Funnel in the White City

Dear Tom,
Are the weather events described in the book "Devil in the White City"
correct? Did a funnel cloud really blow through the Midway?
Michael Maher, Arlington Heights
Dear Michael,
Author Erik Larson described the weather conditions during Chicago's 1893
Columbian Exposition correctly; there was indeed a "Funnel in the White
City."
The storm took place the evening of July 9. A sunny, warm afternoon with
scarcely a breeze turned dark as night as a fast-moving squall approached
from the north. The storm brought strong northwest winds that did
considerable damage to the fairgrounds blowing out windows in Jackson Park.
A funnel-shaped cloud destroyed a large hot-air balloon that was tethered to
the ground. Yachts capsized on Lake Michigan, drowning at least four. The
storm dumped 0.42 inches of rain in less than an hour. Peak wind gusts were
not available because the Weather Bureau's wind equipment was damaged during
the storm.