Clayton county hail storm, 1905

DONLAN, BERGHAN, BERGAN, BREITSPECHER, BOLAND, CAIN, CAMERON, CASSIDY, CHAPMAN, CHEESEMAN, CONNORS, DOTY, FEENEY, HOFER, HOCHHAUS, HURLEY, JOHNSON, KATSCHOWSKY, KENNEDY, KUEHL, MELARY, MEISNER, MCGEE, OPITZ, ROACH, ROY, SCULLY, WAGNER

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 4/6/2016 at 14:29:57

Elkader Register, Thur., 22 June 1905.

Shortly after 6 o'clock Sunday evening last a most destructive hail storm struck a portion of Highland and the northwest sections of Boardman townships. Those who have lived in this vicinity for fifty years say that nothing like it has ever been known before. The destructive portion of the storm extended along the edge of Highland from Wm. Donlan's on the north to Sam Roy's and Jos. Chapman's on the south, about four miles wide. In Boardman it extended from Dan Cheeseman's on the north to Jos. Kuehl's north line on the south, running east across the river to Ed. Hofer's.

Those that suffered the most are P. J. Cain, Herman Katschowsky, Frank Berghan, Wm. Breitspecher, Dennis Melary, Ed Meisner Sr., John Donlon, C. G. Wagner, Wm. Donlon, James Boland, James McGee, Frank Hochhaus, Will Hurley, Cassidy Bros., Bert Doty, Christ Boland, John Melary, John Feeney, Pete Feeney, Mike Roach, Sam Roys, Fred Opitz, Hugh Connors, Dan Cheeseman, Chas. Meisner, Ran Meisner, the Johnson Bros. on the Patrick Donlon farm, Wm. Meisner, P. J. Kennedy, Michael Bergan, Mr. Scully, Guy Cameron, Jos. Kuehl and others. Some of these have but little damage, while others have their crops, grain, corn and grass beaten into the ground.

The hail stones were as large as hen eggs, and within the district named hardly a window on the north side escaped. C. M. Boland lost over forty windows. At Bert Doty's the hail went through windows - screen and all.

Those that have been over the ground express themselves as surprised at the destructive work of the storm and some of its freaks.

No particular damage was done in town by the storm, except that several windows were broken and plants cut down.

We measured one hailstone that fell and it was five inches in circumference.

In Wagner twp. the Glesne School house was struck by lightning. It struck the cupola, knocked out a post below and then tore a hole in the side of the building about four foot square.