Baltimore, Maryland Tornado
July
20, 1902
TORNADO VISITS BALTIMORE
THIRTEEN LIVES LOST IN AND NEAR THAT CITY
Nine Were Drowned in the Harbor by the Capsizing
of Boats--The Damage is Heavy.
Baltimore, July 21.--A fierce tornado
characterized by a windstorm of extraordinary
fury, thunder, vivid lighting and a heavy rain,
burst upon Baltimore at 1:30 yesterday
afternoon, coming from the southwest, with the
net result that thirteen persons lost their
lives, hundreds of houses were unroofed, trees
in the public parks and streets were torn up by
the roots, many buildings damaged and several
people injured. The storm exhausted its fury in
less than fifteen minutes. The damage done in
the business part of the city was comparatively
slight, being confined to the blowing down of
signs and injuries to roofs. It was in the
residence portions of the city and along the
river front and in the harbor where the wind
spent its violence.
Of those who perished nine were drowned in the
harbor from open boats, two were drowned by the
overturning of a boat at Tolchester, one was
killed by a falling tree and one by a live wire.
The following is a list of the dead:
Drowned in the harbor:
ROY BATEMAN,
12 years old.
JOSEPH CAIN, 10 years old.
JOHN CAIN, 6 years old.
THOMAS CARROLL, 21 years old.
HARRY McCORMICK, 19 years old.
MRS. MARY SCHULER, 28 years old.
HARRY S. SCHULER, 10 months old.
OLIVER SCHULER, 4 years old.
CHARLES SCHULER, 7 years old.
Killed by falling tree:
WILLIAM CORNISH,
colored.
Killed by live wire:
CHARLES SCHAEFER.
Drowned at Tolchester:
JAMES B. POST,
aged 20.
THEODORE PARKER,
aged 21.
A colored camp meeting was in progress in
Paradise grove, near Powhattan, on the Liberty
road. The congregation had just been dismissed
when the storm broke. A huge oak tree fell upon
the tent in which the services had been held.
Several of the worshipers were caught beneath it
as it fell. The tree had to be sawed into pieces
before the imprisoned men and women could be
released. William Cornish was crushed to death
by the falling tree. The others were not
seriously injured.
A hole several feet in diameter was blown in the
wall of St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic
church in South Baltimore. A portion of the
stone cornice weighting more than a ton fell to
the street. Fortunately no one was injured.
While the storm was at its height a boat’s crew
from the German steamer Breslau, at
anchor in the harbor, picked up two men from a
boat which had been capsized off Wolf Street.
At the foot of Concord street the Merchants and
Miners’ Transportation company’s warehouse was
unroofed, with small damage to the building, but
the rain poured in on the valuable cargo stored
therein, doing damage which is estimated from
$100,000 to $300,000.
The Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN 21
Jul 1902
WIND CAME WITHOUT A MOMENT’S WARNING
Lifted the Roof of a Church High in the Air and
Landed it 150 Feet Away--Damage to property in
Brooklyn.
Baltimore, July 21.--The tornado which
struck the city yesterday, involving the loss of
twelve lives and a widespread destruction of
property, was the severest, that has been known
in this latitude for seventeen years. No storm
had been forecasted. Almost without a moment’s
warning an irresistible wind, apparently in the
nature of a whirlwind, came up from the
southwest, and, in an instant, the waters of the
harbor were converted into a seething cauldron,
frail boats were capsized while the staunchest
vessels at anchor were violently rocked.
A careful estimate today shows that 200 houses
were unroofed during the storm. The roof of the
William street Independent Methodist church was
lifted high in the air and blown over the roofs
of other houses a distance of 150 feet. The
stone spire of the Holy Cross church was hurled
to the ground. A part of the roof of Trinity
Protestant Episcopal church was torn off, while
the historic steeple of St. Mary’s Star of the
Sea Catholic church was destroyed completely.
The public squares and parks were damaged badly.
Patterson park is a scene of desolation. The
whole extent of these pleasure grounds is strewn
with broken branches and uprooted trees and the
debris completely chokes up the driveways.
Many handsome trees in Franklin square and Druid
Hill park, as well as the shade trees, were
uprooted bodily, falling across through fares,
and temporarily blocking them. Much damage was
done by the falling trees. Numerous plate glass
windows were blown in, while telegraph wires
were down.
Ogden Standard Examiner, Ogden, UT 21 Jul
1902
Articles transcribed by Audrey. Thank you,
Audrey!
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