The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-26

the storm were the principal sufferers
The larger residences on the higher ground
suffered but slightly. The large trees on
the hillside of the ST. Vincents Hospital
were torn up by the roots and large masses
Of stone were twisted out Of the ground
and scattered all over the driveways OF
the entrance to the institution. From
Eighth TO Tenth street the tornado bound
ed like a rubber ball and when it again
descended 1t struck n two-story house oc-
cupied by Joseph Busenhelhner and al
most razed IL TO the ground. The eleven
year-old daughter of John Krunsy waJ
caught under the debris and severely in
jured A house occupied by Taylor Han
son, near by, was unroofed and three small
negro houses demolished. Onward the
wind sped in its fury. demolishing trees
and fences until 1t reached Eleventh street
where a house owned by John Hayes was
leveled to the ground. Swimming close to
the earth. the storm swept through a small
pine grove, tearing the trees up by the
roots and hurling them through the air
like arrows
Beyond the grove the stormcloud swooped
down upon negro settlement and the fraii
cabins were crushed like eggshells, not one
negro woman. was buried beneath the
debris. but most Of the negroes escaped
with slight injuries. and after the storm had
passed gathered around the wreckage. ap-
parently thankful that they had escaped
with their lives. Eastward the storm swept.
cutting its way through another strip Of
woods, striking the Second Presbyterian
Church, at the corner of Avenue III and
-. -.
The pews were piled on top of the debris.
a small oak table, which was used in the
rostrum. being deposited on the topmost
point OF the wreckage.
HAVOC AMONG SHACKS.
East Of the church. directly in the torna-
dos path. in another negro settlement.
much havoc was wrought among the fral
shacks. seven of which were swept away
number of small houses were leveled be-
tween Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
In the alley between Seventeenth and
Eighteenth streets small house occupied
by negroes was completely demolished, and
Greena Curry, a negro woman, was caught
beneath the timber and suffered serious
injury. Three other houses were blown
down near by. The storm then struck the
more thickly settled residence portion of
tHt city anu WOIh VI QtSlTQCtlOH III
creased. A cottage occupied by Fred Schaef-
fer, at S14 South Eighteenth street, and a
small frame building a few doors north.
occupied by l.. II. Stewart, were bad
ly damaged. Almost a clean sweep was
made of the district lying between Eight
eenth and Twenty-eighth streets and Ave-
II and 1 two blocks. Here the scene
is one of complete demolition. The frame
cottages were reduced to fiattened piles of
debris; every tree, large small. was
either crushed down or uprooted, and there,
with fallen telephone poles and their tang
led wires, made picture of destruction. A
row of small cottages fronting east upon
Nineteenth street, between Avenues III and
/, were fiattened out. The occupants had
no warning and unable to escape
from their homes, and were rescued by
workers after the storm. The house on
the corner of Nineteenth and in this block
was occupied by w. NJ. Merritt, a men,
ber of the fire department, and his family,
a wife and two small children. The Mer-
ritts were rescued with no more hurts
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2, COL. 81