Iowa
Old Press
Des Moines Daily News
Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa
May 21, 1896
N. Elverson, aged 80 years, died Friday night at his home in
Washington. He was the only Whig ever elected in Washington
County to the state senate.
James Dale, a young farmer, committed suicide at Blakesburg
Saturday by taking poison. Domestic trouble was the cause.
Tuesday John M. Parker of Peterson drove to Cherokee and was
married to Miss Rose Kirchner, who was visiting her aunt, Mrs.
Dre Butler. The bride is the daughter of J. A. Kirchner one of
the first settlers in this part of the country. The groom is one
of Peterson’s pushing businessmen.
Mrs. Anna Devaney, 63 years old, of Ft. Dodge and Elmer Atherton,
nine years old, were found dead in bed suffocated by gas in the
house of the boy’s father in Omaha. Mrs. Devaney was
unaccustomed to gas.
John McDonough, an old settler, was buried in Sioux City Monday.
During the Indian outbreak, incident to the civil war, he fought
under General Sully, in Dakota.
[transcribed by J.M.P., August 2008]
Des Moines Daily News
Fifteenth Year Vol 16 No 116
Des Moines, Iowa,
Tuesday, May 26, 1896
Price One Cent; $2 a Year by Mail
Their Average Circulation
Daily News - - 14,666
Leader - - - 8,390
Register - - - 7,940
Capital - - - - 5,385
Yesterday's Issue;
21,150.
*first column*
A SAD STORY
---
Recapitulation of the Re-
sult of the Tornado.
---
21 WERE KILLED
---
Long List of the Killed and
Injured Persons.
---
FORTY MILES IN LENGTH
---
Dallas, Polk and Jasper Coun-
ties the ne of the Ap-
palling
Funnel cloud.
---
The tornado of Sunday night which
swept from Eastern Dallas through the
northern end of Polk into Jasper coun-
ty, extended a distance of over forty
miles and ranged in width from fifty
rods at Valeria, where it was at its
height, to half a mile between Granger
and Bondurant.
The storm took on the form of a tor--
nado east of Granger. Its course was
then east by south until near Bondu-
rant, when it veered slightly to the
north, and extended its force as a tor-
nado, seven or eight miles east of
Valeria. In its course it touched
Granger, passed to the south of Polk
City, a mile south of Ankeney, the
north outskirts of Bondurant, just
grazed Santiago and through the
northern part of Valeria and Mingo.
Some damage to property was also done
at Ira, still further east.
The corrected list of the dead and in-
jured is as follows:
DEAD
MRS. ROBERT BAILEY, aged 55,
near Bondurant.
JOSEPH BAILEY, aged 22, near Bon-
durant.
LIZZIE BAILEY, aged 20, near Bon-
durant.
JOHN BAILEY, aged 20, nephew of
Mrs. Bailie.
PETER BOLENBOUGH, aged 50,
Santiago.
MRS PETER BOLENBOUGH, aged
45, Santiago.
THEOPHILUS MILBURN, aged 4,
son of Mrs. Joseph Milburn, and mem-
ber of the Bolenbough family.
JOSEPH MAXWELL, aged 45, near
Elkhart, struck by lightning.
CHARLES PHALAN, aged 45,
Valeria.
SUSIE PHALAN, aged 17, Valeria.
DANIEL PHALAN, aged 12, Valeria.
MICHAEL PHALAN, aged 8,
Valeria.
CHARLES PHALAN, Jr., aged 4,
Valeria.
BABY PHALAN, aged 2 months,
Valeria.
MISS MARTHA DICKEY, aged 60,
a mile and a half southeast of Valeria
at Will Osborn's house.
MRS. SCHELL, aged 60, mother-in-
law of Osborn at Osborn's house.
MRS. LUCRETIA WHITNEY, nee
Dickey, aged 65, at home of Douglas
Atkins, two miles from Valeria.
Two children of DOUGLAS ATKINS
aged 3 and 5 years.
SOLOMON DICKEY, aged 50, ~
miles east of Valeria.
MRS. MARTHA CAMPBELL, moth-
er of Wm. Campbell, near Granger, lin-
gered thirty-six hours and died.
DANGEROUSLY INJURED.
Robert Bailey, near Bondurant, aged
50, splinter drove in side; will probably
die.
Miss Mary Bailey, aged 18, struck on
head and crazed.
Tenie Bailey, arms and legs broken,
near Bondurant.
Mrs Charles Phalan, aged 41, Valeria,
can hardly recover.
Willie Phalan, aged 5, Valeria.
Mrs. Pitcock, near Mingo.
James Lane, near Ankeney, cut about
head and inured internally, removed to
Mercy Hospital, this city; may re-
cover.
Miss Nellie Dickey, aged 18, near
Valeria, cut about head.
SLIGHTLY INJURED.
Mrs. Susie Lane, near Ankeney, cuts
on head.
William Campbel, near Granger,
bruised.
Fred Hickman, near Granger, cuts
and bruises.
Eight children of William Campbell,
cut and bruised.
Jesse Watkins, near Granger, cut and
bruised.
R. G. Scott, Bondurant, cut about
head and bruised.
Allan Edwards, five miles west of
Bondurant, badly injured internally.
Mrs. Allan Edwards, hip broken.
