The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-21
TORNADO AT
BAL TIM0RE.
Twelve Lives Lost and Property
Greatly Damaged.
Work of the Storm Was Done in
Fifteen Minutes.
TREE FELL ON THEM.
Attendants at C0lOred Camp.
meeting PiniOned to Earth.
Gas Reservoir Blew Over and
Explosion Followed.


Baltimore, Md, July 21-The tornado
which struck Baltimore yesterday af-
ternoon, involving the loss of IL lives
and a widespread destruction of prop
erty, was the severest that has been
known in this latitude for IL years.
Nothing in the way of a storm had been
forecasted and the weather bureau was
taken completely by surprise. Almost
without a moments warning an ire
sistible wind, apparently in the naure
of a whlrlWlnd, came up from tneSouLn-
west and frail boats were caps1Zed, ,Whlle
the stauncheSt vessels at anchor were
violently rocked.
A careful estimate today shows that
200 houses were unroofed during the
storm. Six roofs in one block were
blown off. The roof of the William
Street Independent Methodist churcn
was lifted high in the air and blown
over the roofs of other houses, dis
tance of $50 feet. The stone spire of the
Holy Cross Catholic church was hurled
to the ground. A part of the roof OF
Trinity Protestant Episcopal church
was torn off, while the historical steeple
of st. Marys Star of the Sea Catholic
was destroyed completely. The public
squares and parks were damaged badly
Patterson park is scene of desolation.
The whole extent of these pleasure
grounds is strewn with broken branches
and uprooted trees and the debris COM
pletely chokeS up the driveways.
Many handsome trees in Franklin
Square and Druid Hill park, as well as
other shade trees, were uprooted bod
lily, falling across thoroughfares ana
temporarily blocking them Much dam
age was done to house fronts in all sec
tions of the city by the falling trees
In the business section of the city
numerous plate glass windows were
blown in. while telegraph and telephone
service was crippled.
An evidence of the strength of the
wind was made apparent at the Balti, :,
Locust Point. Two large steel DOORS
enclosing the engine room, We're torn
off their hinges and thrown some dls- -
tance.
characterized by a windstorm of ex-
traordinary velocity, thunder, vivid
lightning and a heavy rain suddenly
burst upon Baltimore at 1:30 p. M
Sunday, coming from the southwest,
with the net result that IL persons lost
their lives. hundreds of houses were
unroofed, trees in the public parks and
streets were torn up by the roots, many
buildings damaged and several people
injured.
The storm exhausted its fury in less
than Is minutes.
The damage done in the business part
of the city was comparatively slight,
being confined to the blowing down OF
signs and injuries to roofs. 1t was in
the residence portions of the city, along
the river front and in the harbOr where
the wind spent it's violence
OF those who periShed, nine were
drowned in the harbor from open boats,
one by a live wire The following is a
list of the killed:
Drowned in the harbOr:
ROY BATEMAN. u years old
JOSEPH CAIN, 10 years old.
JOHN CAIN, 6 years old.
THOMAS CARROLL, 81 years old.
MARRY MCCORMICK, 10 years old.
MRS. MARY SCHUYLER, 2S years old.
G SCHTTT old
OLIVE SCHUYLER, 4 years old.
CHARLES SCHUYLER years old.
Killed by falling tree:
WILLIAM CORNISH, colored
Killed by live wire:
CHARLES SCHAEFER.
The first three victims of the above
list were out in a row boat on the river
with three other companions When the
storm broke the boat was capsized,
three being drowned and three being
rescued by the tugboat Edna v. George
company with three other boys. gone
into a shed for protection when the
shed blew down and live wire fell OIL
one of them, resulting in his death
The drowning of Mrs. Schuer and her
children was the most pathetic incident
of the hurricane. Michael Schuler, with
his wife and three children, accompan-
led by his brother-in-law, Joseph Cooper
and wife, had gone out into the harbor
for sail in a thirty-foot boat. When
the storm came, Schuler and Cooper
took in sails. Schuler sent his wife and
children into the little cabin, and he
stood at the tiller to keep the vessels
head toward the wind. A sudden gust
of wind threw the boom of the vessel
around, knocking Schuler down and
pinned him to the deck. Another gust
capsized the boat, releasing Schuler,
who. with Cooper and his wife, were
thrown into the water, leaving Mrs.
Schuler and her children pinned in the
cabin. Cooper saved himself and his
wife by hanging to the bottom of the
overturned boat, and Schuler saved HIM
himself in the same way, after making
frantic efforts to get at his imprisoned
wife and children. A crew from the
schooner Edward H. Hunt rescued
: Schuler and Cooper and wife and towed
the capsized vessel to the wharf. where
1t was righted and the dead bodies of
Mrs. Schuler and her three children
taken from the cabin.
Thomas Carroll with four other young
men, We're out in the harbor in row.
boat, which was capsized. Carroll was
drowned, while his four companions
clung to the rudder of the Merchants
and Miners steamship Chatham, from
which perilous position they were
rescued by the tug Mary.
A colored camp meeting was in prog
ress in Paradise grove, near Powhattan
on the Liberty road. The congregation
had just been dismissed when the storm
broke. huge tree fell upon the tent
in which the services had been held
Several of the worshipers We're caught
beneath it as it fell. The tree had to be
sawed into pieces before the imprisoned
men and women could be released. Will
liam Cornish was crushed to death by
the falling tree. The others were moi
seriously hurt
A hole several feet in diameter was
blown in the wall of St. Mary's Star Of
the Sea Catholic church in South Balti-
more. A portion of the stone cornics