The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-05
QUEER STORM IN CHICAGO
Hail Comes Down in Huge, Jagged
Chunks Instead of Stones.
Snow Falls, Horses Ran Away, Bridge
Collapses, and Hail Cuts Through
Plate Glass Windows,

Chicago.-This city experienced fer
half IN hour the most remarkable nail
storm ever witnessed in the West.
Shortly before noon a black cloud,
which looked like rain, suddenly
opened. and let down Oh the city 4
shower of hail, which, for the size Of
the particles and the damage they did.
has never been equalled. The hail did
not fall in balls as usual. but in huge,
Jagged chunks, the sharp edges Of
which cut men and horses. and which
broke through plate glass windows as
though they had been paper.
The storm did not extend beyond
Thirty-frst street on the South Side,
but up north it went beyond Lincoln
Park. Trees were stripped of their fol-
iage. and some Of the twigs were cut
off as though with knives. At least
$4,000 worth of damage was done in
Humboldt Park and still more in Lin
coin Park.
Downtown plate glass windows. sky
lights and lamp posts were damaged
and the conservatories in two parks
were ruined. The great, sharp bits of
ice cut horses and caused many runa-
ways, in which the drivers end others
were injured. In the midst of the
storm a span of the Milwaukee avenue
vladuct collarsed letting wagon and
several people fall. with the debris,
upon the freight cars below.
At one point on the roof Of the Mar
Quette Building during the storm there
was q light fall of snow. Over 500
trees were felled by the storm in va
rious parts of the city. Downtown
horses became panic stricken and ran
away. dragging wagons into collision.
running over pedestrians, and shrieking
with terror at the sudden darkness and
the pain inflicted by the shower Of ice.
The windows Of four school buildings
were destroyed and in some apartment
houses there is barely a whole pane
left.
At Washington and Fifth avenue a
runaway horse crashed through plate
glass window of the Teutonia Build
ing. terribly cutting itself. The Acad-
emy of Sciences in North Clark street
will need $500 worth Of new glass. The
Zoo in Lincoln Park was rendered
frantic by the hail. The animals which
were exposed screamed with terror,
and the lions and other Gagged beasts
roared in sympathy. Half an hour
later there was not morsel Of the hail
left to show there had been a storm.
Of the persons injured in the strange
storm hardly any two came by their
hurts in the same way.
Jonathan Smith, on 4 wagon at the
Milwaukee avenue bridge, was knocked
unconscious when the bridge collapsed.
J. G. Terry, engineer of freight train.
the cab of whose engine was crushed
in by falling timber. was scalded and
may die. Elmer Lucas, the conductor
Of the freight train. was thrown off the
train and bruised and cut. Grover Rob
inson, of 134 West Randolph street,
was injured about the head in trying
to stop q runaway. He was taken to
the County Hospital.
Michael Walsh was struck by rim
away and both his arms were broken.
r. Wiersie was thrown from his wagon
md is probably fatally injured. Two
unknown persons were injured in the
crash after the Fifth avenue runaway.
A cabman, whose name is unknown,
was hurt in 4 stampede of horses.