Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-14

Yesterday morning about a quarter
after eleven o'clock violent wind and
rain storm struck this city, which de-
veloped some cyclonic characteristics
a short time later, few miles east OF
the city.
us from the west or southwest. Yes
terday's trouble came from the north
east.
The early morning was fairly cool,
the mercury marking SO at Schnepfs
at Z o'clock, and 80 at 9 o'clock, giving
promise of hot day. About IL o'clock,
however, pretentious clouds were seen
gathering in the northeast, and fifteen
minutes later big rain storm burst
over the city, accompanied in some
central localities by a high wind. In
about fifteen minutes so of an inch OF
rain fell in the city. While the wind
was not noticeable over most of the
city it was very strong in the eastern
portion of the North Side On Chap
line street, just north of Fourteenth, at
Sixteenth and Wood, at Halter Park,
at Fifteenth and Wood and on North
Jacob street the gale from the north
east was particularly violent, and sew
eral fine shade trees in these localities
went down before the blast. At the
Cnntra11 crla WnrI- 1orOa
section of the tin roof on the northeast
corner of the building was rolled up,
the racket causing stampede among
tee employees. AT the City Hall the
shock of the gale was very noticeably
felt, and the big building was percept-
IDLY Jared, while at many other points
minor damage was done. AT the P.
Bachmann & Sons produce store, on
Market street, the awning was ruined,
at various points on the Island the
wind caused alarm and some damage,
and the same information was sent
from widely separated portions of the
city. The full violence of the storm
appeared to run in narrow "streaks,
often but a few yards in width, and
houses were sometimes violently
shaken when adjoining property owns
ers noticed nothing unusual except a
very hard rain.
In the country east of the city the
storm was much more severe than in
town, and a notable circumstance was,
that whereas the storm in the city
came from the northeast, in the coun-
try, from Mt. De Chantal to Elm Grove
it pursued a clear-cut course, narrow
but straight, from the southWest-jusl
the reverse course. The rain and wind
struck about the neighborhood of the
hills south of Mt. De Chantal about
half-past eleven, crossing the creek
east of Steenrod's, and cutting
straight course for Mt. Calvary ceme~
terry and Wheeling Park, spreading out
in fan-shape as it progressed up the
valley. Before it reached Mt. Calvary
no especial damage was done beyond
tearing a few branches from trees, and
at the cemetery itself the wreckage TO
the trees and shrubbery was small.
Between Mt. Calvary and the creek,
however, the trees suffered seriously,
and the marks of the storm were very
numerous along that portion Of the
line of the Wheeling and Elm Grove
trance to the point where the turn is
made to the left to follow the valley
of the creek to Elm Grove. Along the
stretch of track from the Park station
to the creek the track was blOckaded
with limbs of trees, and at one point
an apparently sound pine trolley pole
was shattered as though struck by
lightning by the shere force Of the
wind. The trolley line was blown
down for about a quarter of mile,
and the operation of cars at this local
ity had to be suspended until the track
could be cleared. Along this stretch
of track a fine and apparently sound
black walnut treet stood on the farm
of Charles Clark. A few days ago Mr..
Clark was offered $35 for the tree as
it stood by lumber man. He refused
the offer. Yesterdays storm knocked
this tree galley west and crooked
reducing it to kindling wood, and
showing that the lower part of the
trunk was rotten to within an inch or
the bark.
At Elm Grove the storm blew down
a number of fine shade trees, including
one great elm, and considerably shook
Tie DultuluS III WHICH Tie IOWA IOCh-up
is located. Many houses were violent
ly shaken, but fortunately no serious
damage was done.
Wheeling Park caught the full force
of the storm, and the damage done was
very considerable About twenty-five
fine trees were blown down, and others
badly damaged, and almost the entire
grounds were thickly Uttered with
branches and limbs. The damage ex-
tended from the entrance TO the far eX-
tremity of the grounds, but appears to
have been most violent on top of the
mound, where all the benches, tables,
chairs, etc, were whirled away as so
much chaff, and where pine trees eight
inches through were snapped off as
though they were twigs'. At the
luncheon furnace the great power of
the wind was shown in forcible man
ner. The furnace stood on the south
east edge of the hill, and close to it, on
the southeast, stands a line of hand
some pine trees. about eight or nine
inches in diameter, and standing about
ten feet apart. Three of these trees.
Immediately in front of the furnace,
were broken short off and blown to the
top of the hill, the furnace was demol-
ished, the shed over it wrecked, and Mr.
L. Spence, of Martins Ferry, and
lady who Wprp ilcipC he frlTpana n tho