The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-07-22

heat wave on Wednesday afternoon at
about 400 o'clock, heavy wind storm
accompanied by a downpour of rain
passed over the city and left wake of
unroofed buildings, RACED chimneys, up
rooted and broken trees.
The Ely Miner was exceptionally hard
hit. The big window in the back of
the shop went out first and then one
half of the front. Rain poured into
the plant in torrents and saturated
machinery, paper stock and already
printed job work. To add to the con-
fusion, the chimney blew down. At the
home, the big trees were uprooted, in
falling some of them knocked out
windows in the upper story and
drenched several bed rooms, beds,
furniture and clothing, besides tearing
off the screen from the front and side
porch, frame and all
A trip around the city showed an
enormous amount of damage to almost
every piece of property. At the schools
several windows were blown in and the
chimney on the old High School build
ing was RACED. In falling it went
through the roof. The same thing
happened at several residences at the
Pioneer location. "Scotty" bakers
chimney went through the roof on the
kitchen and all the trees in that sec
ton of the city are down.
Half of the tin roof from the Miller
hull f,xrv, .R -,
tenants on the upper floor received a
drenching. The Louis Gordon store
in the east end was unroofed and his
large stock of clothing drenched. Sew
eral windows in the Shipman Hospital
were blown in and fruit trees in the
yard uprooted.
Almost every place had more or less
damage to report. John Schaefer re-
ports his fruit trees and garden ruined.
The Simplex Laundry building was
entirely unroofed and demolished.
About twenty feet of the jump-off on
the ski slide was ruined and some of
the fence at the athletic field at the
school grounds was RACED.
Contractor Christianson at the clear
well construction project had the larger
part of his forms set for the pouring
of concrete. More than two-thirds of
the forms were spoiled, and viii needs
be rebuilt as the woodwork is splintered
and the reinforcing steel twisted in all
manner of shapes.
To add to the confusion the power
lines were blown down in several places
and the city was without lights. During
the progress of the storm which lasted
about half hour, it was dark as night.
The electric pumps at the BURNSIDE
station were stopped by break in the
power line and workmen were at once
instructed to get the Shagawa Lake
pumps in operation to replenish the
fast dwindling water supply in the
mains and tank However, it was
not found necessary to fill the system
with the old water as the breaks in
the line were remedied and BURNSIDE
water furnished.
Along Chandler Street and the
avenues between Sheridan Street and
Chandler Street. trees cluttered up the
yards. The lots of Supt. Strachan,
Assistant Supt. Jones, VIM. Bridson, DR..
Sutherland, were mess owing to the
fallen trees and downed chimneys.
The park around the Pioneer Office was
particularly hard hit and nearly every
tree in this handsome and wen kept
yard was down. Luckily, with all this
falling timber. few buildings were SER
iously damaged although fences were
smashed in several instances. The big
trees in the Raub James yard fell over
the fence into the street as did also
the trees in the Dave Childers, Van
Blarcom, Lincoln school, Sundholm and
Nankervis lots. The iron work on the
proposed theatre building opposite the
Miner Office went down in the early
part of the blow.
The roof from the Jos. Mavetz build
ing on Central Avenue was rolled up
and deposited in the street. The roof
from section of the round house of
the D. M. & N, covered the tracks and
the warehouse across the tracks from
the depot was unroofed. A log cabin
in the course of construction on the
road to the lake was ready for the
paper on its roof just before the storm.
After the wind passed the builder
found the demolished roof two blocks
from the structure.
Sandy Point, where several picnic
parties were in progress, was almost
ruined by falling trees and shifting
small structures. The pavilion at the
point held and those therein, while
frightened, were uninjured Our grand
children, Margery and Buddy" who
were at the point took refuge in the
small pump house near the Blackmore
home and remained there alone during
the blow.
Parties travelling on No. 81, state that
the storm ragged as far south as EN-
barrass and that thousands of trees
were uprooted. Definite reports Of the
damage done to farmers have not as
yet reached here. Cottagers at Moose
Lake report much timber down, several
of the smaller trees falling over some
cabins.
Winton was hard hit by falling
chimneys and tearing up of roofs.
Silver City and Pine Point were almost
ruined by the storm, Frank Jenko lost
the roof from his boat house, the