Edwards's child, aged 6, badly cut
about body and bruised.
James Stouten, near, Bondurant,
bruised and cut.
Mrs. Solomon Dickey, near Mingo,
cut about head and body.
D. Aikens, near Mingo, cut about
head.
Harvey Pitt, east of Valeria, cut and
bruised.
Mrs. Harvey Pitt, internally injured.
William Osborn, near Mingo.
Monroe Osborn, near Mingo.
Mrs. Monroe Osborn, near Mingo.
Oliver Yates, near Ankeney.
Mrs. Oliver Yates, near Ankeney.
---
SCENES AT VALERIA
---
Storm Swept Through the Town - Scenes
Near the Phalan Home.
The scenes at Valeria were pathetic.
The storm struck~
from the west. Valeria~
inhabitants on the cl~ 7 Great~
ern, twenty four miles from Des Moines.
There are half a dozen general stores
and shops, two small hotels, two church-
es and some fifty dwellings. Charles
Phalan's residence stood at the north-
west corner of town. It was a hand-
some residence in the center of a grove.
Not far distant is the home of his brother,
----------------------------------------
*drawing*
RESIDENCE OF MRS MARIA LAW-
RENCE, VALERIA
----------------------------------------
Daniel Phalan. The cyclone struck
the town at Charles Phalan's residence
and wiped it from the ground. The
trees about it, huge cottonwoods, were
leveled, nothing remaining but the white
stumps, on and two feet in diameter,
from ten to fifteen feet tall. All the
bark is peeled away. Where the house
stood nothing remains but the founda-
tionstones and a few boards and piles
of brick and plaster. The family was
sleeping in various parts of the house.
The storm carried the members, thir-
teen in number, into a pig pasture east.
There they were found later by rescuing
parties. Then the tornado passed
through the north part of town, throw-
ing down the Catholic church, valued at
$6,000. The sides were carried away but
the roof and steeple were unharmed.
The loss is $2.000. It then struck the
Farmer's Co-operative creamery, de-
molishing it with a loss of $6,000 includ-
ing 6,000 pounds of cheese which was
scattered about the town.
Joseph Wood's store was wrecked, the
first story being carried away, letting
the second and roof fall. The store was
*second column*
valued at $6,000 and the loss will be $2,-
500, no insurance. Two large mirrors
were carried a short distance away but
not broken. The K. P. hall, over the
store, was wrecked.
Daniel McIlhame's blacksmith shops
were wrecked, loss $600. The Chicago
Great Western depot was wrecked, loss
$600. The wires for a distance of three
miles west and two east were blown
down and rendered useless. The track
for a distance of 200 yards, including an
eight span wooden bridge, was swept
away, delaying travel for nearly twen-
ty-four hours when temporary repairs
were made. A cut near by was filled
with timbers and limbs. Railroad iron
was twisted and driven into the ground.
Continuing the storm struck the Meth-
odist church, partially dismantling it,
and moving it on its foundation. The
residences of John Buckley, Mrs. Maria
Lawrence, two residences of J. H.
Lawrence, the shcool huse, Daniel
Phalan's barn, farm house of Mrs. Maria
Lawrence, Fred Wild's house, and many
out houses, corn cribs and barns were
wrecked. Nothing like an accurate es-
timate of the financial loss can be made,
but it will probably reach, including
damages to crops, $50,000 in this vicinity.
At the home of Charles Phalan the
scene was pathetic. The relief parties
commenced work at 1 o'clock Monday
morning with lanterns and hunted
about the field and found the mangled
~ crying one by
one, and carried them to the home of
Charle's brother, Daniel Phalan. The
dead were laid out in a row in one large
room where during the day they were
visited by many from the surrounding
country, Colfax, Newton, Prairie City,
Mingo, Union Church.
Mrs. Phalan is severly injured and is
not expected to recover. She was found
stripped of even her night clothing in
the field surrounded by 100 hogs killed
by the storm. Her daughter Mary is
even more severly injured.
The funerals of the Phalans took
place at 10 o'clock this morning from
Holy Cross, north of Valeria. Father
Quinn officiated and the entire popula-
tion of the section attended.
During the day several excursion
trains arrived from Newton and Colfax,
the latter being laden with summer
boarders at the resort. The were ac-
companied by photographers and peanut
____________________________________
*drawing spans two columns starts here*
Corected Map of the Tornado's Path.
*cities listed on the map*
Granger Dallas County, Polk County,
Polk City, Ankeney, Bondurant, Santiago,
Valeria, Jasper County
_____________________________________
venders and made a sight-seeing
affair of it. Probably 2,000 strangers
visited the town and nothing could be
secured to eat for love or money at
night, both little hotels having closed
their doors.
There were many singular tricks
played by the storm. In one place
three dwelling close together were
swept away but a small frame out-
house between them was not injuried.
Shingles were torn from some houses
and the rafters unmoved. One house
was turned clear around on its founda-
tion, so that the rear door was where
the front should be. The house of Mrs.
Maria Lawrence was toppled over on
the dwelling ~ A. . Lawrence.
It was nearly upside down, but Mrs.
Lawrence and her two granddaughters,
Carrie and Susie, sleeping in the house,
althought they were thrown about the
rooms, were not injured.
