The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-17
STORM At FAIR GROUNDS
A NAN AND woMAN HURT By THE
FALLING OF TREES.
Several Horses Killed and Tents
Blown Down-Damage to Car
riage and Exhibits.

The full force of the storm that touched
the city rather lightly at ] 0 clock yesterday
afternoon struck the state fair grounds,
causing injuries to three people and doing
not little damage. Shortly before o'clock
the crowd in the grandstand noted a ball
loon-shaped cloud appear in the northwest
and moving rapidly toward them, and those
who had had experience with the playful
cyclone remarked that it looked dangerous.
Fortunately, however, the cloud spread and
in two or three minutes the whole western
sky was overcast. Then came the first gust
of wind, raising the dust that was lying
two three inches thick on the drives and
whirling it about in such dense clouds that
people were blinded.
The grounds presented scene of wild
confusion. The day up to that time had
been fair and there were in the neighbor-
hood of ten thousand people on the grounds.
There was a general rush for shelter, and
in very short time every building the
grounds that did not look dangerous was
packed with frightened people. There were
about four thousand people in the grand
stand and, though they were greatly fright
ened, there was no stampede. The tents
and awnings were fairly filled with people
examining the exhibits housed under them,
and the storm came SO suddenly that many
of these were caught, and there was a vast
amount of screaming and confusion.
Henry Hicks, employed by the Jones
Fence Company, of Columbus o., was
caught by a tree that fell upon the COM
pany's tent.
He was removed to the City Hospital by
the city ambulance as soon as possible after
his injury. He received a deep cut in the
an is aci1,a
was also an injury to the shoulder. th5ugh
it neither fractured nor dislocated.
When he reached the hospital he was
dazed and had swallowed considerable
blood. After an examination of the injuries
the hospital physicians pronounced them of
niue consequence, except that they will
keep Hicks indoors tor a few days Hicks
Is forty-five years old and lives in Column
bus, where ne has q family.
Nathan ri. Richardson, son of Is. H. Rich
ardsOn quartermaster general was kicked
in the right groin by one OF the horses of
the Governor staff. he had gone to look
after them when the storm came up.
a woman, whose name was not learned,
suffered broken arm from falling limb
OF a tree
In the timbered part Of the grounds were
itors from the country. Five or SIX trees
were blown down One of these crushed a
horse, breaking its back and killing it. Two
other horses were so injured by falling trees
that they had to be killed.
Most of the exhibitors under tents or avn
ings rushed their men to the ropes when
the wind struck, but most of the canvases
went down, and each OF the local tent and
awning copanieS estimates its loss at from
$1,000 TO $l,500. All the tents in threshlng-
machine row went down, but the exhibits
were not injured. The most damage was
done among the carriage exhibit, all Of
which was under awnings Nearly all the
vehicles were drenched and some of them
were injured by he failing poles of the avn
ings. The Columbus Carriage Company, the
lar "a Ia oa h4a D.
pany and the Michigan Carriage Company
suffered in amounts varying from $50 to $3.50.
The others escaped With a iwetting.
The bunch of awnings in the paddock
across the track from the grandstand went
down at the first puff of wind, and when the
heaviest gust came the little padoga serving
as the timers stand went over, to the great
surprise and terror of a man who had taken
refuge under it, He was not hurt, but he
got very wet.
The grounds had not become dry when a
second storm came up al $50 that looked
even more omnous than the first, but,
though the rain was heavier there was no
damage