Kellogg/Rock Creek storm of 1882

BLAKENEY, BURKE, CHANDLER, CHAPMAN, CLAUSEN, COWLE, COX, DONOHUE, DUNN, DYER, ELMORE, FARNHAM, FOSTER, HAGGART, HARTFIELD, HIATT, KENNEDY, LIVINGSTON, MASON, MCKITTRICK, MORGAN, PEALE, PHIPPS, REDMAN, RICE, SAUM, SHERMAN, SKILL, SMITH, STEWART, STULL, TILDEN, YOUNG

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 1/20/2015 at 12:19:42

Jasper County In The Storm
Rock Creek Tp. Suffers
Seven Killed and Many Wounded
Fifteen Houses Wrecked and Immense Damage to Timber, Fences, Etc.
Learning that the Storm king had entered Rock Creek township, and left in his wake death and destruction, we, on Monday morning, made a tour of observation, traversing the parts visited, and listening to recitals by the inhabitants. Seven persons were killed during the storm, fifteen houses destroyed, very many wounded, miles of fences destroyed, and the stories of hair-breadth escapes and the horrors of the night seemed like the fantasies of disordered brains, but the evidence of their reality was not to be denied. In the village of Kellogg a neat dwelling was totally destroyed – only one, and this seemed picked out of a rather thickly populated neighborhood leaving others near it untouched.
The storm of wind seemed to have had no method in its course of destruction – no particular direction of travel. To illustrate this we will state that at the Tilden Farm in the neighborhood of the factory, the course was from Northwest to Southeast – at the Cowle farm, 1 ¼ miles east it was from the Southwest to the Northeast.
Leaving Kellogg, going North we found at the farm of Wm. Clausen the shade and fruit trees broken, and some sheds and a part of the stable blown down.
At the farm of Rev. H. P. Dyer, about a mile northeast of this, a stable was blown down, and quite a number of shade trees, and one cow killed. In this vicinity, along the road, fences mostly gone.
N. R. Smith escaped with a few shade trees blown down about his residence.
At the farm of A. J. Blakeney, nothing but the shed was blown down. For a half mile east of this there is not the least appearance of the storm.
At the Tilden Farm the storm came from the northwest – the air seemed literally filled with electricity, and the wind terrific. A small house occupied by J. L. Hiatt and wife, was blown from its foundation and slid to the east about 8 feet. The old evaporating mill is a total wreck – blown from its foundation about six feet and crushed. This building is 72 feet long and 24 feet wide. A few of the timbers may be saved, but it may be put down as a total wreck.
At the Cowle place, one mile east of the Tilden Farm, the destruction is complete. The wind here was from the southwest. The house is entirely gone, and the wreck is scattered to the northeast for two miles. The young orchard is entirely destroyed and most of the trees uprooted and carried for a half mile, and the barn and sheds all gone. – In the house, which is a 1 ½ story, with an ell, there lived T. J. Stull, wife and two children. Mrs. Stull, finding the storm coming, started from the main part to go to the cellar, having to pass through the ell; when she got into the ell it was taken. Mrs. Stull and baby was carried to the northeast about five rods, and the other child, southeast fifteen rods. Mr. Stull attempted to follow, and not knowing the ell was gone stepped into the cellar, and afterwards was struck with a piece of timber. He has a bad cut on the leg, and on the hip and right arm are bruises. He bled profusely, and much weakened. The oldest child has a bad cut on the forehead; on the left shoulder and elsewhere on the body. The youngest child is bruised and cut somewhat. Mrs. Stull is bruised all over but not seriously. These with the family of Mr. Hiatt, are all at the house of Mr. Lou Livingston, making it quite a hospital, densely populated. – Not less than five miles of fences on these farms are gone.
The Cowles and Tilden farm are all under the control of the Tilden Co., and $2,500 will not make their losses good.