The house next to theirs, occupied by
Frank Woods and his wife, was completely
________________________________________
*drawing*
Depot Valeria
________________________________________
wrecked, but the family had left for a
visit the day before.
Joseph Woods, who suffered severely,
said in describing the storm: "There
would have been more killed but for the
ample warning given. At first, we did
not realize the seriousness of the situ-
ation, but when we heard the rumbling
which preceded the storm ten minutes,
we rushed for our cyclone cellars and
many thus escaped. But for this warn-
ing, we would have twice this number
of killed. Here the storm had the reg-
ulation funnel shape and swept every-
thing in its track."
---
Wreck West of Bondurant.
The loss of property between Bondu-
rant and Ankeney was severe, the storm
dismantling houses and damaging prop-
werty. But one man was killed in this
section, west of the main storm, Joseph
________________________________________
*drawing*
Catholic Church Valeria
________________________________________
Maxwell, living near Elkhart. He lived
with a wife and family of two children.
The storm wrecked the house, but the
wife and children were not injured.
Maxwell was a well known farmer. The
funeral will be held at 11 o'clock tomor-
row.
The property loss is immense in the
section, comprising half of the northern
part of the country. Crops are ruined,
trees uprooted, buildings destroyed and
much damage done. In part it is as fol-
lows:
James Wood, farmer, living south of
Ankeney, house and barn destroyed.
Family escaped in cyclone cave.
Just west of there the house and barns
of Alvin Yates were destroyed. Yates
was injured while running to the cyclone
cave in which his family had taken shel-
ter. He may not recover. His loss is
$2,000, insured for $800 in the Hawkeye
Tornado company of Des Moines.
D. B. Cochran's house on the Elkhart
road was wrecked. Loss about $2,000.
Cows killed. He carried $1,000 insurance.
William Young's house near by was
wrecked. His loss will be $1,000.
The farmers will have to replant crops.
The corn was nearly six inches high.
---
Relief from Des Moines.
The relief train, the natural result, the
material and physical demonstration of
sympathy for suffering humanity that fills
the Des Moines people, left the city at 2:10
p. m., and was mad up as follows:
Citizens' committee-Messars. Bentley,
Breeden, Hatton, Sooy, Jewett.
Medical corps-Doctors Wyman, Priest-
ley, Bice, McCarthy, Chapman, Drake;
Linn, Rice, De France, Garton, Chappell;
Van Worden, Ryan, Davis.
Nurses-Misses Newcomb. Bohanna,
Ford, Roland, Coleman and Messrs. Chap-
pell, Lomack, Reese, Brockway, Whitlock.
*Third Column*
These and representatives of the press
were given a special car that was attached
to a special train which ran as far as
Bondurant. Considerable criticism of the
action of the railroad company in holding
a relief car for several hours while an
excursion train was being made up was
heard. It was also argued that it was no
occasion whatever for an excursion party
of morbid sightseers and the action of the
management of the Rock Island in refus-
ing to run such a train to Pomeroy fol-
lowing the storm at that place was cited.
In justice to the Great Western it may
be said, however, that the running of an
excursion appears to have been a second
thought with them, for when approached
in the morning by the relief committee
with a request for an engine and special
car they promptly agreed that it should
be furnished. This fact will be the more
________________________________________
*drawing*
Depot Bondurant
________________________________________
appreciated when it is known that the
Northwestern, the only other line running
to the storm district, told the committee
flatly that they could do nothing for them
in that regard.
Seven coaches, loaded down with people,
and the relief car composed the train that
made its way slowly to Bondurant. That
place was reached at 3 o'clock and it was
there the first evidences of the cyclone's
work were seen. But it was the desire
of the committee to get farther east to
points from which had come reports of
great loss of life, but not a vehicle of any
description could be secured in which to
transport any portion of the party. Then
telegraph wires and the bridges being
down the train could go no farther and
there followed an exasperating wait of
almost two hours until a train came
through from the east. An engine was
taken on to the stations throughout the
________________________________________
*drawing that spans two columns cont'd*
________________________________________
devastated district, but the excursionists
were left at Bondurant and a few hours
later were brought back to Des Moines a
disappointed and disgruntled lot. They
roundly scored the company for not taking
the whole train through. While admitting
that the banners carried through the
streets by the company announcing the
excursion only claimed it would run to
Bondurant they said the railroad knew
that every person who paid his money
into their coffers supposed that he was
to be taken to where the work of the
storm could be seen.
Leaving Bondurant the first partiuc-
larly noticeable thing was the large as-
semblage of persons and vehicles at the
Bailie homestead. A dozen or more men
and teams were at work digging trenches
in which ~ that had been
killed. Whe~ a few hours
later the ~ was finished, the
people were gone and nothing remained of
what was a few days ago a comfortable
farm house but a bare mound in a bare
field. One might pass within a hundred
yards of the place and knot know that
house or barn or buildings had ever stood
there.
From among the debris of the Balie
home was picked up what appeared to be
a letter. It was not enclosed in an en-
velope and was soiled with dirt and
crumpled by the action of the storm, but
the writing was not obliterated. It proved
to be the appeal of a Christian mother
whose soul the merciless storm had borne
to Him in whom she had abiding faith. it
is possessed of a tender, pathetic and
melancholy interest in view of the sudden
and awful calamity that befell that home,
and is given in full:,
"Dear Jesus, most precious name on
earth and in heaven, I love Thee and
thank Thee for everything. I have given
my life to Thee. Tell me if any part I
have not give so I can give it, too. Keep
the evil one. Keep away angry thoughts,
unkind feelings and everything impure.
