100 years ago, a hail storm pummeled Belleville. It also took out a horse.
The destruction was compounded by the nearly four inches of rain that fell after the hail slammed through roofs and windows, causing extensive water damage.
The damage to local businesses, homes and property cost Belleville residents around
Most storm insurance policies, at that time, didn't cover hail damage, so repairs were made out-of-pocket.
Broken glass littered the streets. Toppled electric and telephone wires covered the sidewalks at
Several people and at least two horses were injured but no one died.
Some buildings were completely destroyed while others were left intact, leaving residents pondering the arbitrariness of the weather.
Storm damage
The Gust.
The BND warned readers to avoid the north side of
The paper reported, "The almost continuous jingle of falling and breaking glass is a curious addition to the everyday sounds in Belleville."
Multiple local churches reported damage to stain glass windows including
"Awnings and automobile tops were riddled like paper in many cases and in some instances were torn almost to shreds," the BND reported.
Granite City, Madison and
Unlucky horse and
A woman the BND identified as "
She said a hailstone hit the horse so hard, the animal fell over.
Kaiser thought the horse was killed. But after the storm passed, it "lifted its head, looked around and finally struggled to its feet again none the worse for the knockout it had received."
The horse was luckier than the flock of pigeons on top of the
The human residents of Belleville reported nothing more serious than bruises from being struck by the hail or cuts from glass fragments.
Recovery efforts
"There is no shortage of glass and all demands will be supplied. The chief difficulty is waiting on the rush of customers," Christmann said.
New businesses opened to meet the demand, the BND reported.
It took nearly three weeks to complete the glass work needed in the city. Many painters and construction workers refused to rebuild homes until the glass was replaced.
In a BND editorial, Kern lamented the extensive loss to the greenhouse owners of Belleville and reminded readers of another local disaster from 1864.
Kern wrote, "We merely want to show that there is nothing new under the sun and to furnish proof if it were necessary of the great fact that history repeats itself."
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(c)2018 the Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Ill.)
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