Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-01
A SERIOUS STORM
OF WIND, RAIN, HAIL AND LIGHTNING, YES.
TgRDAY EVENING.
Over Six Hundred Telephones Burned Oct in This
City-A Two-Story Building Demolished
at Benwcod-0iher Damage
About Town.


yesterday aftemOon-aUout half-past five
O'Clock, ii very serious storm, which
just escaped doing big lot OF damage.
A very little more wind in some parts
Of the city and immediate neighborhood
would have left good many buildings
in urgep. need of repairs, and might
have resulted In injury to persons as
well as property.
The storm was bad enough as 1t was,
and it was feared last night that when
reports come In to-day from the sur
rounding country on both sides OF the
river, the aggregate loss will be found
to be quite large.
It was a somewhat peculiar storm
from several points OF view. In the
first place, the barometer did not fall
greatly before it came up, the lowest
notch being about 90. so inches; another
fact is that the bulk OF both wind and
rain seemed to pass above and below
this city, and still another incident was
that there was very little wind In some
parts of town, while but few squares
away q young hurricane ragged for as
much as a quarter of an hcar. The
lightning was very vivid all along the
line. The fall OF hail did not amount
to much, but at Schnepfis 81 OF an inch
of rain fell in about twenty-five min
utes, which, added to the fall OF O
tenti 81 I an inch earlier in the after
noon, made about three-fourths OF an
inch for the afternoon. The creek had
not been much affected by the storm up
to ten o'clock last night, but CaldwelPs
and Boggs' runs ran out heavily, as ala
the small streams on the Ohio SIDE OF
the river.
In this city the wind did but little
damage. lightning came into the tel
ephone exchange strong on several &C.
casions, and over six hundred tele-
phones were burned out, sadly Grip
ping the service last night. The city
electric light wires were also seriously
affected, and lights were at premium
in almost all portions Of the city during
the early portion of the night. At the
Smith Brewery, in North Wheeling,
water ran through the building from
the hillside. doing considerable damage,
and at William F. Wier's hat and furn-
ishing goods store, on Market street,
the rain came through the top OF the
show windows, damaging lot OF stock.
At points on the Island, and also along
the hillside in this city shade trees were
considerably damaged, and the streets
were quickly converted into torrents,
with the usual result OF leav-
ing masses of mud and building debris
at various points. On Market street,
north OF Twelfth, the stuff in front Of
the new Peabody building was washed
about at lively rate, and as result
the street cars were stopped for about
twenty minutes. AT Boggs' run the
B. & o. track was flooded with water
and covered with mud, and force OF
men had to be put TO work at cleaning
ND. At the car barn Of the Street Railway
Company the water backed into the
north end of the building until 1t was
three feet deep, and such things as
wheelbarrows, barrels and boxes were
set afioat. Little actual damage was
done at this point, however. In
the houses ia the vicinity
of Forty-third street good
deal of water ran into cellars, and
mucNmud, etc., was deposited where 1t
was not wanted. At Forty-fifth street
wards were flooded and the street car
track was covered. The water came
down the hillside in the vicinity OF
Mozart Park something after the style
of the water which came down at Lo-
dore, and some damage was done to the
grading for the incline. At Forty-first
street the sewers were choked mp, and
large body OF water collected along
the b. & o. track, between Fortieth
and Forty fifth streets. At Twenty
fourth and other South Side streets
the streets were impossible for long
time. and cellers were flooded at vari-
Gus points.
The worst damage, however. occurred
at Benwood, the storm being especially
severe there. A three-story business
house had been nearly completed on
Main street, for the furniture firm Of
Baker & Zimmerman. The roof was
on, and the interior was lathed and
about ready for the plasterers. The
| wind got into the structure and blew 1,
over to the north, the whole edifice be-
| ing left com lete wreck down to the
keround floor. Had the building
Hen to the south, an adjoin'
\building would have been crushed.
Atirm had moved in some stock on
wer floor, and about 5000 worth
ktroyed in addition to loss Of
roo ~ n ha h.,fldfnn unfrh O. (
in size, Several people had
on the approach OF the
kEe before il was deRol
made by the falIinl
katly to the excite
Pnwood.
\rd, in Marshall
very high. and
pces. ETC., we're
wn. The vino
have been the
d there.
9 damage wa:
Church wa:
damaged. q
n the wall:
the stained
was very
knkments,
ashed In
genuine
orm was
fear OF
sharp
In cellars
kSna And