Tornado Cuts Wide Path Thru Northern Kentucky

The storm Wednesday night caused a great loss in Newport.

The most serious damage in Newport was destruction of the Chesapeake and Ohio bridge at Putman-st., which was blown completely free of its piers.  So far as can be ascertained, no one was on the bridge.

Trees and plate glass windows along York and Monmouth-sts. were destroyed.  A tin roof on a house at Fifth and Columbia was lifted from the eaves and carried two blocks away to York-st., landing against a brick building.

Steeples on most of the churches were blown down, the most damage being inflicted at the Immaculate Conception on Fifth-st. and St. Peter’s Episcopal on Court-st.

Large tower on the court house was bent and leaning at a dangerous angle. The large flag pole in front of the court house was bent nearly in two.

No fatality has been reported but over two score were injured, some seriously.

Police were stationed throughout the city last night to prevent looting.

Hippodrome Theatre on Monmouth-st. was very slightly damaged.  The Aero Theatre on York st was unroofed, and all windows shattered.

Harry Spinks real estate office at Sixth and Dayton-sts was reduced to ruins when the giant steeple of Grace M. E. Church toppled over.  Newport power house officials report that [street] cars will be started as soon as wires are repaired and streets cleared.  This may not be until Thursday afternoon.

Car Barn Damaged

In Newport, the roof of the Eleventh-st. car barn was torn away in the wind. 

The grandstand at Wiedemann’s ball park was razed.

In the Aero Theatre, Monmouth-st. Newport, several women fainted in the panic when the roof was lifted and the front caved in.  No one was seriously injured.

Roof of Henry Weber’s residence at Ninth and Overton-sts. Newport, blew across the street.

Family of Frank Kreiling, asleep in a house at Sixth and Saratoga-sts., Newport, narrowly escaped injury when the building collapsed and the roof blew off.

Roof of house on Washington av. between Sixth and Seventh in Newport was transferred to the top of trolley and electric light wires.

Fred Kroger of Coldsprings injured when a sign blew off buildings on Fourth-st. near Monmouth, Newport, and struck him.

Brandt’s Grocery store, at Tenth and Central Av., Newport, unroofed.

Smokestack at Kentucky Laundry, Sixth-st. near Monmouth, blew over on roof.

Lightening struck the home of Newport patrolman Luke Prim, on Fifth-st., near Saratoga, and wind carried away the roof.

Newport Safety Commissioner Ebert and Fire Chief Raridan, after inspecting the storms damage estimated the loss would exceed $1,000,000 in that city.

J. B. Morlidge, Commissioner of Public Works, had 100 men on the job at daybreak, under Louis Schrader, Superintendent of Streets, and thorofares were open to pedestrians and vehicles by noon.

Fred Cottrell, operating engineer at Newport and Covington electric plant, stated early Thursday light and power would be furnished in Northern Kentucky as soon as wires were restrung.  Union Light, Heat, & Power Co. had all linemen and repairers at work all Wednesday night and Thursday in effort to try to operated by Thursday night.

Campbell Co.

Dayton and Bellevue were hit hard by the storm, the former town being wrecked from one end to the other.

Telephone poles and trolley wires along Sixth av. were torn down, houses were battered and trees felled. City policemen under Chief Ortlieb were on the job soon after the storm subsided and rendered first aid to the injured and unfortunate.

Mrs. William Bary, 40, widow, of 327 Second-av., was painfully injured when a Manhattan Beach refreshment stand gave way.

Matthew Bary, 17, her son, hearing the crash, made his way thru the wreckage and after 15 minutes struggle, extricated his mother.

The young man then dragged Mrs. Bary up a wooden incline leading to the shelter at the Gem bathing beach.

Mrs. John Armstrong and son John Earle, 13, were sleeping in a launch at the foot of Walnut st when the storm came on.  The launch overturned, throwing two occupants into the water.  They were rescued by an unknown party.

Thousands of fine trees were uprooted in Fort Thomas.

The residence of Harry Stegeman, on Tower-Pl., opposite the fort entrance, was badly damaged.  Trees were blown down and chimneys razed.

Three chimneys are down on a vacant house owned by Henry Sponsel .  

Three plate glass windows in Stegners Grocery and one in Nagel’s grocery were broken.

The roof was lifted from a brick house on Waterworks-rd.

Residences of Mrs. L. K. Marty and J. F. Berry were badly damaged.

Highland Garage was unroofed.

In Ft. Thomas

Roof of barracks at Ft. Thomas was carried away.  The building at Police Headquarters shared same fate.  Several waiting stations along [street] car line were blown over. 

Malthouse of Wiedemann Brewing Co., Monmouth-st. Newport, was partially destroyed, the debris falling into a great heap on C. & C. tracks.

Officer Kirby assisted Mr. and Mrs. Dolly Martis, of Coldspring, after they were blown from buggy.

Beach Houses Gone

It is reported that all of the bathing pavilions in Bellevue were completely wrecked by the storm

The entire top floor of the gas office building was lifted and blown into the Campbell co. Bank in Bellevue.

In Bellevue

At least 25 houses have been unroofed.  The whole side of a house is missing on Fairfield av.