Tell me each time what to do and make
all you can of my life. Give to me the
things that are best for me and make
my light shine. Help me to win others to
Thee, to love everybody. Bless my home,
my companion, the church, the Sunday
school. Bless my enemies and forgive those
that have been unkind to me and may
every one soon be Thine, Amen."
The Bailies were a most excellent Chris-
tian family, and the mother, whose peti-
tion the foregoing evidently is, was a
noble, devout woman.
At this same place where the storm was
so deadly and the destruction to property
so complete were observed some remark-
able freaks of the wind. The house was
taken clean from its foundations and
scattered like a chaff and in the cellar was
jammed a cow that had occupied a pas-
ture some hundreds of yards distant.
While looking about among the ruins the
cackle of fowl was heard. It came from
a pile of debris four or five feet high and
the relief party at once began to tear away
the timbers. When the bottom was
reached there sat a turkey crowded closely
down upon her nest and not an egg broken.
She was liberated and appeared none the
worse for the strange enclosure the storm
had built about her. The eggs were car-
ried away as souvenirs. And speaking of
souvenirs, there was much complaint by
sufferers at the manner in which visitors
appropriated articles of all descriptions.
In many instances little articles of in-
calculable value to the owners were carried
away. In the case of Miss Lawrence of
Valeria the ~ the gift of a
dead relative ~ inge to say, had
remained ~ although the house
was turned upside down, were taken from
a box by some relic gatherer.
As the train passed through Santiago
the dancing pavilion and booths in the
picnic grounds, so frequently visited by
Des Moines parties in the past, were seen
to be tumbled about, and considerable
labor will be required before the grounds
will be again fit for use.
Arriving at Valeria, Rev. H. O. Breeden,
Mr. Hatton, Doctors McCarthy and Bice
and a nurse proceeded at once to the res-
idence of Daniel Phalen, where lay dead
the brother, Mr. Charles Phalen, and the
brother's two daughters and three sons,
making in all six dead bodies in the one
room. The mother of the dead husband
and children was there also with a hor-
rible wound in her hip, from which she
can hardly recover and another child not
so seriously injured occupied a bed near
its mother. The services of the nurse
were desired and she was left there, but
the proffered offices of the physicians were
virtually declined with thanks by the
country doctor in charge. Indeed, he
seemed to regard the close questioning as
to the manner in which he was treating
the wound in the mother's hip as a bit of
impertinence on the part of the visiting
physicians. But the Des Moines doctors
were persistent and he finally said he "was
treating it as it should be treated, of
course by sewing it up." The visitors
had to be satisfied with the answer if they
were no with the treatment, as they had
no authority to interfere in the case, and
they could only express their regrets that
the doctor could not see his way clear to
treat the wound as an open wound. The
relief party then returned to Des Moines,
arriving here about 8:30 o'clock. The
citizens' committee prepared its report on
the return trip. It is as follows:
The undersigned, members of the com-
mittee, together with twelve physicians
and eight nurses left the city on a special
train, very kindly furnished by the Chi-
cago Great Western railroad, at 2 o'clock
p. m. We made a very thorough study
of the situation at Bondurant, Santiago
and Valeria and the places that were di-
rectly in the path of the storm. We found
that twenty-four persons were killed, and
perhaps, half as many more wounded. We
left one of the nurses with Mrs. Phelan,
near Valeria, who is very seriously in-
*Fourth column*
jured, and whose husband and five chil-
dren were killed. There is no further need
of nurses, medical assistance, clothing or
other temporary supplies. The friends and
neighbors are giving all needed care to
the surviving sufferers. There are many
farmers in both Polk and Jasper counties
who have lost heavily in both property
and stock. These will need financial help
and the counties should at once investi-
gate carefully these cases and render
needed assistance if within their power.
Messrs. Stearns and Johnson of Highland
Park, who, at the request of the commit-
tee, went to Ankeney, reported everything
cared for west of that place, and that
Drs. Wells and Minnasian, who accom-
panied them, were proceeding on east-
ward, following the line of the storm,
ready to render surgical assistance if
found necessary, at any point along the
route.
---
Dead at Santiago.
Santiago lies in a wooded section
along the Skunk river, four miles east
of Bondurant. The storm has broken
down nearly every third tree in the
timber; stripped the leaves and limbs
from many more and made the roads,
filled with running water and mud
from the cloud burst which accompan-
ied the storm still they are nearly im-
passible. Farmers have had to cut the
fallen timber from the roads to make
them passable for even horseback rid-
ers.
A quarter of a ~m~ northwest of
them the cyclone struck the house of
Peter Bolenbaugh, who lived with his
wife and the 4-year-old son of Mrs.
Josiah Minmurn, who died last Feb-
ruary. It was a common frame farm
________________________________________
*drawing*
Wreck of Bailie Farm House
________________________________________
house and was knocked flat. The in-
mates were killed instantly, their
bodies being carried 300 feet into the
timber where they were found divest-
ed of clothing. The cellar was filled
with fallen trees and limbs and earth.
