The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-13
GREAT STORM IN CHICAGO

Great Destruction of Property, and
Probable Heavy Loss of Life Caused
Mostly by the Capsizing of Vessels on
the Shore-Detsils of the Great BLOW.
CHICAGO, July s-With little warn
ing of its terrific, death-dealing force
and destructive character, 4 wind and
rain storm such a Chicago has not
seen for years broke upon the city
about $50 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The first approach of the storm was
indicated by a severe blowing of dust
in the business part Of the city, send
ing the thousands Of pedestrians to
seek refuge in the hotels and stores
which were opened. In . few minutes
the gale increased to a ffty-mile gait,
and the sky was overcast with circu-
lating clouds and black masses filed
with the deluge to come. Wind and
rain Don mingled with terrific force,
and people on the streets and the thou
sands of women and children in the
parks became frightened, thinking a
cyclone vas upon them.
The heat during the day had become
oppressive and windows in the hotels
were left open. Before they could be
closed thousands of dollars worth OF
damage had been done and several in
was dangerous to venture on the
streets of the downtown district,
where flying lagpoles, awnings, signs
and broken windows filed the air.
This was especially true along State
street. Several hundred flags hung
from the windows of the big depart
ment stores of Siegel, Cooper & Co.
and A. NJ. Rothschilds & Co, were
swept away from their ~fastenings and
carried with deadly force to the side
walk. Several persons who braved
the storm were struck by the poles,
but they escaped serious injury.
Two thousand spectators were
caught at the baseball park during the
league game. and had to stay huddled
in the grand stand until the deluge
subsidized. The duration of the storm,
SO far a. the rain was concerned, did
not exceed two hours, but the wind
remained high until a late hour.
Possibly 100, 900 persons were caught
in the city parks away from o place of
shelter, and were wet to the skin be-
fore finding cover. Thousands of these
unfortunates were On wheels, and they
got even a worse drenehing than those
on foot.
The yacht Tdler capsized in the lake
near Rogers park when the storm
brOla Wi1l;om Na,,oomb apd Ellie
Parks were thrown into the water. but
managed to cling to the upturned boat
until the crew of the l~ife-saving sta
ton rescued them.
Reports were received by the police
from a variety of sources during the
night of boats having been seen to
capsize during the storm and the DC
cupants to disappear under the water,
but no bodies have yet been recovered
and it will be impossible to ascertain
the exact loss of life until reports of
the missing are received.
At midnight the news was received
that Chas. Kline and Chas- Leeshook,
who were supposed to have been
drowned by the capsizing of the yacht
Pilot, were picked up alive off the
Thirty-fifth-street pier. They were
almost dead from exhaustion and re-
ported that their companion, John
Ross, was surely drowned. The yacht
was seen in distress at the outset of
the storm off the Twenty-second-street
pier, and spectators were sure all had
been drowned when the boat capsized
and nothing more was seen of the oc-
cupants, the three men mentioned.
A rowboat with one man in it was
seen off the north pier when the storm
broke, about two miles from shore.
He vas seen to struggle with his frail
craft, and in a few minutes he disap-
peared under the white-capped waves,
to be seen no more.
On the Panhandle railroad at Ada
street a switch tower was twisted from
its foundation and turned over. Au-
gust Boedlow, the switchman, who was
in the tower at the time, had his legs
broken by the fall. and his hands and
face were cut severely.
Two high walls which had been left
standing at 442 Wabash avenue, on the
site of a burned building, were blown
down and threw the people of the
neighborhood into a fright, but nc one
was hurt.
A loss of several thousand dollars
was caused by the breaking of the
roof of the fve-story building 126
Washington street, adjoining the Chi
cago opera house. Every Office below
was flooded, and the costly saloon of
Dan O'Brien, on the ground floor. was
flooded. The ceiling broke and a fire
also started from the electric wires.