The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-08
Ruin by Wind in Chicago. Ar
kansas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma.
A Furious Storm Descended Suddenly
From an Unelouded Sky.
The Heat Led People to Go to the
Parks and Lake. Where They Were
Treacherousiy Set UPon-El Reno,
d. T., Lake Geneva. Wis, and Pine
Bluff, Ark, Visited.

Chicago. July 7.-One OF the most furious
wind and rain storms known IN this vicin-
NY Tor years passed over the city about
O'Clock this evening, coming from the
northwest. The day had been intensely
NOT, and there were many people out en-
the lake in sailboats. and as the storm
came very suddenly several lives were
lost. The different life saving crews have
been busy al the evening tracing rumogs
OF eapsized boats. people clinging 10
pianks, etc. and up 10 a. N. have brought
IN the occupants Of three capsized boats,
al In very exhausted condition. No
trace Of any others has been found up 20
this hour, and IL Is hoped that no more
are out. The police at the College Grove
station. on the South side, claim that they
distinctly saw q sailboat with three occ;s-
pants disappear during the height of the
gale. and that nothing was seen of IL again
during daylight. The life savers OF the
South side cruised around that locality for
some time, but found no evidence of a
wreck. II is probable that more missing
people viii be reported from various sub
urbs at a late hour.
Up to within twenty minutes of the de-
scent OF the storm upon the city the sky
had been clear and the sun was shining
brightly. Suddenly heavy black clouds be-
gan 10 gather in the northwest, and in a
rev miutues terrible gale of wind, ac.
companied by perfect food of rain and
furious thunder and lightning. was sweep
ing over the city. Shade trees were BRO
ken of close TO the ground. awnings and
signs were torn away. and much more
minor damage was done in the city. The
wind subsidized after about ha.f an hour.
but furious rain continued for fully two
hours. The parks had been crowded all
day with people seeking relief from the
atmosphere. and when the storm began
.aa1e for -nv-So al tnsf
and cable cars. The surface lines were all
equipped with open cars, and as a result
the occupants of every train made a sorry
looking sight before they had gone a
block. and most of them, after getting a
thorough soaking deserted the cars and
sought the shelter of convenient stairways
and stores along the streets. and there
they had 10 remain until after 7:30 p. m.
taking chances OF another wetting by once
more taking the cars. Several houses N
the outlying districts We're struck by Hight
ming and wrecked. Two small residences
were wholly destroyed. Luckily no one
was injured A signal tower beside the
Panhandle tracks at Ada street was
blown over and the tower man, August
Boedlow. was fatally injured. AT II p. n.
the police and life savers think that the
fatalities viii not exceed half a dozen.
Charles Klein. John Ross and Inarles l..
Shook are believed 10 have been drowned.
They were blown out into the lake in a
rowboat. and no trace has been found.
The yawlboat belonging to the yacht Hat
tie II. has been picked up off Twenty-six.h
street. but II is thought the yacht has
weathered the gale and made for ais port.
The small craft which were blown into
the lake report exciting experiences. There
were several narrow escapes from drown
ing The telegraph and telephone servi,e
was completely demoralized. 1t was 10
+ars, H.,l ~
with Milwaukee.
Later reports this evening show that
the losses I'm the downtown districts alone
will aggregate large sum The big de-
partment store Of Rothschild & Co, oc-
cupying nearly three-quarters Of a square
on State street. suffered most. The plate
glass windows on the State street side
were nearly all blown in The stock was
badly damaged by the rain Several
passersby on the street were painfully in
1ured by falling glass.
Az midnight IL Is thought that all out
on the lake are accounted for. The re-
port of the drowning of a man off Cottage
Grove is believed 10 be without founda-
tion A small boat containing three men
came ashore near the Farragut boat
house The police were notified.
Following is the revised death list: John
Ross capsized off the outer breakwater
three unknown persons. supposed 10 have
been drowned by the capsiziu. of a small
unknown yacht of Second street
Dispatches from many points IN the CEN
trail and northern portions Of Illinois and
Southern Wisconsin tell of A furious and
sudden storm this afternoon and evening
though nowhere was the damage so much
as AZ Chicago. At savanna. H., the storm
almost amounted 10 cyclone. At Peoria
the mercury stood at as nearly all day un-
I'll o'clock, when the storm suddenly
commenced. Several buildings were un-
rooted one three-story frame building
was completely demolished. and muc n
damage was done TO trees. awnings and
windows. Many boating parties were on
the lake. but 50 far as known they all
succeeded in reaching places OF safety
At peiaven. Wis. the roof Of the Met
towe hotel vas blown of and great trees
were broken like pipestems. There was a
deiuEe Of rain. and great hails;ones broke
windows and leveied fields OF grain