People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1893 — THE TORNADO. [ARTICLE]

THE TORNADO.

It Scatter* Death and Destruction Several States—A Number of Lives Lost la Ohio. Cleveland, 0., May 24. —A terrible windstorm struck this city at 8 o’clock a. m. Four men were instantly killed and many injured in the numerous casualties. A portion of the plate departmen t of the Cleveland Rolling Mill company, undergoing construction, gave way to the storm with fatal results. There were a number employed on the structure, two of whom were killed instantly, another received injuries which will doubtless prove fatal, and several more were badly injured. Another casualty caused by the severity of the storm was the destruction of a two-story frame house at the corner of Doan and Superior streets. It was blown down and John Cole buried beneath the debris. When taken out the man was in a terrible condition and death soon followed, after intense suffering. A scaffold blown from its fastenings by the high wind, seriously and in one case fatally injured four men employed by the Cleveland Gaslight and Coke company. Dispatches indicate that the entire northwestern portion of the state was swept by the storm. At Findlay the brick building of the Bell Pottery company was partially wrecked, the roof being carried »away and one wall crushed in. Two hundred employes had a narrow escape. The Model glass factory and the Salem wire nail works were unroofed. In Lima tls- gas works were unroofed and the smokestack* of several factories blown down. Daniel Miller, a farmer living several miles east of Lima, was caught beneath the timber of his barn as it was going down and crushed to death. At Hume, a small town near Lima, the Methodist church was blown down, as were several dwellings, and a number of people injured. In the oil fields thousands of derricks were blown down, the loss to the Standard Oil company alone amounting to thousands of dollars. The little town of Fort Recovery was almost leveled by the storm and a large number injured. The duration of the storm was not over ten seconds and the total damage in the country about Lima will amount to at least $1,000,000. At Fremont the spire of the Lutheran church was blown over, falling on the residence of Mrs. Corry, entirely destroying the east part of it. Och’s carriage works were struck and completely demolished. Ten men were in the three-story frame structure, and with the exception of Conrad Bnsold escaped with slight injuries. Busold had both legs broken and is in a critical condition. In Mercer county great damage was done to farm buildings, fences and forests. Indianapolis, Ind., May 24.—A windstorm passed over Indiana about 4 o’clock a. m. and did much damage. In the eastern and southern portions of the state the wind blew with the greatest force. At Jeffer-

sonville many houses were unroofed and trees were blown down. John Slem was blown over an embankment and severely injured. At Elwood the roof of the American tin plate works was blown off and the building otherwise damaged. This is the third time the great plant has been damaged by storm. At Marion the roaster building of the Columbia zinc works was blown over; also the smokestack, which fell on the main building, crushing the walls and damaging the machinery. Detroit, Mich., May 24.—A tornado came down from the northeast at 8 o’clock Tuesday morning. It struck the northern edge of the city, leveling trees, fences, frame buildings and wireladen poles. Its greatest force was exploded within the limits of half a mile wide. Soon after reports came in from many points in Wayne, Monroe and Lenawee counties telling of destruction to property, but no loss of life. At Romulus the big factory of the Romulus Manufacturing company was totally wrecked. At Holland the roof of the three-story brick opera-house block was lifted into the street; the heavy rain which accompanied the storm drenched the interior of the building and ruined the opera house. The April cyclone wrecked every building in Rea. The rebuilt elevator and Overmeyer's big store were demolished. At Weston Holden’s warehouse was overturned and a score of barns in the vicinity wrecked. Louisville, Ivy., May 24.—Again the wind has worked its will upon Louisville. Dwellings are ruined, streets are filled with the wreckage of roofs, with broken and uprooted trees, with remnants, walls and" twisted wires. No lives, however, are known to be lost, and few of the injuries received are serious. When the storm struck the city eight workmen under the charge of James Dadigan, night foreman at the big Louisville & Nashville roundhouse, were busy about the engines. The heavy engines were overturned like toys, but the men escaped almost miraculously from death. The damage to the building will not exceed $5,000. The damage to the engines will be less than half that amount.. Andrew Humble (colored), who lives on Shelby street, between Market and Jefferson, was struck by flying debris and seriously hurt about the body besides receiving bad wounds on hands and arms. The damage will reach $40,000.