Bolenbough's neck was broken and his
eyes gouged out, while the child was
not scratched. The bodies were found
by a searching party at 1 o'clock in the
store and laid out on the counters. The
funeral was held at Mitchellville at 2
o'clock today.
It was a pitiful sight about the little
store, the only one near the scene.
Hundreds of farmers drove to the
scene and viewed the remains, which
were cared for by Mrs. James Lacey,
~ Wm.
Walker and Thomas Famberson. Bol-
enbough was an old soldier and 55
years of age. Between here and Val-
eria the roads are nearly impassible.
The heavy timber in the bottom land
along the Skunk river is down and the
Skunk is overflowing its banks until it
is nearly impossible to get through the
roads through the woodland for fallen
trees and the bottom land for the mud
and water which for two miles is near-
ly up to the seat of a wagon. Two ox-
en wagons were stuck in the mud and
left by farmers going to aid their
friends in distress. With difficulty
were a dozen coffins brought through
from Bondurant by teams.
The track of the storm was eccentric
between here and Valeria. In places
there are fields and stretches of timber
which were not touched. A few feet
further the grass and grain is mowed
from the ground by the storm. Huge
bouders [sic] weighing 200 and 300 pounds
were rolled 200 yards across fields leav-
ing a road track. In places tongues of
farm implements and fence boards and
fence rails are sticking in the ground
where they were left by the storm af-
ter being carried for miles. In the
timber, miles from any house chicken
coops badly injured were found and near
by bed clothing. Flags from sol-
diers' graves at Santiago were carried
miles and a wagon take up near Bon-
durant was found six miles east.
---
WEST END OF THE STORM
---
Losses Reported South and West of Polk
City
Lincoln Frazier's new house, two
story, not completed totally demolished.
Loss $800. No one hurt, not occupied.
Wm. Campbell, $1,500, house, barn and
out buildings, all demolished. Family
of eight children. Father, mother and
grand mother in the house. Old lady
injured quite seriously. Mr. Campbell
and three children up stairs, ? 2, 4
and 6 years old. Don't know who he es-
caped.
Chas. Sutton's house damaged $200.
________________________________________
*drawing*
A Storm Built Turkey Coop
________________________________________
Two horses killed in Campbell's pasture,
belonging to Mr. Porter.
Frazier school house totally destroyed,
$600.
Heckman's house and barn destroyed.
$1,000.
Miles Hanford's barn injured. Orchard ruined
$500.
Nathan Andrews' house and barn in-
jured $200.
John Beck, two large cattle and hay
barns destroyed, $1,000.
Will Crum's house and barn wrecked.
Losses $1,000.
D. D. Brodie's house wrecked, moved
twenty feet from foundation.
Jacobs, Dallas county, buildings
wrecked.
Roads blocked by trees, great havoc
in timber along Des Moines river and on
bluff.
MADISON TOWNSHIP
Thomas Hahn, injured to out buildings
$100.
John Simons' barn, house, and out-
buildings, fences, etc., ruined. Cattle
and hogs killed and cultivator taken up
and carried away and orchard ruined.
At Crocker, Geo Mart's house dam-
*Fifth column*
________________________________________
*drawing spans two columns begin*
HOW IT LOOKED TO THEM.
*cyclone illustrations*
How it appeared to J.W.Walter
drawn by himself
Pictures of the Storm Cloud
Drawn by Eye Witnesses.
________________________________________
aged, taken off foundation. Barn and
cries demolished. Loss ~ 500.
Al Nagle's barn damaged ~
Wesley Gall, house and barn unroofed.
Loss $200.
James Lane's house and barn dam-
aged, two cows killed and Mr. Lane seri-
ously hurt, now at city hospital. Mrs.
Lane, his mother, scalp wounds and
bruised about arms and face.
Free Methodist church destroyed $600.
Gilbruck's barn wrecked.
John Howard's house unroofed.
Beeks' barn wrecked and orchard in-
jured. Wind mill and house damaged.
Freeman Rutherford's barn injured
$100.
Woods' place, one mile south of An-
keney, house, barn and outbuildings de-
stroyed.
---
Stories of the Storm.
At the residence of R. G. Scott, near
Bondurant, all the family went into the
cellar when they heard the storm ap-
proaching, except Scott and his son Lee.
They declined to go. Just before the
storm struck, Lee became frightened
and dropped through the cellar door as
the house left its foundations. It fell
with a crash 100 yards away. Lee nar-
rowly escaped.
Thomas Currough lives three quarters
of a mile north of Bondurant. The fam-
ily, father, mother and three daughters,
had just returned from church. The
women clung to each other while Cur-
rough was thrown insensible against the
wall. The house was picked up and
dropped six times. The barn was
wrecked. A horse tied to a manger was
blown seven rods and when found was
unharmed, eating hay still left in the
manger.
Albert Peterson lives two and one-half
miles northwest of Bondurant. When
the storm gathered they started for the
cyclone cave. With difficulty Peterson
led his wife, child and hired girl to the
the cellar, the wind blowing them off
their feet several times. The women got
into the cave and Peterson was just
closing the door when the storm struck.
The door was yanked from his hand and
the house was lifted up and fell on the
cave, crushing it partially in. All es-
caped. All of Peterson's buildings were
destroyed. He lost forty-five head of
hogs, four horses and eight cattle. He
carried no insurance.
