The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-02
LITTLE INJURY TO PEOPLE
BALL PARK GRAND STAND, FILLED
WITH SPECTATORS, THREATENED.
A "LocaI" Storm at 2s1O O'Clock in the
Recommendations Serv-
Ice Crippled.


during the fercest blasts. After sand and
dust had been blown for ten minutes the
rain came down in almost solid sheets. 1t
gave the asphalt pavements the best clean
ing they have had for weeks. Although
the rain poured down as if the clouds had
been rent apart, there was not much of
precipitation, as the storm was of short
duration. 1t is estimated by the weather
officials that 2S-10O inch fell.
Much damage was done while the storm
lasted 1t came at a time when the streets
were crowded with afternoon shoppers,
most Of them without umbrellas. People
scurried in every direction to get under
cover Awnings were avoided, as the wind
whisked iron fastenings loose and tore the
canvas into strips that tapped into the faces
of hurrying passers by. Many apprehen-
sions OF a cyclone were felt but they were
groundless, as the weather man says that
there was nothing cyclonic in the storm,
and that it was simply a thunderstorm, To-
cal in its beginning and extent.
The first blast broke out windows, up
rooted trees, leveled telegraph poles and
played havoc generally before people had
time to realize what was happening In the
Lombard block, on Washington street, the
skylight was blown in, glass falling into
Vic NOdAN O<iOW with q VIII IdlllG. Ortu-
nately no one was hurt. A man in the
block said that he had to use an umbrella
when the rain began to get from his office
to another on the same floor. Windows
were broken in the top floors of the new
twelve-story Stevenson building, but ten
ants well up toward the roof say that they
did not feel any vibration. A young wom-
an was frightened at the appalling appear
ance of the storm from one OF the twelfth
story windows, and could hardly be induced
to stay IN the building. Below her the
dust and sand surged up Washington
street like bowling, muddy river, OBJ
structing all view of the sidewalk for a few
moments This was the first storm of any
consequence that has passed over the Stew
enson building, and tenants felt even more
secure than ever after it was over.
AT the courthouse one Of the heavy oval
plate-glass windows on the third story was
broken into a thousand pieces, but no one
was hurt. Recently the courthouse yard
has been graded, preparatory to sodding.
The days of sunny weather had dried the
soil. When the storm began it was but a
few moments until the basement OF the
courthouse was nlled with a driving bank
of sand. A clerk in one of the Offices esti-
mated that eight Wagonloads of dirt sifted
through the windows, which We're closed as
soon as possible.
A number of ludicrous incidents hap
pened. A man driving his sprnkIing wagon
around the Monument place lost his hat in
the gale. moment afterward the rain fell
in torrents He drove by the Journal office
at a fast trot 1t never touched me-" he
yelled, turning his face up into the rain.
Whats the matter with the sprinkiin'
cart?' Down at the corner of Illinois and
Georgia streets fruit stand was blown
over. Fruit went rolling in every direction.
Street gamins who witnessed the occur
renee rushed out on the sidewalk after the
whisked off their feet and piled up in the
gutter Dripping with water they crawled
back to shelter. Four piano covers that a
man was carrying into Carbon & Lennox's
place, opposite the Journal building were
whisked out of his hands He rushed after
them One, a costly silk, wound about
telegraph pole on Pennsylvania street,
halfway up to the top. In downtown
offices and business places business practi-
cally ceased. Young men and women
crowded to open doorways and windows to
gaze out on the storm. Umbrellas would
have been of no use in the face of the gale.
Several people were blown off their feet. A
colored woman, Lima McClelland, from
Jeffersonville, was driving on Market
street. The buggy was turned over, she
was thrown out and was only saved from
injury by man who was himself clutching
a telegraph pole. He was near enough TO
break her fall. The woman was afterward
carried into drug store She was pretty
badly injured. On South Capitol avenue
telegraph pole was blown down near the
Allen bicycle factory Out at the City Hos
Branches of trees fell across the Senate
avenue car line and blocked traffic for some
time. Trees were also blown down on
North Meridian street and Talbot avenue.
A show window at the Badger furniture
store, near the Arcade, was demolished, as
was one in Jewelry store at the same To-
cality.
The storm seems to have passed over the
entire city, In West Indianapolis residents
of River avenue, near Gus Rahke's old re-
sort, were surprised to see the beer garden
blown into the roadway The belfry of the
schoolhouse on the corner of Reisner and
Howard streets was blown down. Sheas
Hall on the hill" on Belmont avenue,
was badly damaged, a number of windows
being blown out and the building being IN
iured in other ways The front OF Walter
p HOSES hardware store was blown out,
the building wrenched around out of posi-
ton and plastering falling off in great
patches. The top of Pray's livery stable
was blown off even with the roof. AT the
the wind lifted the roof off a building
owned by VIM. r. English. In spite OF all
the damage done. no person was 1a-ally In
jured, so far as could be learned.
CUT BY FALLING GLASS.
Nathan Morris, of the firm of Morris,
Newberger & Curtis. attorneys in the Com
mercial Club building, had his hand quite
severely cut by broken glass from a VIM
dow that blew in. Louis Rowland, an edi-
torial writer on the News, was standing
with his back to a window when the storm
broke. He had his arm up to his head. A
window suddenly crashed, a large piece of
broken glass falling across the back of his
right hand. 1t was severely cut, the wound
extending to an artery. DIR. +. W. Hays at
tended to the injured member
An express wagon was standing in the
alley back of the Stevenson building. 1t
was blown over. striking against a large
plate-glass window in the rear of the
Progress clothing store. The window was
shattered.
w f. Christian, who has several farms
east of the city, went out into the country
after the storm. He said that no damage
was done TO growing corn, as the wind pre-
ceded the rain. +. w. Flanner, who came
in from Brightwood, reported that much
! damage had been done 10 corn III that Vi
cinity.
There was an amusing incident at the
! Park Theater corner. A man and woman
met close TO a telegraph pole as the wind
began blowing The woman was about to
! be carried off her feet when the man
| grabbed her with one arm. throwing the
! other arm about the pole with some diff
| Guilty she obtained n hold on the pole. They
! sWayed back and forth and We're about to
| be blown away together when two other
! men who had witnessed the incident rushed
! 20 their assistance. The four persons by
! huggng the pole between them, managed
! 10 keep their feet on the ground.
In Irvington the most damage was to
/ trees, which We're blown down across
streets and sidewalks.
ON the South Side OF the city many roofs
were blown away, tin roofs curling up like
49,