Year: 1876

The Chicago morning papers of the 18th
and Sth give lengthy detailed accounts of
the effects of the tornado on the 9th, from
which we make the following extracts:


Before the tempest burst upon the city,
the sky was overcast with heavy clouds
from which the rain descended in torrents.
Then the dark clouds that had been gath
ering in the southwest suddenly began to
move like huge billows, heaving and
tossing against one another. From this
terrible cloud darted ragged lightning
flashes, while the thunder crashed above,
shaking the city TO its very foundation.
On rolled the black cloud, enveloping the
city in gloom of night which was only
relieved by the lurid glare of the light
ming which now flashed out necessarily,
while the thunder crashed without cessa-
ton. Then, to add TO the horror of the
deafened every other sound, and which
made the solid blocks reel and tremble
beneath its terrible force, demolishing
nearly everything that stood In its way.
It's effects were felt in nearly every quarter
of the city, but the main shock was con-
fined TO track mile or more in width.
It's course was very irregular-frst sweep
ing over the city from west TO east, then
turning north, and then sweeping away
over the lake in noltheasterly direction.


SO far as has been asCertained, the tenn
pest struck down upon the city in the VI
cinity of the Bridewell, where it wrought
sad havoc with the fences. Seeming to
gather strength as it rushed on, it came
with terrible force upon the habitations
in the neighborhood of Paulina and
Twenty-second streets, where, among
other objects, it tore in pieces a three
story tenement house, killing some of
the inmates. From this point its path tor
miles eastward is clearly marked with the
ruin that it wrought The region over
which it passed. from Paulina street to
the river, is. known as the lumber dis
trict Here, for a distance of over two
miles along the South Branch, millions
upon millions of feet OF lumber are
piled, and here the tempest ragged in its
widest fury. Huge piles of lumber were
overturned, while the air was filled
with great boards and punches of
lath and shingles; and what was
moniously deposited in another, and not
little difficulty will be experienced by
the rightful owners in obtaining their own
again. Then it dashed, raging and roar
ing, across the river until it reached the
lake, and here it turned, and with in
creased fury rushed northward, covering
nearly the entire South Division. Reach
ing Eighteenth street, it struck the
County Hospital and tore of portion of
the roof.


AT Fourteenth street it came with saw
age fury against the tall and graceful
spire of Grace (EpiscopaD Church, and in
an instant overturned it and sent it crash
ing through the roof. Still on it rushed,
and half Il mile further on it met with re-
sistance in the shape of the Michigan
Southern Railroad freight depot; but the
resistance was short, for, as if maddened
that anything should dispute its passage,
it tore the building to the ground. In the
Palmer House it met with an antagonist
that braved its Jury, but with spiteful ven
geance it seized upon the elaborate center
piece and tore it to fragments Then on
over the business center it rushed, the vol
ume of the storm passing above the
| buildings, fortunately, for had it been
otherwise, there is no calculating the de-
struction of property and the loss OF life
that would have ensued 1t swept along
the lake shore on the North Side for a
short distance, then rushed toward the
crib. The tower containing the big tog,
bell was swept away.


1t was, without exception, the most ter
rible wind-storm that has ever visited this
northern section of country. 1t came
without premonition, and the cloud burst
that accompanied it, and in o moment q
perfect avalanche of water fell from tn C
black clouds above, drenching TO the
skin the unfortunate pedestrians who had
not sought shelter.


While the storm ragged, the scene on the
| principal streets was one Of wild and ter
rible excitement. Frightened horses,
dragging ponderous hitching- weights,
dashed wildly through the streets terror
stricken men, women and children ran
hither and thither into any place that of
fered protection from the pitiless storm
carriages were overturned; huge boxes
rolled and danced along the sidewalks
signs sailed through the air, crashing
through the plate glass windows or crush
ing upon the sidewalk; men and womer
were rolled over and over in the mud


hats were whirled away over lofty, build


ings, while umbrellas were simply tori
to shreds, leaving only the skeleton abov


the head of the unfortunate owner


While there was universal terror and dis


may there was but little, if any, profanity
for on such occasions profanity is no
deemed TO be necessary beside that, tn
| WllLLCu wv uulDlCuSdulll ClOoO
and the thunder spoke too loudly.


The County Hospital on Eighteenth
street, which was in the path of the tor
nado, was denuded of portion of it
roof, and for an instant the rickely olc
structure threatened to fall in upon tn


hundreds of sick and helpless pensioners O


Cook County. About 200 square feet o
roofing was lifted bodily from the north


nl tha httil1fnu anA itc fro n
ments were borne through the air as fa


east as Clark street, four blocks away


Large sections of the tin sheeting whicl


covered the remaining portion OF the roo


were torn completely away, and hurlet


into the street in front of the hospital


Every strip of sheeting on the root of tn


main building was torn from its fastening


at one or more corners, and twisted on


of shape. The patients were wild witt


fear, the crash of falling chimneys, tn


shrieking and creaKing of the disruptet
roof, the cracking of beams and scant
lings above, the rocking of the building


as it reeled beneath the terrible force @


the wind, and over all the savage roar q
the tempest, served TO madden the in


mates, and all was forgotten but tn


instinct of selfpreservation. Lif


was sweet even to those poor wretches, ant
from their misery they welcomed not tn


release that comes with death. The panic


stricken sufferers sprang from their cots
, where they had lain so long, and rushe,
wildly Tor the doorways and Railways L
! escape from the threatened danger. Owe
, the shrieks of the terror.stricken crow,


rang the wild laughter of boy of fifteel
in ward L, who had suffered amputatio
} of the leg, and who in delirium of dc


light shouted as he heard the wild nois


of the storm without and above. A ma


in the same ward, who had a brio


hung to his arm to straighten it, picked u
, the brick very carefully and rushed ava
for safety. Patients who were unabl
even to turn in bed, galvanized by feal
, sprang up and fled shrieking through tn
, corridors. Through the gaping, ragge
roof volume of water poured In upN
the struggling crowd, saturating the col


and tvatfinor ~ tho al In ia natipnta hafor