The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-29

Henderson Ritchie aged 65, struck by light
ming at McKee's Rock, will not recover;
Sidney Gebhart South Side, struck by light
ming, will recover; William Parenitt, postal
messenger, struck by lightning, injuries
slight; James Brady. janitor of the Ralston
public school, struck by flying bough; Police
officer w. P. Smith, struck in the back by
flying sign board and badly hurt; Motorman
Shaw, of the Bloomfield line, shocked by
lightning; six girls in Armstrong; cork fac
tory, cut by flying glass; "Uncle Bob" a
well-known negro, shocked by lightning; F.
McGovern, baker, and unknown boy slightly
hurt by falling awning; - Miles, SIX years
DID, daughter of George Miles, 20 Mulberry
alley, struck in the head with a brick Mr.
Thompson of Carbon alley, struck by falling
chimney; unknown stable boy, blown against
a cart at Twenty street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue and two ribs broken.
CYCLONIC CONDITIONS.
The approach of the storm was
beralded by black clouds that turned
daylight into darkness. There was a
constant roll of terrifying thunder and
incessant flashes of vivid lightning
The wind rose to a gale as the rain be-
gan to fall, and then the hurricane
came on with a roar driving the rain
in solid sheets before it. In an instant
the streets in many parts Of the city
were filled with flying branches of
trees. Tin roofs were lifted from
houses and sent whirling over chimney
tops, knocking them down like ten pins
signs and fences and trees fell. crush
ing out the lives Of two men and in
juring others.
Col. Frank Ridgeway, the local fore
cast official, was at his desk when the
first storm cloud darkened the sky. He
said that he had never seen a more
perfect cyclone formation in the clouds,
and that the city was not visited by
cyclone worse than that which caused
the st. Louis horror. Is due to the in
tervening hills. The circular move
ment of the wind was broken in the
lower strata, or else there would have
been a path plowed through the two
cities several blocks wide.
Another storm swept over the city
during which torrents Of rain fell and
the wind blew gale, but no serious
damage resulted. The damage to
property was general and various. The
wind unroofed dozens Of houses, while
others were damaged by the water
washing their foundations away. Still
others were struck by lightning. The
traction lines as usual were compelled
to suspend operation. Great heaps Of
dirt and debris, from the previous
floods, piled near the tracks, were
washed down again and the only lines
which escaped serious delays were
those on the South side. In the Penn
sylvania avenue mill district, 25 large
smoke and draught stacks were blown
down, buildings were unroofed, trees
were uprooted and scarcely a house in
the district passed through the storm
intact. Butlerest got a repetition Of
the storm on July Is, and the persons
who suffered property loss on that oc-
casion had the same experience yes
terday. The East end got it's hardest
touch of the wear Tp1oOrranh nO1Qq
went down under the wind, fences and
outbuildings were destroyed and large
buildings suffered the loss of roofs and
windows.
The telegraph and telephone systems
of the two cities were badly damaged.
All the police and fire alarm wires
were wrecked to a greater or less ex-
tent, but by hard work during the
night, they have been put in fair shape
again. The G. G.. & P. Telegraph Co.,
suffered greatly Almost half the
telephone lines in Allegheny county
were out of order last night and
strenuous efforts are being made to
repair the damage. At nine o'lock a. m.
1t was estimated that 700 lines were
still out of order. The Western Union
and the Postal Telegraph companies,
suffered much damage, but by hard
work enough lines were kept open to
n6nQle pressing business. Inc electric
light and street railway wires were
badly disorganized by the wind, and
were crossed and re-crossed with other
lines, until linemen got them straight
ened out.
Dispatches from all points report
heavy damage from the storm and
many narrow escapes, but fortunately
no more fatalities. The greatest
damage was in Washington county,
which was the scene Of this mornings
cloud burst Hundreds Of bridges have
been washed away and traffic has been
suspended on the Washington and
Waynesburg railroad. In the oil fields
an enormous amount OF oil was lost
through breaking of mains and scores
of rigs were demolished. At Clayville,
houses were unrOOfed, trees uprooted
and many buildings are total wrecks
The United Presbyterian church and
the Claysville high school building
suffered the severest loss here, being
struck by lightning and wrecked. Re-
ports brought in from the surrounding
country state that the storm has
wrought great destruction for miles
around. In some places houses were
removed from their foundations. but
no further loss of life is yet reported
Many houses and barns were struck by
the lightning. A late dispatch from
Mcdonald states that it was steam
pipe and not the boiler at w. P. Rends
No. mine that exploded this morn
ing.