The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-08

Chicago, July 7-One of the most
furious wind and rain storms known in
this vicinity for years passed over the
city about 6 o'clock this evening, com
ing from the northwest. The day had
been intensely hot and there were
many people out on the lake in sail
boats, and as the storm came very
suddenly it is feared that several lives
nave been lost. The different life-sav-
ing crews have been very busy all the
evening tracing rumors of capsized
boats, people clinging to planks, etc,
and UP to 10 p. n. have brought in
the occupants Of three capsized boats,
all in a very exhausted condition. No
trace of any others have been found
up to this hour and it is hoped that
no more are out. The police at Cottage
Grove avenue station on South Side
claim they distinctly saw a sailboat
with three occupants disappear during
the height of the gale and nothing was
seen of it again during daylight. The
life savers from South Side cruised
around that locality for some time,
but found no evidence of a wreck. 1t
is probable that more missing viii be
reported from various suburbs at a
later hour. Up to within twenty min
utes of the descent of the storm upon
the city the sky had been GEAR and
the sun shining brightly. Suddenly
heavy black clouds began to gather in
the northwest, and a few minutes later
a terrible gale of wind accompanied by
a perfect flood of rain and furious;
thunder and lightning, was sweeping
over the city. Shade trees were broken
off close to the ground, awnings and
signs were torn away and much more
minor damage was done in the city.
The wind subsidized after a bout half an
hour. but a furious rain continued for
nearly two hours. The parks had been
crowded all day with people seeking
relief from the atmosphere, and when
the storm began there was stampede
for the various elevated and cable
cars.
The surface lines were all equipped
with open cars, and as a result the
occupants of every train made q sorry
looking sight before they had travel
ed block and most of them, after
getting thorough soaking, deserted
the cars and sought the shelter of
convenient stairways, and stores
along the streets, and there they had
to remain until after 7:30 o'clock TAX
ing chances OF another Wettlng by
once more taking the cars.
Several houses in the outlying dis
tricts were struck by lightning 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, Au-
gust Boedlow was fatally injured. At
II p m, the police and life savers
think that the fatalities will not eX-
coed half dozen. Charles Klein,
John Ross and Charles l.. Shook are
believed to have been drowned. They
were blown out into the lake. in
row boat and no trace has been found.
The yawi boat belonging TO the yacht
Hattie B has been picked UP off
Twenty-SiXth street but it is thought
the yacht has weathered the gale and
made some other port. The small
craft which were blown into the lake
report exciting experiences. There
were several narrow escapes from
drowning. The telegraph and tele-
phone service was completely de-
moralized. 1t was 10 o'clock tonight
before any communication could be
had with Milwaukee.
Later reports this evening show
that the losses in the down town dis
tricts alone will aggregate a large
sum The big department store of
Rothschild & Co, occupying 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
passers-by on the street were pain
fully injured by falling glass
At midnight it is thought that all
/ ont IN fine la are accounted for.
The report of the drowning of d man
off Cottage Grove is believed without
| foundation. A small boat containing
! three men came near the Farragut
boat house soon after the police were
notified of the missing men.
| John Ross, capsized, outer break
water.
! Three unknown persons, supposed to
/ have been drowned by capsiZing OF a
small unknown yacht off Second
street.