Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1903 — DEATH RIDES A STORM [ARTICLE]

DEATH RIDES A STORM

A FATAL BLAST SWEEPB OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS. Five Killed at Btreator and Four at Mendota —Nearly a Hundred Persons Meet with Serious Injury—Falling Buildings Crash Out Lives. , A furious windstorm, in some places taking on the character of a cyclone, swept over central Illinois about 6 o’clock Friday night, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Five persons are known to have been killed at Streator, four at Mendota and one at Campus, while many were injured at each of these towns. There were unconfirmed reports in the early evening that the town of Gardner had been destroyed and many people killed. All wires leading to the town were down and no definite information could be secured. The storm was general throughout Bureau, McLean, Grundy, La Salle and Kendall counties, but the greatest damage was done at the points above mentioned. Report* from Indianapolis and other cities in Indiana indicate that the northwestern section of the State was visited early in the evening by a furious storm. Many were reported killed. At Streator, 111., the tornado killed five persons, injured forty others and caused a property loss of $300,000. The storm, which came from the Southwest, was about one-quarter of a mile wide and in its path everything was swept. This includes the Vulcan Western works, the buildings being erected three years ago at a cost exceeding $150,000; the Stauber pants factory, where 100 employes had left the building five minutes before it waa struck. The building, with all its machinery and stock on hand, amounting to $50,000, is a total loss. The Diekermann school house, baseball park and amphitheater, Electric park, with all its buildings, numerous private residences, Schurmann’s big icehouses and stock therein—all are down. The splendid buildings of the Streator Racing Association and which would have been completed within two or three days are a total wreck. This includes the amphitheater, judges’ stand and the immense barns. It was here that the greater number lost their lives, all but one of the dead being race horse men. Nine trofcting*horses were killed. West of town a couple of miles, in the dairy farm of A. J. Danghei-ty, his wife and three children nnd a man employed on the farm were all dangerously hurt, the residence being blown to atoms. Damage and Death Elsewhere. Emington and Campus, two small towns on the Wabash Railroad, suffered severely from the storm. At Emington several houses were utterly demolished and four people were seriously it not fatally injured. At Campus one man was killed, while two others sustained injuries which may prove fatal. The cyclone was accompanied by a terrific rain storm, which washed out bridges, culverts and thousands of feet of railroad track. Reports from these two towns arc rto the effect that the loss to buildings and crops is very heavy. The tornado struck the northwestern part of Mendota, 111., killing four persons, seriously injuring ten others and leveling homes, barns and trees in its path. The path of the storm -was narrow and about eight miles in length. Besides the dead five members of the Boisdorf family were injured. They took refuge in the cellar on the approach of the storm and the house fell in. A cyclone passed through the northern part of Bureau County, damaging crops, farm buildings nnd residences. The residence of Henry Smith, six miles north bf Sheffield, was wrecked and Mr. Smith and lxis sister were both badly injured. originated near Mineral and passed south of New Bedford and Manlius and on the northern outskirts of La Moille. At the latter place numerous small buildings were wrecked. A severe storm swept through northern IndianaThte Friday night, doing immense damage to life and property. Four lives are reported lost and a score or more injured north of Lafayette. A terrific electric and rain storm passed over southwestern lowa at an early hour Friday morning, doing great damage to the crop of small grain which is just ready for the harvest. Numerous barns and other buildings were struck by lightning and destroyed. No loss of life is reported.