The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-22
BAL IMORE SWEPT
BY FIERCE TORNADO.
Twelve Lives Lost and Much
Property Destroyed.
PARKS ARE BADLY WRECKED
Wind Was of Great Violence. but Was
Fortunately Limited to Very Small
Area-h Did Most Damage in
the Centre of the City.

BALTIMORE. MD, July 2l.-The tor
nado which suddenly struck this city
yesterday afternoon at i:25 o'clock, IN
vo!ving the loss Of twelve lives and
widespread destruction of property, was
the severest which has been known III
this latitude for seventeen years. Moth
ing In the way of a storm had been fore
casted and the Weather Bureau was
taken completely by surprise Almost
without moments warning, an ire
sisuble wiEd, apparently In the nature
of whiriwind. came from the south
west, and in an instant the waters or
the harbor were converted into Seeth-
ing cauldron. fraiI boats were capsizeo
while the staunchest vessels at anchor
were violently rocked.
TEN DROWNED.
or the twelve lives that were lost. Ten
were drowned by the upsetting OF ooa's
in the river. one was killed by q. Tree
falling on him and one by coming IN
contact with live electric wire.
A careful estimate furnished from pu,
lice headquarters to-day shows that -VV
houses were unroofed during the pie.s
lence Of the storm. Six ROOFS ia o,Is
block were blown Off inc foot Oh .iie
William-Stree Methodist Church "ss
lifted high In the air and down over
the roofs of other houses to distance
Of 15n feet. The stone spIre OF HOLY
Cross Catholic Church. weighing 'ev
pounds. was hurled to the ground. A
part of the roof Of Trinity protestant
Episcopal Church was torn OF. While the
historic steepIe Of St Mary's Star OF the
Sea Catholic Church was completely de-
etroyed.
PARKS WRECKED.
The public squares and parks are con-
sfderably wrecked. Patterson Park is
scene Of desolation. The whole extent
of those pleasure grounds is strewn with
broken branches and uprooted trees. and
the debris completely chokes up the
drIveways.
MANY handsome trees in Franklin
Square are Druid Hill Park. as we'll as
on the shaded streets. have been uproot-
ed bodily, many falling across thorough
fares. temporarily blocking them. Much
damage has been done to house fronts
in all sections of the city by falling trees.
A tree. one hundred years old, was blown
down in Chestnut Street.
In the business section Of the city
numerous plate-glass windows have been
blown in. Electric light and telephone
service has been crippled to some extent
and many lines are out OF use. In the
country havoc was wrought among the
telegraph poles. which were snapped like
reeds. In the city and suburbs there Is
q tangled mass Of wires to be laboriouSly
put in order.
POWER OF THE WIND.
An evidence Of the strength Of the wind
was made apparent at the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad elevator c & Locust Point.
Two large steel doors, enclosing the en-
Eine-room, were torn off their hinges and
thrown some distance from their position.
The sloop yacht Tulip, belonging to c.
Hamilton. Melbourne was sunk in abou,
twelve or fifteen feet of water. about
twenty yards out from the Arundel Boat
Cl1,h'S orI
at the time.
It was remarkable that storm Of such
violence should apparently be limited
to such small area. but the centre Of
the disturbance seemed to be right in the
city. Out in the suburbs there was
terrific blow. but the amuont of damage
shows that it did not compare with the