Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-30
Wind RACES and Storm AS.
sumes Proportions of Small
s. Tornado in City.
ROOFS ARE TAKEN OFF
Much Damage Is Done i'm East Moline
Exposition and Baseball
Grounds Suffer.

spring the wind blew over buildings,
upset sheds, ripped roofs off of build
ingsA and caused considerable other
damage The greatest damage in this
city was at the Rock Island Exposition
company's grounds on Ninth street,
where section of the fence, about 500
feet in length, was blown over, and
one section of the horse sheds was
overturned. At the baseball park one
sectiSn' of the beachers was blown
dowt and considerable damage was
done.
An. ice house in the west end of the
city was struck by lightning, and
damaged to the extent of about $500.
The wind blew down scores of phone
wires. the old rotten iron wire of the
Central Union suffering particularly.
One wire fell directly across the troll
ley wire on Second avenue near Sew.
enteenth street and menaced traffic
for a time
More serious trouble was caused ut
Twentieth street and Third avenue.
There the Eagles had hung large
banner. and this was blown against
the wires, crossing a half dozen cir
cults. Fire flew in all directions. and
score of electric lines were put out
of commission. This trouble knocked
out the power service down town and
threw the light wires out of commits
sion. The power lines were so tied IN
that the evening papers experienced
great difficulty in getting their editions
off the presses.
A portion of the old wall of the
Looney building on Second avenue
was blown over by. the wind, and
tumbled onto the adjoining lot. The
wall was in the rear, and was one left
standing after the last fire in the
structure.
The falling wall crashed through the
roof of the Allen, Myers & Co. pipe
shed and wrecked both of the bridges
connecting the hardware firms two
buildings. The electric systems, both
light and telephone, were demolished.
Bricks were scattered about the en-
tire lot, and considerable damage was
done. Two men had just passed UNI
der the Bridges, and their escape from
serious injury was narrow indeed.
Numerous electric signs crashed to
the sidewalk, and everything not firm
ly anchored was hustled along to an
other station by the wind. Glass was
broken on all Sides the hail stones
which fell early in the storm being
pounded against the windows with ter
rife force
At East Moline.
At East Moline the storm assumed
the character of a small tornado, fol
lowing a narrow path. 1t overturned
an outbuilding in the Warner addition
and unroofed the school house and con-
cluded by picking up George Alters
barn, turning it around and INSIDE
down. and depositing it again, with
the roof on the bottom. School WIS
in, session when the wind hit the
school house and removed the roof
but none of the pupils were injured
though the children were all greatly
frightened. Numerous trees were up
rooted. and fences and loose boards
were scattered about A delivery wa
gon of the Moline Furniture company,
loaded with furniture, was overturned
in Moline, and many glass signs and
windows were shattered by the wind.
Damage i'm Davenport.
In Davenport there was much dam
age, chiefly by the wind, and in the
shape of broken glass and signs. The
roof of the Rock Island freight depot
was taken off, and the machinery was
damaged. probably to the extent Of
over $500. Lightning struck st. Mary's
home and did some damage. The roof
was partly taken off. and the water
flooded the top floor dormitories.
John Hass, driving Merchants
transfer wagon, was so far as has been
learned, the only person injured His
wagon was hurled against a lighter
rig, and he was pitched out on his
head The rig was almost entirely
wrecked Hass sustained severe
bruises and cuts.
Damage mt the Arsenal.
The. wind caused considerable dam
age at Rock Island arsenal. The
grounds at the arsenal have just been
cleaned up, and the wind scattered sc
much stuff about that the work will
have to be practically all done over
again, at some considerable expense
An archway over the entrance to the
basement OF the commandments resi-
dence was torn away by the wind, and
a chimney on one of the residences
occupied by the officers was taken off
by the gale.
How Temperature Changed.
The change in temperature which
occurred in connection with the storm
was remarkable. From 40 degrees In
the morning, the thermometer climbed
up to 81, within 6 degrees of the RECORD
maximum temperature for April il
the history of the Davenport weathe
bureau. Then within half an hour, tn
temperature dropped over 20 degrees