Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-07-10
FIELDS OF GRAIN LAID
DOWN BY GALE
FROM NORTH
TREES BLOWN OVER
LARGE LIMBS SNAP LIKE MATCp
WOOD UNDER PRESSURE OF
TERRIFIC STORM - STREETS
eLOCkhDED BY FALLEN LIMBS
ALL WIRE SERVICE BADLY
CRIPPLED.

a tornado passed. through the Hi
nois Valley last evening, leaving a
total damage Of $loo,000 in It's wake
The storm extended from SomanaUk
through Morris ana Ottawa and passed
on south While the actual financial
loss in Ottawa was probably not 80
great. the entire residence district If
the city was thrown into utter darl.
ness during he evening while tele.
phones We're put ont Of commission
and hunAseds of trees fell Big tren
snapped off like they were made Of
paper falling across the pavement
anw closing also every street to tra|-
fic az some point. The storm broke at
G 10 and lasted almost an hour
Stories of many fatalities in nearby
cities gained circulation today. but
investigation proved them TO be false
No official report as to the DAMAGE
of the crops of the county could be oh
tanned from the office of the county
calls sent BY the Free Trader, Journal
to various parts Of the county ini'-
Gated that thousands OF dollars were
lost by the La Sale County farme"S
as a result Of the storm. Oats anI
wheat were laid down, and in many
cases will not straightcn up enough 10
be cut South of the city almost al
of the oats had been cut and shocked
Only the shocks we're blown down
The born was bent nat all over the
area covered by the storm. hut ii is
thought most OF this will straighten
ur and mature properly. Trees were
unrooted in every district and larg"
limbs were snapped off like they were
made of paper, but the heavy dama""
lay In the destruction of the growing
crops.
NJ. L. & T. stack Blown Down.
No casualties we're reported in OF.
tawa. although many per onS had Vfry
narrow escapes from being hit by faI-
ing trees. Soon after the storm
started street and house lights went
off in practically all residence sections
OF the city A large steel smoke stack
five feet in diameter and 14U feet high
was bent and twisted off seventy fcni
from the brick building at the plant
OF the Northern Illinois Lieht and
Traction Company. SiXty-fye feet of
the heavy stack fell, crashing through
a large coal shed and dcmolishing IT, .
A ive-foot section was left hanging by
one edge, dangling high in the air.
The damage caused by his falling
stack amounted to $1,000.
The company has another steel
smoke stack leading from the boiler
room which will be large enough to
run the boilers until the second stack /.
is repaired, BY evening all the fallen |.
wires will be repaired. BY strange co.
incidence, one of the two big smoke
stacks at the Marseiles power and
water plant was br9ueht down in prac-
tically the same manner in which the .
Ottawa stack fell The damage at
NIarseilles will amount to about
$500.
Charles Hahn, superintendent Of .
light and power at the ottawa plant, /
this morning declared that if the stack .
had fallen few feet further west
the roof of the switchboard room
would have been crushed and the city |
would have been without lights for .
week or more. A hole about three
feet deep was made in a brick side .
walk where the end Of the stack |
struck the ground
Trees Tear Down Wires.
SO many falling trees had pulled
down wires that after the storm was
over officials of the light company did
not attempt to turn on the power in
the residence districts fearing that |
q number of persons might strike live
wires and be killed.
Traffic Is Prevented.
I,'nruvban traffic was tied up east Of
Ottawa from about $3.50 until ! o'clock