The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-06-14


the entire course of the cyclone coult
be observed. The town lay beneath
white and clean; two miles west ,
range of hills covered with frowninl
timbers; to the south the Wabash
swollen and turbid, rolled angrily on
far to the east could be seen the gloomy
forest cutting off the prairie. Through
the little town, with its 600 or 70t
houses, could be seen the path of the
destroyer. In those hills to the west
the clouds met and engaged in theil
giant strife, and then, hand in hand
started on the march of death. DIR
Harvey's home, a mile and quarter
west, lay pile of kindling wood, and
next in line was the home Of Risly
felton. The path of the cyclone wa.
500 feet wide. Ten feet to the north o.
1t, a mile from town, stood, uninjured
the house of Charles Y. Wells. In thu
road to the south of the house,
a FINE TROTTING MARE,
belonging to Mr.. Wells, lay dead
The terrible current had caught hel
and hurled her through the air forty
feet. These houses were at the edge
of town. The streets of the town run
ming at right angles with the river
named in order and in the direction OF
the storm, are Locust. Walnut Main.
Mulberry, Cherry, and Pear. Fourth
street was the center of the cyclone,
which extended to Third and Fifth.
Main street, from Third to Fifth, was
the scene of the destruction of most
valuable property and loss of life. The
buildings destroyed will be taken i'm
detail. A vacant lot on the southwest
corner of Fifth and Main was succeed
ell to the east by two one and a half
story frames, occupied by l.. Hughy
as ,in-shop; w. c. Grier, grocer;
Mrs. Baker, millinery; Simoniel Bros,
notions. The roofs of all were Off, and
the pies sure of the wind had torn
were damaged and destroyed. Next
came George l.. Bidwell's one story
frame saloon. The front and roof were
blown out, and the sheds and stables
i'm the rear were totally wrecked. a
large frame warehouse In the rear was
leveled to the ground. =. Olendorf's
one and a half story frame lost its root
and front and rear walls. The next
building, a substantial two-story
frame,
PRESENTED A REMARKABLE SIGHT,
The bottom of the building had blown
out and the second floor was on a level
with the street. The front and rear
walls were blown away. In the rear
yard several workshops were devoted
to the manufacture of chairs, and in
one collins. The steady sound oI
workers in wood coming from a wreck
ed shed caused the reporter TO ask:
whats that" Making collins fol
the dead, said his companion. In the
body of the wreck, beneath beams and
timbers, could be seen dozen un-
harmed burial easkets stare with grim
suggcstiyeness. :. Pattles, merchant
tailoring establishment, next south,
and Reinzbrandt's meat shop and sad
dlery were in bad way for two-story
frame dwellings, being roofless and
gutted, and threatening to fall. The
place was pointed out where had stood
George Reinats shoe shop. 1t
lay now beneath the ruins of the inn
posing two-story brick building of
Watkins Bros, which had fallen on it.
Next north We're the ruins of the gro-
cery store of Watkins Brothers. Here
the cyclone struck. George Watkins
fed to the street. He reached the
sidewalk i'm time to be
CRUSHED TO DEATH
by the front wall of the building. T..
Watkins, his brother, ran for the
street. He saw the falling wall, and
witnessed the fate of his brother. He
turned again. when the whole build
ing fell In. Down to the cellar he
went, amidst beams and stones. Some
lucky providence formed sort of rude
arch of the debris above him and saved
him from instant death. He was
pressed by the debris and was in dark
ness. He became unconscious, and an
hour later was literally sawed out Of
the ruins. more dead than alive, and
tonight lies in critical condition.
The body Of poor George Watkins,
crushed beyond recognition, was taken
out in the early evening. Mr.. Watkins
was wealthy and leading citizen,
and was an Alderman. The next build
ing. large double two-story brick
was on the corner and occupied by
Mencipp & Biddly. 1t was in the fu-
ry of the cyclone, and although solid
and seemingly storm-proof, it melted
like sand before water. When our re-
porter arrived 100 men were at work
on the ruins. Several farmers sought
shelter in the building and all were
not accounted for. Two bodies had
been taken out. They were
MANGLED AND CRUSHED.
One was William Newkirk. an old
farmer, married, living three miles
north in the country. He had been
sitting in the rear Of the store, and
went down to death where he sat-
James Goodrich, a young farmer, liv-
ing at Sumner, H., In Mt. Carmel on
visit, started to run to the street.
The crash came, and he went down
beneath the mass to the cellar, and
never hreathed again. A little six-y'r
old school boy, George Higbee, run
ming wildly up Fourth street, was
taken by the cyclone and hurled
against the north wall of the building.
1t fell at the instant and crushed out
his young life. This corner was par
ticularly fatal, and shared better than
any other point. Mrs. George Bra
kirk was sitting in spring wagon
when the cyclone struck. She was
hurled from the wagon to the middle
of the street, and besides terrible
bruises, sustained broken leg. Hel
condition is critical. The horse was