The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-06-24
DESTRUCTIVE
WIND STORM
Gale OF Last Night Ruined Trees
By Thousands And De-
mOliShed Awnings
PANICKY HOUR WAS SPENT
Along With Blow Fell l.4l In
CheS OF Rain--HavOC Less
Severe Elsewhere

Bnffeted by terrific gale and
dr"nched with dowupour. Oklahoma
city early Thursday morning expen.
rnred one u the worst storms In IL.
history Al 2:3u o'clock the wind
was crushing through the streets In
'lrlonic proportions. with velocity
.of - miles an hour Only once before
IN the history ~ the local weather
hnrenlI has u gale Of such hrnd been
reached
The wind was accompanied with A
bIlnding rain storm. IN Inches
I'o"ding the city during the coup,. ot
the tempest Thousands " trees were
ripped to pieces or uprooted ~ the
gate r"ared through the streets Roof.
""r" torn from houses. barns nnd
sheds were demolished Windows w.r.
o'o"h In and awnings and slim,
swept away by the fury Of the storm
,'s"'S Shohe In practically every
nome III the city rs the frightened
occupants sought storm cellars ar .t.
| tempted To mop up the floods of watsr
Nhl'h Seethed In under the doors ,nd
"l"'hu tue window castings Trees
"hu shrubbery were the chief suftar
eI@ from the storm. As the hra,,h,..
were torn or aud crashed against the
houses or TO the ground people he.
came panic stricken, for the moaninv
N'nu tOuld not be- kept out and housa.
r"'k"d nhd shook as II they wsrs
made OF pasteboard.
Streets Branch g1revr
Eriects Of the storm were visible
VI every part OF the city tndav
:" some places trees were lyIny
a,loSS n lie streets obstructing traffic
nt"nches strewed the ground averv.
~here. Porch chairs aud swings wes,
Orokeh In the streets or acs,,.raa
lhrUugh the yards A barn halons,,,,',
no p IN W. G. Thomas At lI0I West
% rlrst street was set on fire by falling
,eclrlc , wires. but Immediately or,
.iusu'sied by sheets Of rain. Charged
VIRUS were torn down In several mart.
VI Town vivid illumination from a
Hi. ""s UP capitol
The roof was blown from ,ho ,.,..,
o' W. - Eastland at I20s Wsst
seventeenth street, and tarnou,,n
! spread over the exposed roonns D..
'','meil who answered the listrass
'nL A house occupied nv negroa.,
near the Central avenue bridga yas
Torn from its foundations and smash
~ ial'ihg tree. A tent shelter.
lug woman and three children near
W heeIer park was carried away Inv
the wind and the helpless occun,nt,
drought 10 the police station. Several
plhte glass windows In PackInvtown
were blown In and smaller Windows
were swept In at nearly all the hotels
nhd office buildings The front .,
ihe Brewer Drug store at pa Wes,
nr"hd was carried In by the force az
'he Wlhd aud several windows brnLen
at the Central fire station
Gamewell Out Of Service
hlgh tension wire coming In con.
TACT WIN the Gamewell alarm system
put the board out Of order anI ,ha
poilce station was without an alarm
system all the forenoon. A policeman
reporting from a box was severely
shocked hy a short circuit during the
course ot the storm. A Garnet was
picked up on the roof Of the Lincoln
school building after the storm Its
owner has not vet been found The
interior OF the Lyric theater was dam.
aged by the wind, which ripped part
OF the ceiling away rhe homes ~
, Mayor ONerhOlser and Commissioner
street were both damaged
No eStimnte Of the damage result
INK from the tree destruction can he
given Many of the oldest ones I'm the
city were practically DESTROYED. The
, trees In Wheeler park were not dam.
aged ns badly as those ON higher
ground, being protected by their dens.
ity and secluded position. That the
damage would run into the thousand.
Of dollars was the belief Of ]. &.
! street, commissioner OF public prop
crty.
The highest rainfall reported M the
weather bureau was LII Inches
. which fell during the night at Panls
! Valley. The rain was general In the
north, central aud eastern parts OF
the state II was stated by officials
" the weather bureau that both the
. North and South Canadian rivers
would rise, hut probably not 10 a
flI0l stage No noticeable rise was
reported In the river this morning
' from the rain last night
100 Phones Out on Use
-Four wagons aud squad uf motor
! cycle trouble adjusters " the Pioneer
Telephone company are covering the
, city today IN nm attempt to place
= y between 900 and 700 telephones back
!, IN working order According 10 A. W.
|, BoEenschultz, of the company, the se-
!. we're wind aud rain storm " last
: night played havoc with the system.
More than 100 tap lines leading FROM
the main cables TO the bpises were
torn down or placed In bad condition
\ by being covered with branches and
leaves " trees Ten cables were ~.
h fected by the storm placing t00 tele'
If phones on the "Out -of order list. ~.
i. allies thla ION dron wires ara doxru