Smokestack at KCGW blown down in storm

MUCH DAMAGE DONE

AS THE RESULT OF TUESDAY

EVENING’S STORM.

Many Barns Unroofed and Chimneys

Blown Down — Corn Crushed to the

Earth, Trees Snapped Off and

Fences Laid Low.

One of the most serious storms that has passed over Grant county in years swept through the southern tier of townships Tuesday afternoon between four and five o'clock, laying waste the corn and wheat and doing an immense amount of damage. The clouds began to gather an hour before the storm set in, and soon the wind was sweeping everything that was loose before it. At the Soldiers’ Home the Wabash picnickers were very much frightened and sought refuge in the cars and barracks. Many trees were blown down and a chimney on barracks 42 was thrown to the ground. Farmers coming to the city this morning report that the damage to growing crops cannot be estimated. Through Green, Liberty, Fairmount and Jefferson townships the corn is leveled with the ground and much of it is not worth the seed corn spent in sowing. In other places, if left alone, in a few days it will right itself and make a fair showing. Trees are reported to have been blown down all over the southern end of the county, while miles of fencing are level with the ground. In Fairmount, Liberty and Green townships many gas well derricks were blown down. Fruit was stripped from the trees and what remains on the trees is bruised and damaged to as to be worth but little.

In Fairmount many chimneys were blown off and the brick came rattling down over the heads of the frightened occupants. At the smelter works the new shed under construction there was wrecked, causing quite a loss. Two weeks ago this same building was down down in another wind storm. At the King City glass works the smoke stack was blown down, causing a loss of about $500. The wind was accompanied by rain, which fell in blinding sheets. The St. Marys, Ohio, Drilling company had several derricks wrecked. Near Fairmount farmers reported that hail as large as walnuts fell, and in places covered the ground to a depth of from four to six inches.

AT JONESBORO.

In Jonesboro Main street looked like a clearing when the storm was over. Limbs and parts of trees were scattered the entire length, while pieces of shingles were scattered here and there. Asa Elliot and Charles Pierce were south of Jonesboro when the storm struck them. They unhitched their horses from the wagon, and tying them to a telephone pole sought shelter beneath the wagon. The wagon was soon overturned and the men badly scared. They were drenched through. The American Window Glass factory and the United States glass factory were heavy losers. The tin plate factory was damaged about $500. One of the small chimneys at the United States factory was blown down, entailing a damage of $50. The damage at the window house was about $500. William Graves’s house wan turned completely around on its foundation, David Herring and Dave Thistle suffered in­juries to their houses and barns. The front of "Noah's Ark" was badly twisted and all the glass blown out.

OTHER PLACES,

The roof was blown off the barn of George Shugarts, south of Marion and his stock seriously injured. Ol Davis reports that his entire cherry crop is ruined and that his corn looks as if it had been run through a hackle. Clint Hockett, a dairyman, was driving south near Deer creek when the storm struck him, blowing his wagon over. One of the horses took fright and ran to Jonesboro.

The heaviest part of the storm seemed to be about two miles in width. At Radley the elevator was lifted to the east about four feet and now leans to one side so that it will cost a good round sum to put it in condition to store wheat in.

At Hackleman the carpenter shop and office of Frank Alberts was wrecked. This building was about 20x40. At the farm formerly owned by William White, in Liberty township, now owned by a man named Miller, thirteen splendid apple trees were blown down.