The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat., 1920-07-02
City is Paralyzed Thirty Min
utes After It Breaks and is
Just Recovering
Today.
TREES AND WIRES DOWN
Wind Reaches Velocity of Be-
tween Fifty and Sixty Miles
During Height of Storm
Last Evening.

the worst since the big storm in Aug
ust, 1886, descended on Keokuk last
evening shortly after nine o'clock, and
in thirty minutes time had paralyzed
the city. Trolley wires were broken
by huge trees which fell over on the
thread, electric light circuits were cut
as measures of safety, and wind
which attained velocity of fifty miles
an hour tore through the streets or
the city, twisted and broke trees two
feet in diameter as one breaks tooth
pick, shattered windows, tore cornices
off of buildings, rolled up roofs in
tubes and dashed them to the street,
and generally played havoc, the like
Fof which has not been seen in thirty
years.
Breaking with the suddenness of
star shell over No Mans land, the
storm wrapped Keokuk in sheets OF
wind and rain. Glass in windows was
sucked out of the frames. trees Goa
menced falling, power circuits We're
struck out by the breaking Of wires,
and the intensity of the electricity
which accompanied the storm, street
cars stalled and people stayed in them
for protection against the driving
rain. Porch swings were blown
through windows into rooms, ice boxes
were carried off of porches and into
the neighbor's yards by the force of
the wind, rocks were driven through
windows, chimneys fell, and 'cornices
were ripped with the ease Of paper
tearing.
The most serious property damage
is that at st. Peters church. The tall
chimney which was built up at the
north end Of the edifce collapsed ON
the vestry roof, wrecking this part
of the church completely. The main
auditorium is not touched, but the
vestry is a mass OF broken floors, walls
and fallen plaster. The robes kept
here have been damaged considerably,
and there is no doubt but that the
monetary damage in this instance is
the most serious.
Iron bars supporting the chimney
were wrecked off the building by the
cruel fingers OF the storm and tossed
with a roar into the yard back of the
priests house. Bricks were sent hurl-
ing through the air into the roof, tear
ing through the slate roof and spread
ing destruction and damage every
where.
The Standard Four Tire company
has some property damage and a
good deal of equipment damage. A
piece OF the roofing about twenty feet
square was blown off the rear part of
the plant and over onto the main part
of the roof. This caused something to
break IN the elevator and this caused
the sprinkler system to open up in the
building, causing damage by water.
A garage building at the east side OF
the plant was blown down. Consider
able damage was done also to the lab
oratory of the plant.
The Weather Report
The storm approached as near
hurricane as. could possibly be imag
ined. Although the wind velocity was
not as strong as it was the windy Sun
day last March when damage was done
all over the city, there were periods
when the velocity attained sixty
miles an hour, and for the most part it
blew fifty miles an hour. The wind
swept from the northwest.
The weather conditions yesterday
showed low barometer and thunder
storms for the afternoon and evening.
Clouds began to roll up early in the
evening, and lightning flashes were
vivid all through the south and west.
The atmosphere became almost stiff
ling at times, and everyone who had
occasion to be out kept his eye out for
the storm
Fifty Mile Gale.
With little warning outside of sew
eral sharp fishes of lightning there
came terrific roar as if a band of
snare drums had been turned loose
This was the wind, which was tearing
trees to- pieces and breaking windows
and tearing off roofs.
1t was accompanied by severe light
ming and then came utter darkness
save for emergency lights in houses
and factories. The power current was
shut off at this point. The storm con-
tinued with more or less fury until
midnight A half inch Of rain accom-
panied the storm. At the power plant
a hundred mile wind was recorded
August IL, 1886, there was big
wind which blew down the Baptist
church steeple at Eighth and Blondeau
streets, besides other property dam
age. This was Keokuk's record wind
storm.
g
Safety First With Wires.
When the high power circuits of
the industrial section began to go
down last night, the electric power
and light switches were ordered pull
ed by Manager Alexander. and while
the city was cast into darkness, it is
probable that many lives were saved,
because there were dangling wires
everywhere that might have brought
death by electrocution. AS soon as
the linemen could patrol the sections.