The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-08-15
A SCARE AT CHICAGO.
a Fierce Wind and Electric
\ Storm in the Windy City.

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STORM in the Windy City.
BUILDINGS FIRED BY LIGHTNING.
For a Time a Tornado Was Feared-Win.
dows Blown Out of Central Music Hall,
Awnings Blown OF of Masonic Temple
and a Schooner Blown Out of the River.
CHICAGO, Aug. IA were wind
and hail storm passed over Chicago last
night. 1t came from the northwest and
approached SO rapidly and appeared so
threatening that there was q general
fear a tornado was about to burst upon
the city. The wind blew very hard fol
about ten minutes and was followed by
heavy fall of rain. In the business
part of the city awnings were torn
away and a large number of plate glass
windows blown in. In Central Music
hall many Of the windows were blown
out of the building, and scarcely all
awning was left i'll any part Of the Ma.
sonic temple.
The storm was accompanied by terrific
lightning. A cupola on the Quincy
house was knocked to splinters and the
house set on fire. The home of DR..
Charles Duncan was set on fire by light
ming and badly damaged. A number OF
other houses on the west side were also
damaged by lightning. In the parks
great damage was done to trees and
s%hrubbery.
The storm played havoc with tele-
graph and telepone wires in the down
town part of the city, many Of them be-
ing rendered useless. During the
height of the storm the schooner Ane4,-
lea broke away from the docks near the
Wells street bridge and despite the eff
forts of the crew of the fire tug Illinois,
which pursued, the schooner was driven
by the wind down the river, striking
the Clark street bridge. One mast was
broken and the bowsprit carried away.
The schooner Lake Forest was dis
mantled of her rigging in the outer har-
Dor. The vessel had just cleared the
river mouth and the crew were i'll the
tops busily setting the sails when the
storm broke. Sheets were split aId
rent, halyards were torn from their
blocks and it was only by skillful hand
ling that the ship was prevented from
losing her masts. She finally managed
to anchor in the outer harbor, where
there was for a time great confusion
among the fleet of small sailing yachts
which habitually anchor there. Every
n Of them dragged her anchor and
there were many collisions.
In Oak park, Austin and Evanston
great numbers of shade trees We're
blown down, fences leveled and CHIN
neys 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 more serious, as lightning
struck in many places and small fires
were started.
Guests at the Avenue House, Evans
ton, were seated at the dinner table.
Lightning struck the electric light
wires which led into the dining room, q
combination gas and electric light fix
ture was burned out and the current
played about the ceiling until it had
molGeu Gue HAUuFe lfOM lGS ~IdsGouluSS.
The gas escaped with full force and
burned fiercely. The flames were ex-
tinguished by the fire department., after
the hotel had been damaged to the ex-
tent of $500.
The most disastrous work Of the
storm was the destruction of the skele-
ton of the st. Joseph's Catholic church.
Motives were lost in the collapse of the
tons Of steel Orders. The side wall of
the adjoining building was carried down
by the falling framework.
Stanley E. McGlew and a companion
were sailing in a small boat off jackson
park and it was capsized by the wind.
The ifesaving crew went to the rescue,
but could find nothing but the boat.