The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-08
BOATS SEEN TO CAPsIZE.
Reports of Missing Sailors and
YaChtsmen Are Pour
ing In.
DESTRUCTION IN THE CITY.
Great Damage Done by the Tornado
in the Business Sec
ton.

CHICAGO. ILL, July with little
warning OF its terrific death-dealing force
and destructive character a wind and rain
storm, such as has not been seen for years,
broke opon the city about $50 o'clock this
afternoon. The complete result Will not
be known until tomorrow, but it is certain
tonight that four lives were lost on Lake
Michigan by the capsizing of boats at the
mercy of the hurricane.
The first appearance of the storm was
indicated by a severe blowing of dust in
the business part of the city, sending the
thousands of pedestrians to seek refuge IN
the hotels and stores which were open. In
a few minutes the gale increased to fifty
mile gait and the sky was overcast with
circulating clouds and black masses filled
with the deluge to come.
Wind and rain soon mingled with ter
rife force, and people on the streets and
the thousands of women and children In
the parks became frightened, thinking a
tornado was upon them. The heat during
the day had been oppressive and the Win
dows in the hotels were left open. Before
they could be closed thousands of dollars
worth of damage had been done and sew
6TdI 1IOlu glass; N61S 4CEO4tSN
1t was dangerous to venture on the
streets of the downtown district where fly
ing fagpoles, awnings, signs and broken
windows filled the air. This was espe
cially true along State street. Several
hundred of flags which hung from the
windows of the prominent stores Of Siegel,
Cooper & Co. and A. NJ. Rothschild & Co.
were swept from their fastenings and car
ried with deadly force to the sidewalk.
Several persons who braved the storm
were struck by 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 as the rain was con-
celned, did not exceed two hours, but the
wind remained high until late hour.
Probably 100000 people were caught in
the parks away from any shelter, and were
wet to the skin before finding cover.
Thousands of these unfortunates were on
wheels. and they got even a worse drench-
ing than those on foot.
The yacht Idler capsized in the lake near
Rogers Park when the storm broke. VIII
into the water, but managed to cling to the
upturned boat until the crew of the life
saving station rescued them.
Reports were received by the police from
q variety of sources during the night of
boats having been seen to capsize during
the storm, and the occupants 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 the
reports of the missing are received.
At midnight the news was received that
Charles Kline and Charles Leeshook, who
were supposed to have been drowned by
the capsiZing of the yacht Pilot, were
picked up alive off the Thirty y-fiftn-street
pier. They were almost dead from ex-
haustion and reported that their compan-
ion, John Ross, was surely drowned. The
yacht was seen in distress at the outset of
the storm off the Twenty-second-str
pier, and spectators were sure all had been
drowned when the boat capsized and moth
ing more was seen of the occupants, 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 was seen
TO struggle with his fraI craft, and in
few minutes disappeared under the white
capped waves, to be seen no more.
On the Panhandle Railroad at Ada
street switch tower was lifted from the
foundation and turned over. August
BoedlOw, the watchman, who was in the
tower at the time, had his legs broken by
the fall and his hands and face were Sc
verely cut.
Two high walls which had been left
standing at 442 Wabash avenue, on the
site of burned building were blown down
into fright, but no one was hurt.
A loss of several thousand dollars was
caused by the blowing down of the roof of
the tive-story building at 126 Washington
street, adjoining the Chicago Opera-house.
Every office below was flooded, as, was
the costly saloon OF Daniel O'Brien on the
ground floor. The ceiling broke and fire
also started from the electric wires. Over
$4,000 damage was done TO the department.
store of A. NJ. Rothschild & Co. by the
breaking of plate-glass windows and the
destruction of goods. Fireman Lee Grant
of the firm had his hands seriously cut
while trying to save merchandise in the
windows. A big plate-glass show-window
in the store of Siegel, Cooper & Co. was
smashed by the fury of the wind, which
seemed to blow in every direction at once.
Plate-glass windows in the stores of the
H. o. Mott Iron Works; Thorson & Cas-
sidy, sporting goods, the bank of the Ma
tional Trust Company, the saloon of George
H. Andrews and the cigar-store of Conn
Rros were laid ont on the street in 6na
particles. Trees and telegraph poles were
blown down by the score.
CYCLONE IN TENNESSEE.
Houses Are Carried Atcay aud Loss of