Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-06-16
Terrible Storms at Lancaster, with Hail
and Floods-Great Loss of Property.
Storms in General

visited Lancaste. with his warning
elements-th flooding rains. resist>
less winds, electricity and frozen
balls. Two years ago Mt Hope,
Fennimore and New California were
visited at the same time BIZ a like
biuation of the raging elements,
and ~ fine harvest lain waste. In
1868 sc think il was, our neighbor
up north, Viroqua, gave a like en-
tertainment to the king of elemen.
tary forces, and the whole town
wentup by Involuntary contribution.
even the mill dam aud floating saw
logs beirg snuffed up and carried
away, the dry aud tenantless land
only abiding a. l. witness to the sur
veyor that once there was such a
town. In 1926 the great hurricane,
memorable now to hardly living
soul, first appeared at Cassville,
sweeping thence northeast by way
OF what is known as the Hurricane
Grove, the name taken from the
event, and spending its power in
Lafayette county. The heavy tim
Der Of the Hurricane vicinity fell be,
fore that furious gale as columns of
the temple before an unshorn Sans
son, and to this day the remains of
great walnuts bear witness 'of that
pioneer StorlD.
We DO not know that our section
is any more Liable TO storm devasta-
ton than other sections, probably
not. The lake regions are certainly
the oftinest visited by sweeping
storms, and timber sections are least
liable. We may remark that, but
for the natural forests and tie set
trees about Lancaster, very many il
not most Of the houses must have
fallen before the triple storms of
Sunday and Monday Perhaps no
other guards placed about premises
are of much avail against storms.
THE STORMS AT LANCASTER, AND LOSS
Es FROM HAIL AND FLOODS.
At four o'clock on Sunday after,
noon dark rain clouds appeared at
the west and next half hour fell a
flooding rain, the water coming down
in splashes. The level and inclining
lands were soon covered with wide
sheet Of water, the roads and natural
channels being hardly sufficient to
drain them. The fences were no OBJ
stacles in the way of torrents. Still,
no great harm was done by storm
number one, and there was hardly
any display ofelectricity, which look.
ed little dubius as to afterclaps.-
There followed brief fairweather
interlude, and then another making
up Of dark clouds.
FIVE O'CLOCK, STORM WITH HAIL AND
LIGHTNING.
At five o'clock the same afternoon
the warning elements made another
dash into town, this time heavens
electric batteries takinga FIJI benefit
and displaying grant and awful
feats. The clouds were seen to whirI
and reel Us inebriates, and then 90
Oft on rampage humping each 9th
err as portable mountains in volcanic
rage one old mountain buck was
seen 10 dance jig to some odd tune
played by Jove's thunders, and an
other darted off on some wild mission
in the direction of Boscobe. Soon
ali marshalled in orderly pa>
rade an darted off double quick in the
of Lancaster-on hailing
expedition as was afterwards learned
During the hail storm of twenty
minutes which followed, our town
got All awful pounding, every house
losing many or few of its day lights
AS TO the gardens, not a cabbage is
left. The fruit trees were stript of
their pledges, and the harvest fields
were threshed as by the fail. The
wheat crop is certainly q loss, but
the corn and oats may recover OF
hay there may be something saved.
Potatoes, squashes, beans, hops and
the like may recover in a measure.
The general, damage to crops was
done by the hail, during the fall of
which the fruit and other trees were
so pommelled and bruised as to be in
some doubt of recovery. The wa
ters also rose to their greatest height
during the hail storm. The fences
and several shanties and barns along
the branch east OF town were car
ricd away, and most of the bridges
went, off. The lightning played
brilliant part as before stated. Stur>
geon's barn was struck, and small
oak at the chimney end of Spades
dwelling was also struck, but no
damage done in either case. Trees
were blown down but none fell upon
houses.
The severest loss up TO this time
was Mr.. Brokers brick yard sonth
Of town, with 100000 unburnt bricks
in kiln, all his cord wood, and brick
making works, all total loss, the
damage at least $4,000. Apart
from his loss, the several new blocks
to go up in town will be delayed
month or two. As Mr.. BROKER is
carrying on q most useful business
to the town, the people expect to
share his losses and help him start
again.
We since learn that the Lancaster
Touring mills, owned by Fox 4 Co,
were damaged to the amount ofS1,-
500 to $4,000. Mr.. J. I'll. Brown.
through to-day from Beetown re-
ports all right beyond Porter's and
no signs of disorder till be got this
side The bridge above Schmidt's
mills is damaged slightly but the
dam and mills are all right
1t was supposed the worst was
over, but the third and severest blow
was in reserve for one o'clock. Mon
day
THIRD STORM ON MoNDAY-THE PUBLIC
SCHOOL BUILDING HEAP OF RUINS.
Monday noon came, and no par
ticular indication Of further storms.
Quiet reigned, only for the sorrow