About three-quarters of a mile north east of the Cowle farm was the residence of Wm. Sherman, one story high. The house, stable, pig pen and everything movable is gone. Sherman and family were not at home. Running north west from Sherman’s was the residence of John McKittrick. This is a one story. It was taken up and rolled over and over, alighting top side up, wrenching it badly. The family took refuge in a cave. The next point struck is the residence of J. Hartfield, ½ mile southeast of McKittrick’s. This is a 1 ½ story, 16x24. This was lifted from the foundation, and carried six rods, upset, when it took fire and was destroyed. He loses everything the house contained. His granary and stable was uprooted. The next house was that of Dyer Farnham. This was a 1 ½ story frame. The house is completely destroyed and the timbers scattered in all directions. – Mr. Farnham was struck in the mouth knocking out several front teeth. His wife is bruised and hurt about the back, and her sister, Anna Skill, was struck on the back of her head and on the back and considerably bruised. A hired hand was in the second story, but escaped uninjured.
Three quarters of a mile north of Farnham’s is an unoccupied house, belonging to Wm. Dunn. It a one-story frame, and is a total wreck. North of this a quarter of a mile, is the residence of Jasper Stewart. The house is uninjured but the out buildings are all gone.
North of Stewart’s is the residence of John McKittrick Sr. Here the house is uninjured, but the stable and other buildings are destroyed.
South-east of McKittrick’s ½ mile is the residence of Samuel Chapman. His house, barn and other buildings are completely wrecked and destroyed. The whole family consisting of four persons were covered up in the debris, but escaped without serious injury.
Hellem Haggart had the roof blown off his sheds, but sustained no other damage.
C. H. Morgan had a barn and wagon shed blown down, and three windows out of his house. Some apple and other trees are blown down, as well as two fences.
The out buildings at Morgan’s School House was taken up bodily and carried 6 rods and dashed to pieces.
These buildings are all on the West side of Rock Creek. Going east from Morgan’s farm, we crossed the creek and made the residence of Mr. M. Kennedy, who took charge of us, (W. A. Livingston and the writer), and piloted us through the timber, and took us to the several points where the destruction had been greatest, and to Mr. K we are greatly indebted for the fullness of our report. To those unacquainted with this section, we would say that up Rock Creek, there is very heavy and thick timber, and this this was so broken down and destroyed by the wind, that the main roads are nearly obliterated, and we could have made no progress without the efficient aid of Mr. Kennedy as a pilot.
At the residence of L. F. Mason, the west end of his house is blown in and the orchard nearly ruined.
At the residence of Robert McKittrick’s, north of Mason’s, the kitchen and barn is blown down and wrecked. No other damage.
East of McKittrick’s about ½ mile was the residence of Eli Phipps. The house was 1 ½ story frame 16x28 of a new part, and the old building 16x20 with a kitchen attached. It was located in a draw and surrounded by a lot of large cotton wood trees. Now there is scarcely an evidence of a building, and the trees are broken and denuded of their bark. At the time the storm struck there was three men, two women and a child in the building. There was two old men, brothers, the latter visiting from Kentucky. The storm there seemed to be the union of two currents of wind, one from the south-west and the other from the north-west. Mr. Eli Phipps was found four rods northwest of the house, in a hedge fence. His face was bruised, a big hole three inches wide, and four or five inches deep in the small of the back, a cut in the right side, and his chest badly bruised. He was a large man, and it is supposed his wounds were occasioned by being thrown about by the wind. He lived in great pain until 7 ½ o’clock Monday morning. His age was about 55 years. Mr. Wm. Phipps was blown about 15 rods northwest and caught in a barbed wire fence, and was bruised and wounded in all parts of the body. It is thought he will recover. – John Phipps was blown about 8 rods a little east of north and into a hedge fence. He is able to be about, but is bruised more or less all over. Mrs. Eli Phipps is injured about the hip, and her body is also much bruised. Miss Sarah Phipps is seriously injured, and is thought will die. A babe was blown from her arms, clear across the yard, where it was found after the storm apparently uninjured.
