Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-05-11
RAGING TEMPEST
CAUSES A HEAVY
DAMAGE IN CITY
Electrical Storm, Accompanied
by High Wind Spells Havoc
in Many Quarters.
MINOR DAMAGE IS GENERAL
nUenport Catches the erunt Of the
Blow. Loss Amounting to Sew
eraI Thousand Dollars

One OF the fiercest storms that has
.vsr visited Rock Island and vicinity,
o,curred last night and early this
,,oraing resulting in considerable
J. damage. Wires OF the various utilities
companies and limbs OF trees were
n,ovu down. while in some cases trees
vare broken of or even uprooted.
The storm brought high winds.
heavy rain and the thunder and light
,sng which accompanied il was prac-
ticalIy continuous during the period in
vbich the storm ragged the iercest.
Yesterday the mercury assembled 20
. point common in July. reaching 81
degrees. Rock Island people were
driven TO seek the cooler places in
The home or the shade of tree.
About 1880 o'clock in the evening.
= cool breeze began to blow. A clear
SKY. however. gave no indication of
storm. About midnight, however,
Glands darkened the heavens and one
hour later flashes of lightning follow
Cd by thunder heralded the approach
ing tempest
The first rain storm lasted about
i5 minutes during which time hail
larger than marbles fell. a calm OF
Is minutes followed and another storm
followed.
Second One Greater.
Il was then that the wind blew
hercely. The electrical storm was
spectacular. and while it did not &C
oomplish damage as great as that of
the wind in Rock Island. a number of
trees. barns and houses in and near the
city were struck.
The Central Union Telephone COM
pany was probably the hardest hit.
Three cables in Rock Island. one on
Ninth street, one on Twenty-second
street and a third on Seventh avenue
having been burned out. Long dis
lance communication between Rock
Island and points northeast of here
was destroyed, and Sterling and sur
rounding towns could not be reached. !
Communication with Peoria and
Springfield. however. was unhampered. |
Many Phones Out.
Between 300 and 100 telephones in |
this city were placed out of commits |
sion, mainly as a result of branches 4
Of the trees falling upon the wires. |
These, however. were rapidly placed in |
working order. and Manager A. J. /
Beverlin stated this morning that by !
nightfall the damage would be entirely 1
repaired.
The Peoples Power company reports
little damage by falling wires. The
troubles, however, were general and
we're remedied early today.
One call OF the fire department was
made at 1:25 o'clock this morning. An
electric light wire entangled in the
branch Of a tree located near Twenty
second street and Ninth avenue caused
branch OF the tree TO ignite.
e. The city fire department signal sys-
ten was damaged some and City Elec-
rieian Murphy this morning was bus
iy engaged in making repairs.
Lightning struck the chimney on
ne residence occupied by c. William
LoVelett. 92s Eleventh avenue, at 2
O'Clock this morning. and set fire to
me attic. Members of the family ex-
ungutshed the blaze and the loss was
nominal The house is owned by
George Reddig.
Lightning struck several trees in
ias city One destroyed was near the
Nesus fats on Second avenue and two {
sssr the high school.
Fall IS Of An Inch.
The weather bureau reports that the &
lsia fall was but .65 OF an inch The |
VIC velocity ranged about 80 miles '
Per hour, although for a time IL {
reached 80 miles The weather bureau
olleials, however. state that II IS prob
1o!e that the velocity was even greater
q certain places in the city, as Il
Glen varies in speed.
Frame House Ruined.
a frame house under construction ]
y the corner Of Thirteenth avenue O
mo Tenth street, owned by Frank b
Ossier, was practically ruined and the
'~her sustained a heavy loss The
@ter caused a portion OF the founda-
4on 70 disintegrate and as a result the
ma destroyed portion of the frame
York
Inc wind was OF cyclonic tendency, g
IS shown by the number of trees 2
Drooted about the city. Several large Il
-es were destroyed. b
On the roof Of the Modern Woodmen c
1hoing two Of the six ventilator cupo- G
= were entirely twisted out OF shape d
90 VIII have TO be replaced with new
ne devices are OF heavy sheet steel. :
= pile OF lumber in the yards Of the
ock Island lumber company at