Ft.
Wayne, Indiana Storm
September 16, 1897
IT DIED HARD.
Takes a Convulsion of Nature to Kill the Hot
Spell.
CAME LIKE A FLASH.
Boisterous Wind Tears Everything Loose That Lies
in the Way.
MUCH DAMAGE DONE.
Property Loss Will Prove Heavy in City and on
Farm.
This morning while perspiring citizens walked
about the streets under the pitiless rays of the
scorching sun, Col. O.L.
Perry gave out the blessed news that
it was raining in Chicago and the storm was
coming this way. Most people took this simply as
an excuse made by Col. Perry for wearing turned
up trowsers and declined to believe in the
prophesized storm.
When it came it was with a rush. Pedestrians and
drivers were totally unprepared for the terrible
rush of wind and the blinding storm of dust that
hurled itself on the unsuspecting city like a
live creature, clawing, scratching and wrestling
with everything movable.
For ten minutes there were exciting scenes on
the crowded streets. Hats, caps, coats, vests,
signs big and little, placards, groceries and
provisions, with other divers and sundry
articles, poured down the street in an
avalanche, and are over in Pennsylvania by this
time. The dust made it impossible to see, and
the signs flying through the air made the
boldest seek refuge in doors.
The storm was followed close by a driving rain.
The thermometer at 11 o’clock stood at 91 in the
shade. At 11:30 the same instrument stood at 70.
The change was one of the most rapid ever
recorded here. Reports of damage done by the
storm will come in for days. Thousands upon
thousands of dollars worth of property must have
been destroyed.
A GLASS FRONT CAVED IN.
The glass front in the fifth story of the
Hackett
building, on Calhoun street, was blown in an
demolished.
MANY ROOFS SUFFER.
The damage to tin roofs and to sky lights will
amount to several thousand dollars. Roofs on the
Doerman
grocery, Waltemath
grocery, Meyer
livery barn, and other buildings were damaged
more or less. Signs in all parts of the city
were tossed about.
DAMAGES IN THE PARKS.
All the large plants in the city parks were
broken down by the wind and Superintendent of
Parks Goers says that the damage was very heavy
in all the parks. The large beds of foliage
plants were totally destroyed.
SOME OF THE DAMAGE.
Several big windows in the upper stores of
D.N. Foster’s
building on Court street were blown in. A large
thirty-foot wire screen sign hanging across
Aurentz’s
Arcade was hurled into the street and destroyed.
The big flag-staff over
Root & Co’s store broke off, and
wherever flags were displayed over the city the
wind tore them to shreds.
The brick building occupied by
J. Meyers’
livery barn, on Harrison street, near Main, was
scalped and the tin roof lies in an adjoining
yard.
The sky light was broken off
Mordhurst’s
building, on Calhoun street, and deposited in
the First National bank.
A dozen beautiful young shade trees about the
First Presbyterian church were broken off and
destroyed.
NOTES.
A portion of the slate roof of the First
Presbyterian church was damaged.
The tin roof of the
Pape box factory was blown off.
Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, IN 16 Sept
1897
BURIED ALIVE.
A mass of Brick, Mortar, Soot and Timbers Fall.
THEE MEN INJURED.
The Chimney at the Olds Wagon Works is Blown
Down.
SEVERAL ACCIDENTS.
A Little Girl Almost Drowned – Two Fires During
the Storm.
The most serious accident during the storm
occurred at the Olds Wagon works. The high brick
chimney over the blacksmith shop fell with a
crash through the roof. Most of the men escaped,
but three were caught in the falling debris.
George Krockenberger,
a blacksmith who resides on Ida
avenue, was knocked senseless and was painfully
bruised about the chest and head.
Andrew Einsiedel,
a blacksmith, who resides at 69 Stophlet street,
was also caught under the falling pile of
bricks. His left hand was painfully crushed and
some of the fingers may be amputated. He is also
bruised over the body.
Fred Wehr, a small boy who has been
working in the shop, was pinched in the mass of
falling timbers and badly bruised about the left
side. Both arms were sprained. These men are at
Hope hospital under the care of
Drs. Kesler, McEvoy and
C.E. Barnett.
FIRES DURING THE STORM.
Twice during the storm the firemen were called
out, both the fires were due to the wind storm.
A burning chimney in the residence of
Freeman Earl,
at 53 Ferguson street called out the department
while the wind was at its height. The damage was
slight.
Another call about the same time called the
department to 5 Fisher street, where the roof of
Tim Linskey’s
house was in flames. The fire was quickly
extinguished. The damage to the two houses will
not exceed $10.
FELL INTO THE STREAM.
Shortly after the storm burst over the crowds at
the monument this morning, many little children
were panic stricken. One girl about 10 years
old, whose name could not be learned, fell, or
rather ran into Spy Run and was almost drowned
when the soldier boys rescued her. She was taken
to her home in a carriage.
Fort Wayne News, Forty Wayne, IN 16 Sept
1897
INDIANA STORM
Fort Wayne, Ind., Sept. 16 – A furious
wind and dust storm did great damage in this
vicinity today. Numerous buildings were
demolished and three were fatally injured by
falling brick. They are
George Krockenberger,
Frank Webber, Andrew Eindesler.
Aspen Weekly Times, Aspen, CO 18 Sept 1897
Articles transcribed by
Loraine Jordan. Thank you, Loraine!
 Search
for more information on the McCool Junction
storm
and other disasters in the Historic
Newspapers Collection. The number of
newspapers on line has recently doubled - search
over 1000 different newspapers. Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
Search for ancestors in
McCool Junction, IN among billions of names at ancestry.com. Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
Valley of the
upper Maumee River - with historical account of Allen County and the city of
Fort Wayne, Indiana 1889 Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
|