Fred Elmore lives one mile east of Phipp’s. His residence is a 1 ½ story, 16x24; was totally destroyed, together with all his out-buildings. He tells that he loses everything moveable. No one injured.
John Foster lives three-quarters of a mile east of Elmore. Here was the destruction complete. A one story frame dwelling, granaries and all other out-buildings scattered over the country. – He had also three work horses, two colts and one cow killed.
A quarter of a mile west of Eli Phipps lived Jas. W. Phipps. The house was a 1 ½ story frame, 16x24, with a kitchen 16x16. The destruction is total and the larger part of the house is blown into Rock Creek, six rods to the Northwest. There were six children besides the parents in the house at the time of the storm. All were more or less injured, the wife seriously, and a little boy about 8 years old killed instantly. His outbuilding are all gone, and the trees stripped of their limbs and bark. One horse was killed, and another so badly injured that it will die. Even the grass seems blown from the ground.
The new bridge over Rock Creek east of Phipps, was taken by the storm, and the heavy timbers broken and twisted as if they had been straws. The bridge was built last summer, and was considered one of the best bridges in the county.
In this section, the force of the wind seemed simply fearful, and close to the ground – corn, wheat, and other growing crops being literally swept out of the earth. It seemed to have no particular direction but came from all points of the compass.
About 40 rods northeast of Eli Phipps’ lived Welford Young. His house was moved about ten feet from the foundation – about half the roof is gone. His corn-crib, granaries and other out-buildings are all destroyed, and the heavy timber by which the property is surrounded is broken and twisted in all shapes. At this house lay the bodies of Eli Phipps, and the child of James Phipps ready for burial, and the oldest daughter of Eli Phipps thought to be dying from mortification from a wound in the leg.
About 40 rods north of Young’s lived Ed. Rice. The house was a small one-story frame, surrounded by one of the best orchards in the county. Now the destruction is complete, - house, orchard and all gone; Mr. Rice is badly hurt but will recover; the wife and babe escaped unhurt.
The Donohue farm is about two miles east. There are two houses on this farm. Donohue occupied one, and an old gentleman named James the other. Both houses are totally destroyed; Mr. Donohue is considerable injured. – Mrs. Donahue has a broken leg. Three persons were killed outright, of the five occupying the James house, and one other has since died. The other one, a boy, is not expected to live.
The “Victory” School House, about 20 rods from Eli Phipps’, was a building 20x22. It was literally lifted from the ground, carried over the tops of young trees, and dashed to pieces on the ground, some three rods from where it stood, the direction being a little west of north.
Of the damage done in Kellogg, Bro Chandler of the Post sends us the particulars from which we condense the following:
It blew down and broke numerous frail shade trees, over-turned several corn-cribs, coal houses and other light buildings, among which was H. M. Cox’s kitchen. J. G. Redman’s barn was blown very much out of a vertical position, and some of his lighter buildings were blown away.
J. W. Burke’s new house was penetrated with sticks or pieces of lumber carried through the air, and was also moved about two inches on its foundation toward the north.
The most serious, and in fact the only serious and appalling calamity, came upon the family of T. F. Peale, until recently a clerk in the store of Geo. T. Saum. Mr. and Mrs. Peale and the hired girl were seated in the house on chairs. Mrs. Peale held one of the children and the girl the other, when at a time when they thought the wind had ceased to blow, it came again without any preceding noise or warning and carried their entire house from its foundation, scattering it through the air. All their furniture and clothing, with all their mementoes, household ornaments, money, and everything in fact, swept away as the housewife would brush off the cobwebs with a broom. Mr. Peale was somewhat cut and bruised about the face, his wife and the girl received slighter injuries, the children were scarcely hurt at all; and none of them seriously hurt. The house was worth probably $600. Some $300 or $400 in money is said to have been lost.
Source: The Newton Journal; June 21, 1882