D. B. Cochran living near by lost
twelve hogs and four cows. Sixteen
acres of corn six inches high were ruin-
ed. The plowed ground was torn off for
a deep six inches in places and bank-
ed like snow against the wrecked hedge
fences. Cochran says he saw two clouds
on from the northwest and one from
the southwest join over his house. He
carried $1,000 insurance in the Hawkeye
of Des Moines.
William Young's family escaped by
taking refuge in the cellar. They were
partially buried by the falling cellar
walls when the house was swept away.
There were many singular incidents
near the Cochran house. Mrs. Cochran
had tied $20 in gold and $20 in silver
certificates in a red piece of calico and
placed it in the sewing machine drawer.
The first thing found was that piece of
calico, with the gold intact. The paper
money is missing and the sewing ma-
chine can not be found. Back of the
house was an iron pump. The handle
was blown off and the top unscrewed
half an inch as though don with a wrench
twisted around half a dozen
times.
Robert Gormley's barn was destroyed
three miles west of Bondurant.
Allan Edwards, wife and child, five
miles west of Bondurant were mashed
in their house. Edwards was cut about
the head and injured internally and Mrs.
Edwards' hip was broken.
All the buildings on the John Wilson
and Crelley farms were destroyed but
the inmates were not injured.
---
MRS. CAMPBELL DEAD
---
Passes Away at Her Son's Home Near
Granger.
Mrs. Matilda Campbell, mother of
William Campbell, living with her son,
four miles this side of Granger, died
from the effects of her injuries this
morning. She was crushed in the
house when if fell. There were cuts
and bruises about her head and shoul-
ders and internal injuries. She was
about 65 years of age and could not sur-
vive the shock.
---
BATTLE OF FORT BRANCH
---
Circus Men and Citizens Have a Bloody
Engagement.
VINCENNES, Ind., May 26. News
reaches here of a desperate fight last
between circus men and citizens
at Fort Branch, south of this place. It
is said that seven men were killed and
a dozen others badly wounded. The
showmen belonged to Lent's steamboat
circus, and during the riot an attempt
was made to sink the boat, but the citi-
zens were driven off after a desperate
fight.
---
Closing out sale. Plants for your
flower beds. Highland park green-
house.
---
KIRKHART & RYAN'S CIRCUS
---
Seven Canvassmen Reported Drowned at
McGregor.
Conrad Paul of this city, who is in-
terested in the Kirkhart & Ryan cir-
cus, is anxious to receive further word
from it. Last night at 9 o'clock he
was handed the following message:
M'GREIGOR, May 25.--To Conrad
Paul: "In a storm. Million dollar
loss. Our engine and entire train lost.
Our cars safe. We lost seven canvass-
men drowned. Ten miles of track
washed away. Damage inestimable."
(Signed) MORRIS LYNCH
Treasurer.
Mr. Paul wired back as follows:
"What's to be done? Can you get
out of McGregor? Do you need me?
Let me know full particulars soon."
CONRAD PAUL.
Nothing has been hear from Lynch
today. Mr. Paul and Mr. Garber say
they fear the circus cannot get out of
McGregor on account of the washouts.
The show was booked today at Post-
ville and tomorrow at New Hampton.
They cannot tell whehr [sic] or not the sev-
en canvassmen were Des Moines men
but are inclined to think not as many
changes have been made since the
show left this city.
*Sixth column*
________________________________________
*drawing spans two columns end*
HOW IT LOOKED TO THEM.
*cyclone illustrations*
Jim S Jones of Valeria
says it looked like
this drawn by himself
*on the left lower corner of this
illustration, vertical on the page,
is the sticker "WoodsFE 1297" this would
be my ancestor Frank Edwin WOODS son of
Joseph WOODS *
________________________________________
THE WEATHER.
---
Forecast for Iowa: Fair and cooler to-
night and tomorrow.
---------------------------------
M'GREGOR FLOODS.
---
Many Deaths and Much Damage
from the Storm Sunday Night.
NORTH M'GREGOR, Iowa, May 26.--
A terrific storm of wind, rain and hail
struck this place Sunday night well-
nigh leaving the town in ruins. Four
inches of water fell within an hour and
many persons were drowned. Railroad
tracks were torn up by the force of the
flood and heavily loaded freight cars
tossed about like egg shells. Dozens of
houses were swept from their founda-
tions. Scarcely a stick of timber or
mark of any kind is left to show the lo-
cation of houses, lumber or railroad
yards, and the country on every hand
shows signs of the terrible work of deso-
lation.
It is impossible at this date to secure a
list of all the fatalities as the bodies of
many of the missing have not yet been
recovered. It is supposed that from
twenty-five to thirty persons have been
drowned. Following is a partial list:
Mrs. Morg Burke, body found; W.
Burke, body found; John Lavotch;
John Maloney; Michael Maloney, body found;
Lawrence Myer; Mrs. Lawrence Myer;
Anton Myer, son, body found; Meyer,
child; Myer, child; Myer, child; Myer,
child; John Nichols; Girard, body found.
