Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-21
FATAL STORM ON The OHIO
Terrific Wind and Rain Causes Half Dozen
Deaths and Many Injuries,
PEOPLE DROWN lNsTREETs OF CINCINNATI
Business Section Of City Damaged 60
Extent of million Dollars and
Many Suburban Towns Are
Seriously Affected.

may kO.-SnoTtly AFTER IL
O'Clock today this locality was stricken by a
terrific wind and rain storm. causing the
loss of a 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 the
business section Of Cincinnati and as much
In other parts Of the city and suburbs.
Dead.
WILLIE wILLEN, aged 4. drowned In
Covington.
MRS. FLACHNER drowned in %Covington.
GLEN DAVIER, teamster, drowned in
Covington.
GEORGE BECKER, teamster, drowned in
the streets of Cincinnati.
FERDINAND RAPP, peddler, drowned in
a cellar in Cincinnati.
D. w. C.. BELLEvILLE, carpenter, blown
from a roof in Cincinnati.
Storm Comes from south.
Prior to the Unprecedented falling of rain,
dense clouds we're seen to the south and
the city became as dark as night. 1t was
afterward learned that there had been a
terrific waterspout on the Lewisburg hills,
in the southern suburbs OF Covington, KY,
and 1t moved over the Kentucky suburbs
into this city, passing up the Miami valley
and causing damage as far away as Day
ton, o.
While storm damages are reported
throughout Kentucky the worst point seems
to have been In Covington.
The water rolled down the hills In a
wave twenty feet deep at places, and was
about 100 yards wide. The frame house of
Edward Wohrle was carried for q distance
Of over four blocks and finally was dashed
to pieces in the Covington ball grounds.
The house was occupied by four families
Henry Willen and wife and four children,
Henry Simmons, wife and children, Henry
QUALIFY and family. and Mrs. QUALIFY. All
had narrow escapes except Mrs. Flachner
and Willie Willen. aged 4, who were
drowned. Mrs. Willen and her other chill
dren were almost drowned when rescued.
1t is believed that Mrs. Flachner, a sister
of Mrs. Willen, lost her life in trying to
save Willie.
Searching Party at Work.
Searching parties are still at work to-
night in Willow Hollow, at the foot of Lew
isburg hill, where others are reported miss
ing. In this section cuthouses and stables
were carried away. One stable with
four horses, was swept over into the Gov
ington ball grounds and the horses
drowned. The house Of Mrs. Watson was
submerged, but she and her children were
rescued. Glenn Davier. who was driving a
team near the food in the Kentucky suburb,
had his wagon overturned by the water and
was drowned. 'I
The buildings of the Queen City Bathing
club on the river front at Dayton, KY, OPP
postte Cincinnati, were demolished. The
greatest damage on both sides of the river,
especially TO the business houses in Cincin-
natl and also in Coyington, and Newport,
KY, came from cellars being suddenly
filled with water, It being impossible for
the sewers and cutters to carry the water
on. For a short time the water was deep
In all the. streets, and trafic as we'll as
business was suspended.
General Panic Ensues.
In the midst Of darkness and unprece-
dented downfall of rain there was. for a
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 an hour of 2,36 inches, the greatest
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 a telegraph pole and knocked
from his wagon. He was pionioned to the
ground and drowned on one of the principal
avenues.
Ferdinand Rapp, a peddler, was caught
by the water while trying to get goods out
Of a cellar.
d. W. c. Belleville, a carpenter, was
carried away with the roof Of q building
on which he was working, and killed.
Damages and Injuries.
There are very many reported as injured.
Daniel Grace and Louis Kern were seriously
hurt. The damage in the cellars of some
Of the jobbers runs as high as $25, 900 and
$500 0 each. Several small frame houses
on Price Hill were demolished by a land
slide. but all of the occupants escaped.
There was considerable damage to sewers.
Guy M. Gest, contractor. who was putting
the telegraph and telephone wires In con-
Quits, suffered great damage in the excava-
lions he is making throughout the city. In
one large manhole sixteen feet deep where
he is giving an underground exhibit to
the National Electric Light association In
session here, several men had narrow es-
capes. The water rushed into the large
excavation and the men we're pulled out
after they we're completely submerged.