Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1898 — GALE PROVES FATAL [ARTICLE]

GALE PROVES FATAL

Tornado Sweeps Hampton Beach, N. H., on the Fourth. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE IS THE RESULT. Excursion Steamer Capsizes gear Beverly, Mass., and Many Lives Are Lost—Fall of a Bridge la Ohio Kills Four. Hampton, N. H., July 5.—A tornado struck a section of Hampton Beach at 3:15 o’clock Monday, causing immense damage 7 to beach property and great loss of life.’’ Cottages were blown flat, horses were picked up bodily and dashed against buildings, vehicles carried many feet, barns unroofed, large trees snapped off at their roots, while others were torn up bodily. The tornado touched the beach at a place about half a mile north of Whitler’s hotel, and cut a swath 100 yards wide in a westerly direction, moving in rotary shape until it passed out to sea. Twenty cottages were torn down, and several small hotels completely wrecked. The greatest loss of life and injury came with the demolition of the old skating rink, near Levitt’s, a single story structure of wood, 500 by 100 feet in size. Here from 75 to 125 persons were seriously injured, an unknown number slightly wounded, and seven persona are already dead. The Victims. The list of dead on shore reported at eight o’clock was as follows; Mora, the actress, of New York, who was playing in a piece entitled "The Blowing Up of the Maine;’’ Miss Mae Prescott, Exeter;.Samuel Cammett, Exeter; William E. Karlson, Exeter. Among those believed to be fatally injured In the pavilion are Miss C. D. Pressey, Haverhill, Mass., fractured skull; J. F. Pennington, Exeter; W. H. Barber, Exeter, N. H., internal injuries. Karlaon was taken out dead, but Mora, the actress, was alive when found and died shortly after. Five Drowned. A yacht owned by Capt. Frank Mudd, of this place, was sailing off the beach and was in the path of the storm. In it were nine persons, and of these five were drowned. The drowned are; Walter, Gertrude and Ralph Hodgeson, Kennington, N. H.; Mrs. W. H. Parker, Kensington; Capt. Mudd, Hampton. Steamer Capsized. Beverly, Mass., July 6.—The small excursion steamer Surf City, with about 60 passengers on board, while half way over from Salem willows to her wharf here, a distance of about two miles, was struck by a terrific squall about six o'clock Monday night and capsized. Of those on board a large majority are believed to have been rescued by boats from both the Salem and Beverly shores, but no less than six bodies had been recovered at dark, and as it is known that many rushed into the cabin before the squall it Is thought that twice as many bodies are still confined there. As one or two of those taken ashore are in a critical condition, it appears likely that the list of dead may reach a score. The boat sank In about 15 feet of water, her hurricane deck being loosened in the gale, while all those on board were either thrown Into the water or struggled desperately to get from under the decks or out of the cabin of the boat. The steamer was seen to go down by persons on both sides of the bay and boats immediately put out to the wreck, reaching her In a lew minutes. Those in the water were quickly hauled aboard, and with the living were drawn Into the boat a number of dead, Including the bodies of two children. The scene while the work of rescue was going on was a fearful one, as over half of those on board were women, and their screams could be heard for miles. Four Killed by a Falling Bridge. Shelby, 0., July 5.—A bridge crossing the Michigan river here fell Monday afternoon with 1,000 people. Four were killed outright, and a hundred injured, some of them seriously. A pubic wedding was being celebrated on the bridge as one of the features of the celebration. Just as the ceremony had been completed the bridge went down with a crash, precipitating the people a distance of 18 feet. Those who were killed outright were: Cyrus Kuhan, of Shelby, uged 50; Mrs. Louisa Monahan, of Edison, aged 55; Ada Bloodhart, of Shelby, aged 12; Frank Keckler. of Shelby, aged 12. The panic which ensued after the bridge feiy was Indescribable, and It was Impossible to get anything like a correct list of the wounded. Many persons suffered from broken legs and arms, but very few If any of the injured are likely to die. Three Men Drowned. Hamilton, Ont., July s.—Three young men, Charles Searley, Roy Sinnet rnd Charles Williams were drowned In the bay here Sunday night during a storm. They were sailing a clinker-built yacht when it began to fill, and endeavoring to ball out, the tiller was left unguarded for a moment, and the yacht capsized. The three men and one other named Long started to swim ashore. The result was that the three were drowned, Long barely managing to reach the shore.