and
the sound OF crashing glass and timbers
reached their ears. The severest point of
the storm was over before the inmates of
lao mill realized that they were In
danger and began TO look about tor
miller. suffered injuries about the feet, and
Charles Myers was blown down the stair
way and his leg was broken. Others w ere
slightly injured. but their names are IN.
known. The Capital City Cloth Casket
Company IL located q few hundred yards
from the cereallne works, and Thomas Har-
vey. the night Waterman. had Just left the
factory when the roof and entire third story
caught the full force of the wind, and, with
q tremendous crash, fell in. No one was in
the establishments. and no wounded
are reported from that quarter. Aside
from she damage TO the main buildings,
both the colin and cereailne works Will
show disastrous losses from water when
the results of the storm are more clearly de-
lined. Nearly every dwelling house in that
section lay directly In the course of the
wind, and NAV residences suffered to q
serious extent. The home of Alfred Mo-
Coy was totally demolished, and he and his
wife and three children were seated In their
sitting room as the ceilings crashed In over
their heads. Their escape from death was
wonderful Mccoy received some bad cuts
slightly injured. but Mrs. Mccoy escaped
without q scratch. DR.. Rude. of the City
Dispensary, was called to dress the in
juries of the family.
STORM IN HAUGHvILLE.
Out in Hsughville the wind tore about
forty feet of the sheet iron roofing off the
new building of the Brown Ketcham works
and dropped it across the street car tracks
on Michigan street. and then picked up q
lot of miscellaneous bill boards ETC.. and
piled them mp on the battered iron roofing
It was some time before the distinctions
were removed. Travel on the Haughville
line was for the time stopped. Carl Rhoads.
residing at the corner of Bismarck
avenue and Michigan street. went
out into his yard after the storm
and found bis woodshed converted
into heap OF kindling A number of
sheds ana fences In she suburb were found
TO lie missing from their accustomed places
after the wind had passed over. In the
neighborhood iof Kisseps roadhouse, ut
Mississippi street and Fall creek. the wind
carried away about every thing il could
hasten hold upon. North of Mississippi
street. on Fall creek. 10 levsled fences and
blew down stables. Lewis Spehr, q poultry
fancier residing IN the vicinity of the road
mouse. ned very fine hennery
IN which his aristOcratIc poultry re-
sided. The wind caught this and twisted
IL into bit oil spiinters and the high
breed chickens went forth into the night
half lying and half blown by tho wind
At tho corner of Mississippi and Eighteenth
streets It raised barn oil its found alton
and set it down ab0lt ten feet to one side
1t took a peep into the tigrr's quarters at
klssells aud then swOoped down and car
ried the beast away to nowhere.
TREE ON BIG FOUR TRACK.
A large tree aud the roof of an ice house
were blown across the Big Four tracks Just
south of Fall creek. Patr0lmen Ward and
Hart learned of the distractions upon the
track and notified the officials. A gang Of
section hands was sent to the scene at
once 20 clear the track in time for the Chi
cago express, which leaves here at 1880,
but the track was not passable at that hour
and the train LETT over the ST. Louis track
and around the Belt TO North Indianapolis.
several telegraph poles on the Belt were