The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-21
Sixty-Mi1e-an-Hour Gale and 2.36
Inches of Rainfall in Less
Than Half an Hour.
WATERSPoUT IN CONVICTION
WHERE A WAVE TWENTY FEET
HIGH CAUGHT MANY PERSONS.
Six Lives Lost and Many People In
jured-Property Damage Over
One Million Dollars.

CINCINNATI, May 20-Shortly after II
o'clock to-day this locality was visited by
a terrific rain and windstorm, causing the
loss of half a dozen lives and injuring
many. The fury of the storm continued
only half an hour. but in that time over
a million dollars of damage was done in
much more in other parts of the city and
suburbs.
Prior to the unprecedented falling of
rain dense clouds were seen to the south,
and the city became as dark as night. 1t
was afterwards learned that there had
been a terrific waterspout on the Lewis
burg hills, in the southern suburbs of Cow
ington, KY, and it moved over the Ken
lucky suburbs into this city, passing up
the Miami valley with damages reported
as far as Dayton, o. While storm dam
ages are reported throughout Kentucky,
the worst point seems to have been in
the suburbs of CovingtOn, KY, where there
was waterspout. The water rolled down
the hills in a wave twenty feet deep at
places and about one hundred yards wide.
The frame house Of Edward Wohrley was
carried away for a distance of over four
blocks, and finally dashed to pieces in the
Covington baseball grounds. The house
was occupied by four families-Henry Will
len and wife and four children, William
Simpson and wife and children, Henry
Qualbrink and family and Mrs. George
Flachner. All had narrow escapes except
Mrs. Flachner and Willie Willen, aged four
years, who were drowned. Willie Willen
was asleep when the house was swept from
its foundations. Mrs. Willen and her other
children were almost drowned when res
cued. 1t is believed that Mrs Flachner,
sister of Mrs. Willen. lost her life in
trying 10 save Willie. Searching parties
were still at work tonight in Willow hol-
low at the foot of Lewisburg hill, where
others are reported missing In this sec
ton outhouses and stables were carried
away. One stable, with four horses, was
swept over into the Covington ball grounds
and the horses drowned. The house of Mrs.
Watson submerged, but she and her
children were rescued. Glenn Daiver, who
was driving a team near the flood in the
Kentucky suburbs, had his wagon over
turned by the water and was drowned
The buildings of the Queen City Bathing
Club on the river front at Dayton, KY,
opposite Cincinnati, were demolished. All
of the dozen towns in Kentucky opposite
this city suffered damages from broken
windows and houses being unroofed, but
the greatest damage on both sides of the
river, especially to the business houses in
Cincinnati and also in Covington and New
port, KY, came from cellars being sud
denly filled with water. The sewers and
cutters could not carry the water off, as it
came down apparently like a waterspout
everywhere, and it poured into the cellars
The water was for a short time deep in
all the streets, and traffic as we'll as bust
ness was suspended. In the midst of dark
ness and Unprecedented downfall of rain
there was for short time a general panic
in anticipation of a tornado that would
sweep everything.
Superintendent Bassler. of the United
States Weather Bureau, reported the wind
as sixty miles an hour and the rainfall in
less than half hour 2.36 inches, the great
est on record here.
At the Cincinnati morgue there are the
bodies of three victims. George Becker,
widower, while driving a beer wagon, was
struck by telegraph pole and knocked
from his wagon. He was pinioned to the
ground and drowned in one of the principal
avenues.
Ferdinand Rapp, a peddler. was caught
by the rush of water while trying to get
goods out of his cellar.
d. c. Bellville, a carpenter. was carried
away with the roof of building on which
he was working and instantly killed. There
are very many reported as injured, and
Daniel Grace and Louis Kern were Sc
riously hurt.
The damages in the cellars of some of the
jobbers run as high as $4,000 and $50 900
each. Small frame houses on Price hill
were damaged by landslide, but all of the
occupants escaped There was considerable
damage to sewers. Guy Nj. GeSt, cOntrac-
tor. who is putting the telegraph and tele-
phone wires in conduits, suffered great
damage in the excavations he is making
throughout the city. In one large man
hole sixteen feet deep, where Mr.. Gest is
giving an underground exhibit TO the Ma
tional Electric Light Association now in
session here, several men had a narrow es-
cape The water rushed into the large ex-
cavation and submerged the men, who
were pulled out after they were completely
submerged.