The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-04-30
HOUSES ARE
UNROOFED
Reports Show That Fierce
Storm Was Unequalled
for Time of Year.

The Calumet region was the vortex
of one of the worst storms of the year.
between and o'clock last night.
when a 7O-mile-an- hour wind came
whirling down from the north and
caused an enormous amount of dam
age TO property and several serious ac-
eidents.
The storm was preceded by an omi-
nous stiffness. At about 6 o'clock the
air was so hot and the humidity so OPP
presslve that it was a certain warn
ing to man and beast of the war of the
elements that was soon to follow.
Water Level Rises.
over on the lake front the unusual
atmospheric conditions were first in
dicated by the rapid rise of the lakes
water level. Engineer Joe Kasper, at
the pumping station, reports that the
level of the lake was al least three feet
higher than normal
The rise in the lake did not come in
the nature of a tidal wave. It was
gradual It indicated that the region
of the pumping station was in the area
of low pressure, the vortex of the
storm. The water rose for the same
reason that the dust rises in the cen
ter ef a Httle whirlwind in the street,
namely because It is the vsat Of tns
storm.
Lake Level Rises.
The phenomenon manifested itself
last night when the level of the lake
was raised at least three feet, and the
water of the laffe Hooded a large por-
tion of the Lake Front park. In fact
the wolves den was flooded and they
were compelled to sleep in the water
all night.
As soon as the storm had spent its
fury the water receded, and 1t was then
that the subsiding waters of the lake
rushed on the north shore, near Ev-
anston. in the form of small tidal
wave.
Damage in whiting.
The greatest damage from the storm
in Lake county occurred in Whiting
where houses were unroofed, wagons
were blown over. fires were started by
the storm, and several people were in
jured.
Ben Wedman and Norman Rade were
driving a grocery wagon when The
storm suddenly descended upon then
and the wagon was blown over The
VITO young men were thrown to tn,
ground and stunned They were car
ried into the residence of Mike Nc
Hale. on One Hundred and Nineteenth
street, where they were 500 restored
to consciousness
House Is Overturned.
When the accident happened the
horse ran away and the wagon wai
badly damaged. The residence of Ed
ward Ginias, 531 Harrison avenue
Robertsdale was blown from its foun
dation. a lamp was overturned ant
exploded, but the fire was soon extin
guished There was no one injured
Fred Water. who lives on Laport
avenue, had the roof blown off hi
house. Portions of the roof wer
blown for a distance of two blocks
There was a fire in the stove al tn
time and 1t soon set fire to the house
This made it necessary to call the fir
department.
House Is Unr0ofed.
A portion of the roof and the bacI
porch of two-story fat building. o
Sheridan avenue. was blown across tn
street. and came very near crashing
into the residence of Mrs Catherin
Stewart
The plaster in Matterns drug store
on One Hundred and Nineteenth stree
was Ioosened and knocked all of tn
bottles off one Of the shelves. In fac
Il
which did not have plate glass win
dow broken.
BicycIist Blown Away.
The side to OstrowskTs feed sto1
was blown in. causing considerabl
damage. One of the freaks of IL
stor moccurred at about the time
started. A man. whose name could n,
he learned. was riding a bicyc
against the wind when it suddenly b,
came so strong that it turned hi
around Then, before he could get OF
it started him down the street and j
was compelled to ride for consider
able distance before he could gain cor
troll Of the bicycle
Several Are Injured.
One of the Chicago papers repor
that J. r. Mackin, a Whiting. W;
lifted from the sidewalk and throw
over a five-foot iron railing and su
taine dinternal injuries. It also r
ports that A. b. ogden, a traveIir
salesman, who happened to be