-----
DANGER LINE REACHED,
---
The Raging Mississippi Raising at
St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS, May 26.--This morning
the danger line of 28 feet had been
reached by the flood in the Mississippi
river at this city and the indications
are that unless there is a let-up to the
heavy rains in Missouri, Iowa and Illi-
nois, the water will go as high as the
flood of four years ago, when the gauge
marked thirty-six feet and property to
the value of two million of dollars was
destroyed. The local weather bureau
has been reached, but this is not be-
lieved by experienced river men. The
low lands at Venice and Brooklyn on
east side of the river, opposite St.
Louis, are being inundated and the
squatters are moving to high ground.
Below East St. Louis, the water is back-
ing into Cahokia creek and if a rise of
another foot occurs the residents will
have to abandon the first story of their
homes. The downpour of rain contin-
ues almost without interruption
throughout Missouri.
-----
SOUTH DAKOTA MURDER
---
George Larue Mortally Wounded
at Meckling.
VERMILLION, S. D., May 26.--Jim
Rhinehart of this city shot and serious-
ly wounded George Larue at Meckting,
eight miles west of here, today.
Rhinehart accused Larue of stealing a
horse from him, and during the heated
altercation Rhinehart drew a revolver
and shot Larue. Larue is in a precar-
ious condition, Rhinehart mounted a
horse and fled.
-----
UNDER THE SAME RULES.
---
Wholesale Liquor Dealers Must
Obey the Law.
The supreme court today in a Cedar
Rapids case held wholesale liquor deal-
ers to be under the same restrictions as
retail. The case was that of Mrs. H.
Retchie, Appellant, vs. W. J. Zaleski, et
al. and was reversed on appeal from the
Cedar Rapids superior court.
The defendant, Zaleski, was agent of
Auheuser-Busch Brewing association in
Cedar Rapids, maintaining a wholesale
liquor establishment. Plaintiff charged
illegal sales of liquors. Defendant ad-
mitted sales, but claimed them ~
conformity with law. Lower court
found for defendants and taxed up costs
to plaintiff. Plaintiff appealed. Su-
preme court reversed lower court for the
reason that the business was not car-
ried on in a single room; that the view
from the street was obstructed by shut-
ters on the windows; and for the further
reason that defendants failed to show
that state tax had been paid. The court
says in reply to contention by defend-
ants that certain provisions of the law
did not apply to them: "No distinction
is made by the statute between whole-
sale and retail dealers. Each is requir-
ed to keep for sale and sell the liquors
in a single room."
J. M. Koenigs vs. Chicago Milwaukee
& St. aPul [sic] Railway company. Revers-
ed; per curiam. Supplemented opinion
on rehearing.
Dora Nalling, administratrix, appel-
lant, vs. Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas
City railroad. Supplemented opinion.
Affirmed; opinion by Given. Kinne and
Deemer dissent.
Lyon district, Scott M. Ladd, judge.
Michael Nagel vs. Bruce Fullmer, appel-
lant. Affirmed opinion by Deemer.
Cass district, Scott Lewis, judge. R.
C. Pratt, administrator, appellant, vs.
C., R. I. & P. Ry. Reversed; opinion
by Granger.
Plymouth district, J. F. Oliver, judge.
J. A. Schuttloffel vs. Ellen Collins et al.,
appelalnts. [sic] Reversed; opinion by Roth-
rock, C. J.
Carroll district, Chas. D. Goldsmith,
judge. Joseph Irebeck vs. George Bierl,
appellant. Reversed; opinion by Roth-
rock, C. J.
Lyon district, Geo. W. Wakefield,
judge. Independent district of Rock
Rapids, et al., vs. The Society for Sav-
ings of Cleveland, Ohio, et al., appel-
lants. Affirmed; opinion by Rothrock,
C. J.
-----
Flames at Mason City.
MASON CITY, Iowa, May 26.--Fire
last night destroyed the millinery stock
of Mrs. E. Brown. It was by the over-
turning of a lamp. Loss is about $300
fully covered by insurance.
*Seventh column*
THIRD EDITION>
===============
4:00 O'CLOCK
===============
IOWA NOT ALONE
---
Michigan and Illinois Were
Sufferers by Cyclone.
---
THE UNRULY ELEMENTS
---
Kansas and Oklahoma Also
Sustained Losses by
Tornadoes.
---
CHICAGO, May 26.--The Iowa torna-
do of Sunday evening was but one,
though the worst, of five pronounced
and well-defined cyclonic storms attend-
ed with loss of life and destruction of
property within forty-eight hours be-
ginning Saturday at midnight, Michi-
gan, Illinois, Indiana and Oklahoma suf-
fering the unwelcome visitations. The
village of Thomas, near Pontiac, Mich.,
was last night wiped out of existence
and Mrs. Henry Quick, Daniel Thomp-
son and son, Mrs. Joseph Bird, E. E.
Torrence, Wm. Mitchell, Mrs. Alice
Mitchell and two children, John Porritt,
Mrs. T. G. Heaton, two children of Mrs.
Howe and Abram Quick and two chil-
dren killed there or in near-by town-
ships. At Mt. Clemens, Mich., last night,
thirty houses were blown down
and many of them literally torn to
pieces. The list of injured so far fol-
lows: Mrs. Anna Pohl, back broken;
cannot live. Adolph Pohl, injured; Mrs.
Russell Carter, badly injured; Mrs.
