The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-22
PANIC REIGNED
IN The STORES
Shoppers Who Sought Shelter
from Rain Had a Terrifying
Experience.
The Glass Block Suffers Severely
-Skylight Lifted from Guar
anty Building.

Unreasoning panic possessed the
business district when the storm
broke. The heavy rain preceding the
fierce wind had driven the throngs Of
Saturday night shoppers to seek shell
and lightning increased and the tor
nado precipitated a pandlmonium Of
crashing awnings and jingling glass
grim terror retgned.
All thru the business district yes
terday temporary repairs were being
made while curious thousands stood
agape at the work Of the wind.
pal direct damage by the storm, but
the soaking Of costly good will bring
the total loss in the business district
up to quarter Of a million dollars.
Somehow the storm seemed to
reach its elimination at Sixth street
and Ntcollet avenue and Donaldson's
Glass block suffered most severely. L.
S. Donaldson roughly estimates the
damage at 100000.
A Scene Of Terror.
The Glass Block was the shelter
sought by SCORES Of shoppers who
waited for the rain to stop.
Suddenly there was terrific
creaktng and crash Of breaking tim
bers as the wooden structure In front
Of the corner entrance was torn from
Its ,moorings and swept across Sixth
street The fearsome crash of break
ing glass hurled against steel and
wooden distractions followed and the
awful situation suddenly dawned
upon the refugees. There was a mad
rush away from the danger point and
toward the back Of the store. Chill
dren cried, women screamed, and
orp1 Of "a int
called hoarsely trying to keep some
semblance Of order, and, high above
all sound Of human fear and distress,
and drowning 1t, surged the roar of
the mighty storm.
Like egg shells, half-inch plate
their powdered and broken fragments
were hurled thru the air. Seventy
five of them in all were broken, and
to add to the terror and the danger,
las panes out Of the 1872 in the sky
light were shattered and hurled down
thru the store onto the cases and the
floor beneath. '-
In one wall of spray. broken glass.
pieces Of wood and odds and ends Of
drygoods, the storm rolled thru the
store and broke against the covering
masses of humanity. 1t was fear
full experience and one never to be
forgotten by those who participated
in It.
Some Wonderful Escapes.
The young lady who presided at the
umbrella counter, near the corner en-
showered with broken glass from the
windows, which broke near her, but
she escaped without a single scratch.
Miss Eckhart, who works at the lace
counter, was considerably cut and
bruised and had to be assisted home
Miss Bradshaw, a clerk at the under
wear counter, was cut about the face
and hands by flying glass, but not
seriously enough to prevent her from
being on duty today.
John Lindsay, clerk at the dress
goods counter, stepped on some
broken glass, and yesterday appeared
with a bandaged pedal extremity and
walked only with the use of a cane
Other slight injuries were sustained
by persons whose names have moi
been learned.
AS in all crises there were some ode
attempts to gain safety. One Of the
employees locked himself in the vaul
in maddened effort to escape. An
other one is said to have crawled into
the cold-air shaft, while several me1
In the crowd which had sought shell
ter in the store, are said to have
trampled over and even upon tn.
PROSTATE bodies of children in the1
eagerness to get out of dangers way
On the other hand, there wer
heroic acts, and one of them is re
lated Of young man named Johnson
an employee in the office. When tn
storm nall it's fury struck the build
ing every member Of the office fore
except johnson thought discretion
the better part of valor, and made tn
most of the opportunity to escape
This young man, however, had hi
| i,,4A ~ IT,, T.
stead of running, he opened a drawer
pulled out a six-shooter, and, wit
weapon in hand, stood guard over tn
cash drawer until the storm ha
abated and order had been secure
out of chaos.
T.. S. Donaldson's Account.
"It was terrific and no mistake,
said L. S. Donaldson to Journa
l stopped for a moment from his siren
3 uous labor Of experimenting tn
Strengthening out process. II was i
} the office when it all happened.
2 did not last long but while it did !
t was bad enough for anyone. Their
: was a panic, but considering the sit
l uation, think everyone behave
r very WE'LL
2 "Our damage is a thing we cannc
: estimate at present, but at a roug
: guess ! would place the figure q
l 100000. The principal loss will com
on the fourth and fifth floors, wher
the linen storerooms are, and on tn
ground floor. The Nico1let avenu
5 windows on the two top floors wer
. nearly al broken and what with tn
water and the dust hurled from tn
!. roofs of the buildings across tn
: street the goods have sustained heay
: damage