Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1902 — STORM WORKS HAVOC. [ARTICLE]

STORM WORKS HAVOC.

Joliet Is Swept bj _ 1 •*nd Great Damage Results. Joliet, 111., has experienced the most disastrous flood in its history. The city was inundated by the terrible rainstorm of Monday night, great damage to property resulted and a number of persons were reported drowned. All railroad traffic In the city was brought to a standstill, tracks were washed out, telegraph poles were down and the utmost confusion prevailed. About 8 o’clock Monday night a black cloud swept up from the southwest, accompanied by thunder and lightning, and poured a torrent of water upon the streets which soon transformed them into rivers. Several persons were caught in the flood. Water covered some of the streets to the depth of over two feet. The Masonic Templie was flooded to the depth of several feet, and on Chicago street, the main thoroughfare, water stood to the depth of three feet. The floods extended, to the yards of the Illinois Steel Company, putting out the furnace fires and causing a complete shutdown of the mills. The Bates Machine works and the McKenna plant and wire mills were also under water. Fully twothirds of the east side of the city was inundated, and in some places the water reached to the roofs of lew buildings. The telegraph and telephone lines were heavy sufferers, and ’the city was cut off from communication., by railroad early Tuesday,

As soon as the extent of the flood became known Mayor Barr issued s call for a special meeting of {Jip City Council to provide special measures Tor the relief of the flood-stricken inhabitants. The loss to merchants will amount to many thousands of dollars. Tbe Joliet Stove Company suffers a loss of $15,000 and the Joliet Warehouse Company of $lO,000. Most of the downtown stores had large quantities of goods stored in basements, ijm} will be almdif & totnl loss. A tornado struck Lonlsburg, Wis., late Monday, and according to reports received the damage was heavy. Barns and outbuildings were demolished. Seeing the fury of the storm, Edward Ward, a farmer, hurried his team homeward. He was unhitching It when the barn was blown to pieces, a heavy timber striking him in the forehead and crushing his skull. He died instantly. Heavy rains also caused great damage to crops, and it is said that the season’s Work on many farms has been a total loaa.

Former United States Senator George W. Mcßride of Oregon and Mrs. Laura Walter Schwichtenberg of the sam£ State, were married at the rectory of the Church of the Ascension in New York. Richard Barthoidt of St. Louis was renominated for Congress by the Republicans of the Tenth Missouri District. Than was no opposition.