Ormsby, arms broken. The home of
Mrs. Anna Pohl, a widow, with three
small boys was blown down on their
heads, an the four members of the fam-
ily were pinioned in the wreckage. Ow-
ing to the darkness and storm it was
some time before assistance arrived.
When they were out they were taken to
a neighboring house, where it was
found that Mrs. Pohl's back was broken
and she cannot live. Her boys, Adolph,
Henry and William, are more or less in-
jured but will recover. The property
loss was very large.
In Illinois, Mrs. Godfrey Hildebrand,
living near Monroe, was beheaded while
going down cellar to escape from the
storm. Her daughter, Elsie, was in-
stantly killed, and her husband, a prom-
inent Grand Army man, fatally injured.
Near Egan City, Mrs. Izora Bird was
badly injured, two probably fatally.
Near Leaf River, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Gar-
ner were both seriously injured. At Ad-
eline, the Methodist church was blown
down and the United Brethren church
unroofed. At Forreston, the steeple of
the Methodist church was blown onto
the roof of the parsonage next door,
crushing it in, and injuring Rev. and
Mrs. H. Colvin, who were asleep.
In Indiana, the storm was less vio-
lent and no loss of life is reported.
Oklahoma reports a tornado in Sem-
inole county, with several lives lost and
Kansas suffered loss of life along the
Marias des Cygnes river.
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich., May 26.--
The cyclone which swept over this city
about 8 o'clock last night devastated
a section two blocks wide and four long,
and injured a dozen persons, several of
whom may die. The seriously injured
are:
Mrs. Anna Pohl, back broken; will
not live.
Henry Pohl, aged 14, hip broken, in-
jured internally.
Willie Pohl, aged 10, injured internal-
ly; recovery doubtful.
Mrs. Jos. Harder, injured internally.
Mrs. Russell Carter, injured internal-
ly; recovery doubtful.
Houses were overturned and smashed
into kindling wood. Whole families
were imprisoned in the ruins of their
homes and it is miraculous that more
persons were not seriously injured.
About thirty buildings were wrecked.
OXFORD, Mich., May 26.--It was 7
o'clock last evening when this district
was swept by a cyclone. The first
point touched, so far as the news
reaches here, was half a mile north of
the beautiful village of Ortonville. The
storm came with a velocity of a can-
non ball and never swerved from its
course until it had nearly swept from
the face of the landscape the quiet vil-
lage of Oakwood. The cyclone moved
along the six mile road from Ortonville
to Oakwood, swerving neither to the
right nor left.
In on house, seven persons were
crushed to death and in others two,
three or four occupants met a like fate.
Orchards were left without a tree
standing. At Oakwood the list of dead
is as follows: Mrs. N. B. Woolfenden,
Mrs. Mina Howell, Mrs. Wells, Eugenia
Fifield, Jessie Fifield, Ed Fifield. At the
intersection of the main road where a
lane led to the village of Thomas, the
cyclone paused, left the straight line
three-quarters of a mile away. On its
way, it demolished the farm house and
barns of Mr. Copeman. Mrs. Copeman
was buried in a pile of rubbish. She is
probably fatally injured. The dead at
Thomas number seven, as follows:
John Hicks, C. M. Pretchyplace, An-
drew Pettibone, Frank Laidlaw, Mrs.
Oscar Slate, Tom Bishop, Mr. Smiley.
At Driden just north of Oxford, Mrs.
Thomas Benn~ett and son ~Brame were
killed. In the country near Thomas,
Mrs. P~ Wagoner was killed~ and M. J.
~ Mrs. Copeman, Mrs. Ed Rowe
and her 2-year-old son were perhaps
fatally injured. In the neighborhood
of Cottonville, the lose of life is great.
It has been difficult to get a complete
list of the killed and injured, who are
scattered for miles over the surround-
ing country. A partial list of the killed
is: Mrs. Clarke Eaton, Mrs. J. Porritt
is badly injured and may die. Between
Ortonville and Oakwood and Thomas,
six houses were destroyed and six per-
sons killed. At Thomas, four houses
were wrecked. Beyond Thomas, six
houses were wrecked and one person
killed.
DETROIT, Mich., May 26.--The tail
end of the cyclone which swept over
Mount Clemens struck a French settle-
ment Just east of Walkerville, Ont.,
along the front of the Detroit river. A
dozen buildings were more or less
damaged. Many horses and cattle were
killed. So far as learned no person was
injured.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 26.--Three
storms of unusual severity swept over
this city last night at intervals of two
hours, causing thousands of dollars
damage. A large section of the roof of
the Metropolitan hotel was torn off.
The First Baptist church, just com-
pleted, was partially unroofed and the
cupola demolished. Various houses all
over the city and in the country are
this morning without roofs. Telephone
and fire alarms are a wreck and street
car traffic is suspended.
THOMAS, Mich., May 26.--A courier
from Groveland reports that the cy-
clone did great damage in that village.
Nine persons were killed, six in one
family. Many persons ere injured be-
tween here and Groveland.
-----
Uncle Billy Locke of Union county
celebrated the forty-sixth anniversary of
his residence in that county Saturday.
His residence for that length of time had
been continuous.
[Transcribers notes: ~ indicates a hole in the paper; this paper has been transcribed in the original format of the paper. The leading story in this paper was about the tornado that my family survived in May 1896. Transcribed from an original issue of the paper by C.R., November 2006]