The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-12

the Map-Secretary of War Root
Issues an Appeal to the Mayors
of American Cities.
CHICAGO, Aug. ia severe wind and
rain storm passed over Chicago this even
ing, doing much damage. 1t came from
the Northwest, and approached so rapidly
and appeared so threatening that there
was a general fear that a cyclone was
about to burst upon the city. The wind
blew very hard for about ten minutes,
and was followed by heavy fall of rain.
In the business part Of the city many
sings were blown down, awnings torn
away and a large number of glass plate
windows blown in.
In Central Music hall many Of the win
dows were blown out of the building,
and scarcely an awning was left on any
part of the Masonic Temple. The storm
was accompanied by terrific lightning,
which struck a number of places. A
cupola on the Quincy house. at 14S Hal
stead street, was knocked to splinters by
lightning, and the building was set on
fire. The blaze was not serious, however.
The residence of DR.. Charles Duncan, on
West Adams street, was set on fire by
lightning, and badly damaged. A num-
Der of other houses on the west side were
also damaged by lightning. In the parks
great damage was done to the trees and
! shrubbery.
| The storm played havoc with telegraph
and telephone wires in the down town
part of the city, many of them being rem
| dered useless.
SCKHOONERS WRECKED.
During the height of the storm the
| schooner America broke away from the
dock near the Wells street bridge and
despite the efforts of the crew of the fire
| tug Illinois, which purseued the schooner,
| was driven by the wind down the river,
| striking the Clark street bridge. One of
| the masts of the schooner was broken,
and the bowspriL was carried away The
| schooner Lake Forest was dismantled of
her rigging in the outer harbor. The yes
| sci had Just cleared the river mouth and
! the crew We're in the tops, busiy setting
! the sails, when the storm broke Haly-
| ards We're torn from their blocks, and it
| was only by skillful handling that the
ship was prevented from losing her masts.
She finally managed to cast anchor in
the outer harbor, when there was for a
time great confusion among the fleet of
| some sailing yachts which habituaIly
anchor there. Every one of them drag
ged her anchor, and there were many
| collisions with damage of a minor nature
to many of the boats.
SEVERE IN SUBURBS.
The storm was very severe in the sub
| urbs, particularly in those north and west
| of the city. In Oak Park, Austin and
! Evanston great numbers of shade trees
! were blown down, fences leveled and
| chImneys carried away In all three
! villages the telephone wires were burned
! out, and for several hours their fire alarm
! systems were rendered useless This was
the most serious as lightning struck in
| many places and fires were started.
i Guests at the Avenue house Evanston
were seated at the dinner table when the
| storm showed in the west ard the first
lightning struck the electric light wires
which lead into the dining room A com
bination gas and electric light fixture was
! burned out, and the current played about
the ceiling until it melted the fixture from
! its fastenings The gas escaped with full
! force and burned fiercelY. The flames
were extinguished by the fire department.
| after the hotel had been damaged to the
! extent of $500.
The most disastrous work of the storm
was the destruction of the skeleton of the
new st. Joseph's Polish Catholic church.
at Southport and Belden avenues, where
the wind wrought damage amounting to
$4,000. No lives were lost in the col
| lapse of the tons of steel girders The
sidewalk Of the adjoining building was
carried down by the falling framework
Late tonight it was reported that STAN
ley e. McGlew and a companion were
! drowned during the storm. They were
sailing in a small boat off Jackson Park
and it was capsized by the wind. The
lfe-saving crew went to the rescue but
| could find nothing but the boat The
name of McGlews companion is not
| known.