The Monticellonian., 1895-07-12
GREAT STORM IN CHICAGO

GREAI FORM IN CHICAGO sach as the City Had Not Seen in Years Great Destruction of Property, and Probable Heavy Loss of Life Caused Mostly by tho CapsizIng of Vessels or the Shore-Details of the Great Blow.
 CHCAGO, July s-With little warn- ing of it's terrific, death-dealing force and destructive character, wind and rain storm such as Chicago has not seen for years broke upon the city about 5:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
 The first approach of the storm was indicated by 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 fifty-mile gait, and the sky was overcast with circu- lating clouds and black masses filed with the deluge to come Wind and rain soon mingled with terrific force, and people on the streets and the thou sands of women and children in the parks became frightened, thinking cyclone was 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- l juries from glass were reported. It was dangerous to venture on the streets of the downtown district, where flying hagpoles, 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 X Go. and A. M. Rothschilds x Co were swept away from their fastenings and carried with deadly force to the side walk. Several persons who brayed 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 snbsded. The duration of the storm, so far as the rain was concerned, did not exceed two hours, but the wind remained high until late hour
 Possibly loo, 000 persons were caught in the city parks away from a 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 drenching than those on foot.
 The yacht Idler capsized in the lake near Rogers park when the storm broke. William Newcomb and Ellis Parks were thrown into the water. but managed to cling to the upturned boat until the crew of the life-saving sta tion rescued them.
 Reports were received by the police from variety of sources during the night of boats having been seen to eapsize during the storm and the oc- eupants 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-f 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 ty-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 was 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 switchnan, who wa in the tower at the time, had his leg 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 burned building, were blown down and threw the people of the eighborhood into fright, but no 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.
 A TERRIFIC CYCLONE
 Visits Memphis, Tenn, and Neighborins