Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-30

land than attempt to raise anything
there. Boards were driven through
cattle and hogs, ami I heard tina,
one SOW was torn to pieces, and q
litter of unborn pigs scattered
around promiscously. l have en-
deavored to estimate the loss tc
property, and my Judgment is tina,
1t will be between $50, 900 and $75,
600. In Washington county ten OF
eleven persons were killed outright
or have died since, and the wounded
probably number thirty. Some Of
them were so severely injured tina,
they are not expected to live.
STATEMENT OF HORACE g. J. ABLE.
Mr.. Able, who has lived in Iowa
for 80 years, and who is familiar
with every foot of the ground over
which the tempest passed, and who
in the short time which has elapsed
has gathered more information Of
the ravages of the whirlwind than
ten or twenty ordinary people would
makes the following detailed state.
ment:
Northeast of Washington a dozen
farms were leveled of everything
above the ground. A cook stove
belonging to Mr.. Babcock was
carried half a mile, and was not very
badly damaged. Trees were torn
out of the ground and reduced to
kindling wood; horses and COWS
were knocked down and killed, and
pieces of flying boards were driven
through the bodies Of some Of them,
fastening them to the earth. Car.
riages and wagons were demolish-
ed, and no remnants of them can be
found anywhere on the farms of the
owners. Nearly all of Gibson's
stock was killed. He had six fat
steers, which were sold to be
delivered on Friday, and the butch
ers went out yesterday and brought
their carcasses to town. Ten or a
dozen people were killed and about
twenty wounded. / have not seen
any of them, and therefore cannot
tell you about them Forty hogs
were killed on Cunniugham's farm,
and all the cattle on his place. His
house was blown off the foundation,
and the grain in his granary into
the cellar. 1t would be good place
to start q mill now. One building
in that neighborhood was turned
around so that it faced contrary to
what it did originally. 1t now
stands on only a few feet of the
cellar walls. A young man named
Langhead, who was planting corn
on his fathers farm, heard the storm
and started for the house,
leaving the planter in the field.
When near the building the hurri-
cane overlook him and he dropped
flat in the road. The cloud jumped
over him but caught up the planter
and carried it great distance.
The storm cloud did not cover a
space of more than thirty or forty
rods in width. A lady who came
in from Kcota told me that she
watched the storm with a great
deal of interest. She saw it bear
ing down on Keota, and the people
then made up their minds that it was
coming on their dwelling. 1t didn't
though, taking turn to the right
when about three miles off. The
damage in this county will be about
100000. Mr.. Babcock had $500
in notes which belonged to an estate
ne is settling. They were blown
away, as were 500 in greenbacks.
Six featherbeds that were in Mrs.
house, cannot he
found, nor can any traces Of the
chairs be discovered, except a few
pieces which were picked up in a
slough a quarter of a mile from the
house. All the clothing and furni-
,ure in the house was swept away,
and the people who saved their
Clothes had to come to town to get
clean shirts for Sunday. A German
who lived at Lancaster lost $4,000
IN cash. The storm took it, but
could not possibly have any use for
It. A woman who lived near that
own had her head blown off, and
lcr body cut in two. They found
portions Of her body in several
places. Gibson's house was built
in sections. They tried to close the
doors before the wind reached it,
but could not keep them shut. The
cyclone struck the rear end Of the
house first, and turned it around,
separating it from the front portion.
Mrs. Gibson and Ter child were
near the dividing lire, and fell into
he cellar. Two invalid children
who had been put into feather bed
Tor security were found some dis
.ance from the building, the bed
having been lifted up and carried
here by the wind. They were
almost smothered, being hidden
from view by timber and hay piled
up on top of them. Neither received
l scratch. The corn shelter was
thrown quarter of q mile. Bah
cocks family were not at home.
They were at neighbours house,
which was not touched. His son
md a hired man went into the
cellar for protection, but they sud-
lcnly found themselves in a slough
forty rods from the house, and say
hey cannot tell how they got there.
think they were frightened and
ran into the slough without know
ing it. l do not believe that they
were blown there. Most of the
carried away by the storm
was dropped into the sloughs.
Household utensils, corn, boards,
cattle, sheep and chickens were
thrown into piles. Some Of the corn
fields look rs if hops were to be
grown there. The storm moved
forward in zigzag way, sometimes
northwest. Invent within few
yards of some houses, and appar-
emily changed its mind, going
either to the right or left. Two
men who were coming along the
road saw three storm clouds-a
large and two smaller ones-ap-
preaching, and they took refuge in
he ditch nSnrti in or tn ir fnam rrLa