Every tree and telephone pole on Fairfield-av. from Center to Grand is down.

During the gospel meeting at Shadynook, Bellevue, the tent blew down, ruining the piano and all furniture and injuring two persons whose names were not ascertained by the police.

The stable of A. J. Livingston, in the rear of her home, 820 York-st., Newport, was demolished.  Four of Livingston’s wagons and started across the C. & O. Bridge from Kentucky just before the storm.  No word has been received of his reaching the Cincinnati side. 

The Klop Studio, 45 Pike-st., Covington, suffered an approximate loss of $400.  The skylight was destroyed and the rains ruined the backgrounds, cameras and other photographic supplies.

The Klop home, Fourth & Greenup-sts., part of the tin roof and three chimneys were blown down by the winds.

John Fitzgerald, street car conductor in Covington, was struck by a flying piece of timber and suffered a maimed arm.  Dr. Kerns attended him.

Roof was blown off at 416 Scott-st.  Damage $100.

Peanut and popcorn wagon at Pike and Madison-av. was blown several hundred feet and demolished.

Roof was blown off Elmore flat building, Covington, damage, $300.  T. King, 10, residing in the building, was stuck on the head by flying timber and severely injured.

Ludlow and West Covington were hard hit.  Brady’s saloon was damaged about $1000.

Fireman Injured

Driver William Bidders, of Engine House #6, was injured about the head and shoulders when his company was responding to a call.  The horse collided with a telephone pole at Fifteenth & Madison-sts., throwing Bidders from the seat.  He was removed to St. Elizabeth Hospital.

City officials have detailed a large squad of workers to commence cleaning the streets, which will probably take several days.  If necessary, Workhouse inmates may be kept in service, but not in preference to civilians out of work.

Roofs of residences of William Potter, 1517 Rickey-av and Charles Petty were blown off.

Unknown 2-year-old baby was found during the height of the storm in a gutter at Sixth and Russel-sts, Covington.  It was taken to Stuntebeck’s Drug store, Sixth and Washington-sts, and revived.

Steeple in Shinkle M. E. Church, Fifteenth-st between Scott and Greenup, was blown off, crashing into the corner of L. Schneider’s home.  No one injured.

Roof on the home of W. Kathman, East Fifteenth-st. between Scott and Madison, torn from rafters.  Family escaped injury.

Entire roof and part of front of the Eureka Automobile Club Co., 158 W. Pike-st, blew off, damaging the entire stock of machines.

Fires broke out

Fire department responded to three calls. , which luckilky proved as not serious as progress was slow on account of broken wires, poles, trees, and wreckage across the streets.

Hose Wagon of #6 Engine House, Holman-st., crashed into a telephone pole on Fifteenth, ner Greenup, when responding to call on Greenup-st., between Seventeenth and Eighteenth-sts.  William Bidders, driver, was thrown from the seat and cut about head and body.  Removed to St. Elizabeth Hospital.

Roof on home of Ben Scharfe, West Pike-st., blown off.  George Flashman, boarder, was injured by falling bricks when preparing to retire for the night.  Not serious.

Roof and part of top floor of Turner’s Hall on West Pike-st blown off.  No one injured.

Roof on restaurant of H. W. Spradling, 242 W. Pike-st., blown off.  Young girl, said to be Alice Marshall, slightly injured.

Coppins Damaged

Entire front show window of Coppin’s dry goods store, Seventh and Madison-sts., blown out and show goods destroyed.  Wax dummies, dressed in fine garments lay in heaps about the window.  Elevator roof blown off and all floors of building flooded.

Large sign on Union Clothing Store, Madison, between Seventh and Eighth, blown thru window.

Large crowds at summer resort were marooned on account of car service being completely discontinued.

Lives Endangered

Live wires, falling trees, broken roof cornice, and other wreckage endangered lives of pedestrians on streets for hours after storm has subsided.

Panic reigned supreme in five-cent shows when gale blew up and lights went out.  Many people narrowly escaped injury.

Another Steeple Off

Steeple on Christian Church, West Fifth-st., blew off, crashing thru rear wall of Kentucky Post building, about one block away.

Roof on Knights of Pythias Hall, East Fourth-st., blown off.

Portions of the St. Mary’s Cathedral roof were blown away.

Roof and second story of Mrs. Margaret Ewing’s home, 1814 Holman-st, were blown off.

Dining room of Bernard Ewing on Wallace-av., was wrecked.

Chimney on Virginia Flats, Wallace and Scott-sts., Covington, blown off.

The little canary that occupies a cage in the home of Attorney Louis F. Brown, of Ft. Mitchell, is singing his sweetest notes now to show his appreciation to show his appreciations of his master for saving his little life during Wednesday night’s storm.

Braving the wind and rain, Brown rushed down in the back yard and took the cage out of the tree.  On his return trip Brown was knocked down three times – the third time barely escaping with his life, as one of the giant trees, in falling, just missed him. 

Ft. Mitchell felt the effects of the cyclone very severely.  Property damage in that section is estimated to be about $125,000. 

House of DDr. Charles Pieck on Lexington-pike was almost ruined.

 

from the Kentucky Post, July 8, 1915