The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-05-12
: DISASTROUS STORMS.
Wind, Hail. lightning and Rain.
STORM IN MARYLAND

The storms Of Saturday and Sunday,
were very destructive and Of wide extent.
Following are some of the details:
The steam yacht Major w. Allen, in
charge of Capt T.. W. Kirwan, of the
Colchester Company, was struck by light
ming at Chestertown Saturday night. The
boat had conveyed the St. Johns College
baseball nine to Chestertown, and was
waiting at the wharf to carry the party
back to Annapolis. Between nine and ten
o'clock there was brilliant and constant
electrical display Captain Kirwan heard
some one walking on the wharf and opened
the pilot-house door to ask who it was.
As he did so, a fash of lightning blinded
the captain, the boat trembled and heaved,
and he sank back in chair semi-uncon-
scious. For some forty-five minutes he
could see nothing but green, and was I'M
able to leave his chair. He was aroused
by Engineer Daniel Prettymen entering
the pilot-house, who said the rust and old
iron from the smokestack had fallen in a
shower in the engine-room. Attempts
had previously been made to remove the
rust with a chisel, but it could not be
done. A deck hand, Lawrence Lee, said
he felt the stern of the boat rise, and was
stunned for over half hour. The vessel,
except the chipping of the rust off the
stack, was uninjured.
Portions of baltimore were flooded, win
dow lights broken, sky lights carried away
and stocks ruined Nearly all the exposed
wires were damaged and electric lights ex-
tinguished.
In Frederick the rain fall was equal to
that of the great food of 1868, though the
damage was not so great. Cows that were
in meadows along the creek were washed
down, hogs and chickens were swept away,
fences, small buildings and loose lumber
were tossed along on the current, and
garden patches were ruined. The light
ming struck the Junior Engine House, and
shattered its cupola. The hail cut fruit
off of the trees and heavy damage done in
the county. Many cellars were flooded.
Besant & Knots large wholesale store,
which was unroofed undergoing repairs,
was badly damaged by rain. Several COWS
and horses were drowned but most of the
cattle were rescued. The streets were
thronged with people watching the flood,
and rendering aid. Services in all the
churches were suspended. The storms
were rapid in their movement, first pass
ing from north to south, then back again;
then to west and east, constantly going and
coming from all points of the compass,
meeting over the ely, and bursting with
fury. Throughout the county the most
disastrous results are reported to buildings,
crops, orchards, roads and bridges.
In Washington county the storm was
very severe and much damage resulted.
In Cecil county several horses and cattle
were killed while at pasture, by lightning
and several barns were struck.
IN THE WEST.
Iowa CITY, Iowa, May 6.-The Sc
verest storm known for years swept over
the city at five o'clock yesterday afternoon.
In fifteen minutes more than two hundred
dollars damage was done to
buildings and contents. The damage in the
country is very great. The storm came
from the west, preceded by dark clouds,
with vivid streaks of lighting and mutter-
ings of thunder. Almost total darkness
prevailed just before the storm broke.
Hailstones fell thick and fast, crushing
through plate-glass windows, perpering
roofs and flooding stores and dwellings.
Memorial windows suffered greatly, as did
many fine plate windows in residences.
Many store-fronts were beaten in. The
St. James Hotel, the Republican Office
and State University Building and many
other prominent buildings suffered severely.
Until a very short time before the storm
broke the day was beautiful and the-streets
were crowded with people. No fatalities
are reported, but many were injured by
runaway teams and pelting of hailstones,
which were unusually large. By actual
some of them were eight to
nine and a half inches in circumference.
Dispatches from points along the Chica-
go, Rock Island and Pacific west, show
damage to buildings and merchandise, and
great loss of live stock Tin roofs on
buildings were badly damaged.
MOUNT CARROLL, ILL, May g.
Early last evening the most destructive
rain, hail and wind storm visited this city
that has ever been known here. The First
Baptist Church is total wreck, the furni-
ture and fine pipe organ being completely
destroyed. Trees were blown down, and
much other damage done.
Portions of Lyons and 0ssage counties,
Kansas, were visited by severe storm on
Friday night. The country was flooded
and the rain was followed by hail, which
killed cattle and ruined crops. At Wichita
several houses were struck by lightning,
and at Olives loaded cars were blown from
the railroad tracks.
A great storm of wind, hail and light
ming visited Southern Minnesota on Satur-
day afternoon and destroyed a large
amount of property.
A telegram from Huntington, West
Virginia, says that destructive wind and
thunder storm, accompanied by heavy
down-pour of rain, passed over that region
of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia
Sunday evening. At least Is houses were
unroofed and blown down. At Central
City, two miles below, the Ohio River
Railroad shops and round houses were
demolished, and j. H. Burk-
hart, man at work on the former, was
badly hurt.
Dispatches from Wilkesbarre, Scranton
and Pottsville, Pa, state that an immense
amount of damage was done on Sunday.
Hail fell in torrents and grain fields and
were moved dewn, buildings were
blown down, orchards destroyed, bridges
and culyerts washed away, houses, trees,
electric light and telegraph poles
were struck by lightning.
A fierce wind storm at Poughkeepsie,
New York, Sunday night, unroofed
buildings, blew down trees and disarranged
electric light wires. At Fonda, New York,
Sunday night, there was severe hail storm.