The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-06
Electrical Disturbance Felt in North.
ern Part Of the County Friday
Afternoon and Hail
Fell.
SOME DAMAGE WAS DONE
Storm Also Visited Burlington and
When Lightning Struck, Four
Girls Had Narrow
Escape.

FIT. MADISON, Aug. 5.-An electri-
cal storm, carrying both relief and
destruction, visited Fort Madison and
vicinity Friday afternoon and evening,
coming down from the northwest and
passing over without touching the
western edge of the city. About a
quarter of an inch of water fell
Chief among the damages noted In
this vicinity is the stripping of the
corn by the hail. The wind seemed to
have had little effect but the hail
stones beat down with disastrous re-
suits upon the corn and all growing
crops. Apples were knocked from the
trees and all smaller fruit was more
or less hurt.
At the houses of the Fort Madison
Ice company, east of the city, the
wind wrecked the engine shed an
damaged the engine somewhat; z
twisted some Of the boards of the up
per ice chute.
Karl Boil, at the east limits of the
city, reports 146 panes Of glass in his
hothouses broken by the hail.
Both upper parks were lined wi
broken limbs Fallen trees and limb
were generally evident At the Ben
Beelman place, north of the city,
big maple tree, almost landmark by
it's age, was split in twain and the
fallen half was hanging from the
telephone wires. At several places In
the city broken limbs fell across the
street car wires. causing cessation
of street car traffic.
At the residence of Joseph Han
son, the wind swept up the prison hol-
low with terrific velocity and toppled
over the chimney.
When the storm first broke the
| thoughts of the uptown residents
turned to the emancipation day cele-
bration by the several hundred ne
groes at Peake's Amusement park.
but they were practically not affected
at all. just enough water falling there
to make the atmosphere enjoyable. At
Viele. west of Fort Madison. there
was no rain. nor at any point between
yiele and Montrose.
Auto parties out enjoying the cool
j, of the afternoon came home with the
side curtains up. garments dampened
| out of shape and the machines Gov
cred with mud.
Rumors were current that the storm
i had done considerable damage at 81
Paul, northwest of Fort Madison.
A large plate glass window was
blown out of the residence of David
Gorsage of the West End.
Results at Burlington.
BURLINGTON, Aug. ga queer
storm visited Burlington yesterday
I bringing a mixture of rain. hail and
! lightning. Burlington is so large that
the storms were not equally distribr.-
ed. At Grape Park and on the south
ern part of the CITY the storm broke
loose shortly after noon. but the north
part of the city escaped.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the
north and central parts of the citv
were visited by hail and electrical
storm. but the south portion escaped
the hail and rain.
The storm broke with a terrific
clan of thunder following a bolt
which struck the chimney of the
home of W P. Foster. at Court and
Fourth streets, The chimney was torn
and twisted and bricks we're thrown
into the middle of the street The elec.
tricitv flowed through the afr in all
directions. The lightning rods on the
opera house picked up some OF it and
4 the brilliant flash sent dozens Of