The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-19
ITS BLOCKS IN
TORNADO PATH
Continued From Gage y
Gus drove and walked to view the
wind damage.
Hits Five Block Area

ington st. to Pine St. There it
dipped and spread over a five-block
area, continuing for about eighteen
blocks to New York and Temple.
where it lifted.
From that point the wind did only
spasmoIc damage. hitting houses
here ard there until it hit the ele-
waited Belt Railroad. There 1t
slipped down the embankment onto
large frame garage of the Indian
Refining Company, which was de-
molished.
Then, spreading out for three
blocks on both sides of Michigan ST.,
the storm repeated pranks it had
played in the Pine St.-Temple Ave.
area.
When the wind hit Sherman DR..
1t rose again. Travelled north for a
short distance and then veered
northeastward. 1t did very little
serious damage then until it reached
Tenth st. and Emerson Ave, in
Emerson Highland. There the
twister disappeared.
Police Patrol Area
Police established headquarters in
the east side stricken area early to-
day at the keystone drug store, 1884
E. Washington st.
Police chief Johnson refused
a proffer to aid by the Amer
lean Legion, declaring that the po-
lice and fire departments had the
situation we'll under control.
Terre Haute First
Roaring out OF Illinois. the storm
first struck Indiana at Terre Haute,
where it unroofed some buildings
and uprooted many trees.
1t bounded on eastward, selecting
a tree or building here and there for
a sharp blow. 1t descended again
sharply at Ben Davis, five miles west
OF indianapolis, where several build
ings were damaged.
Whisking it's way into the city,
the wind struck Washington base
ball park, causing damage estimated
at $4,000. A part of the south and
east fences were flattened. Parts
of the south bleachers and of the
grand stand were splintered. The
lower section of the offices were
caved in when flying debris crashed
into ii.
From there the tornado engaged
in a fiendishs parade east in Wash
ington ST.. sideswiping at the Indi'
annapolis Water Company station on
the east bank of White River to
knock a 200-foot stack over on TO the
warehouse of the d. Somers Com
pany, and bowling on into the bust
ness district.
1t knocked down huge electric
signs, whirled automobiles about
wrecked plate glass windows in de
partment stores and speciality shops
tore a corner off the Statehouse roof
and SPED ever eastward to High
land Ave.
Supreme Blow
There the storm marshalled Its
forces for the supreme blow. II
spread out until it constituted hor
rible wave, five blocks wide-fron
Washington to Michigan SITS, and
roared its devastating way for two
miles-to the Belt railroad. 1t was
in this territory that most of the
damage was done.
CT crNt.n06 faYNNriCn from
this district, apparently spending it
self far to the north, south and east
with the tips of the fan roughly al
Huntington, Ind. and Cincinnati
Ohio.
Utilities Crippled
Part of it veered north in Indian
apolis, tearing up trees and shrub
berry in the north side and the rest
went on over Irvington.
Hundreds of live wires sputtered
in the stricken area and in other
parts of the city. Traction utilities
both city and State. were hampered
Telephone and telegraph companies
suffered.
Storm Bounces Along
AS snarling. biting beast
searches for prey the storm dashed
the east side of the city.
In many cases homes were left
unscathed within fifteen feet of 9th
ers completely demolished.
The theory that Indianapolis Il
situated within a saucer-shaped area
and that the storm literally bounced
from spot to spot along this concav'
surface was advanced to explain the
phenomenon.
East side areas hardest hit were:
Washington st. for practically
its entire length; Ohio st. from
Arsenal Ave. to Hendricks rPL;
Rural st. from New York to Mich
igan St.; New York st. from Jeffer-
son Ave, to Sherman Dr.; Tacoma,
Keystone and Beville SITS. from
Washington to New York SITS.
Market ST., from Jefferson Ave
to Sherman DR.. showed slighte'
affects of the storm.
Hendricks Pl. from Washington
st. to New York St., was probabl,
the hardest hit spot in the city.
moment after the storm hit, thes'
two blocks resembled the shelled sec
tor of a war-ravaged city.
Homes on both sides Of the stree
were pushed over like houses-of
cards. Wreekage strewed the stree
and made passage impossible.
Houses Lean Drunkenly
Four large homes, at the north
west corner of Ohio and Hendricks
Pl., lean drunkenly against eacl
other, ripped from their foundations
The corner home, occupied by Cor
nelius F. Cronin, was twisted on it:
foundation and sank into the cellar
it's second story, settling to where
it's first FLOOR stood.
Even ON this street with havoc
and wreckage general, an occasional
house escaped the whim of the winds
Keystone Ave. for two blocks NORTH
- Txo-l,fr,tOv, CT cufferad aim oct a,