Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-04-24
4 CYCLONE
Plays Havoc at LOckridge,
Jefferson County,
Stirs Things up Lively at Chilli
Gothic and Shocks.
And Sends Down Immense Hail
Stones at Kirkville.
Our Fair Ground Fence and Build
ings Mashed to kindIlng wood.

tn&8 M08O0O TO NlnOIV8 WOO0'
Tho windstorm Sunday after
noon was very severe q few miles
west of this city and was accompa-
MED by rain and hail. The fences
on Prior Wilson's farm were gener-
ally blown down fat to the ground
and at DR.. J. G. Hinsey's place the
storm not only blew down fences, but
some twelve or fifteen large
fruit trees, and at the fair grounds
the storm ratified things around live
ly. The large ampitheatre was turn
ed over and crushed into shapeless
mass of kindling wood. The judges
stand was scattered all over the
and almost all the fence to-
gether with some of the stables, COM
pletcly flatteped out. A barn built
by Van Voorhis close to the fair
was also destroyed. Marion
Duryee moved his family into the cell
lar and as the house was rocking to
and fro he thought it was q good time
for devotional exercises although the
usual formalities were dispensed
with. Fences all through the bottom
were blown down, but the storm
seemed, in the main to follow the foot
of the hills.
In this city no damage was done by
the wind or rain.
1t will be observed that in this in
stance, as on many similar occasions
in the past, the high promontory at
the upper end Of the city completely
sheltered us from the effects of these
periodical cyclones, and a disastrous
wind was never known here. On
this occasion the clouds were observ-
ed circling and whirling over the hill
with fearful velocity but passed by
without harm to us.
Since writing the above we have
the following letters, which
show something of the terrible effects
of the storm elsewhere:
AT KIRKvILLE.
KIRKvlLLE, Iowa, April %
Our town and surrounding country
was visited, OIL yesterday at about 2
0 'clock,P. M.,with one Of the most ter
rife rain and hail storms ever expe-
rienced here. Hail larger than chick
en- eggs were the rule-sOme measur-
ed IL and IL inches in circumference.
A great many window glass were
broken and other damage done.
In haste, VERITAs.
AT CHILLICOTHE.
CHILLICoTHE, April 90
ED. COURlER.--A very severe storm
passed a little south of Chillicothe.
Sunday, April Dist. at 2:3O, p. NJ.
It struck the w. s. Myrick farm aud
blew the east side out of the two sto-
ry brick house, blew down a new
barn, unroofed the old barn and done
other damage by des-
Lroying out buildings and sheds. No
person injured. The storm passed
east and struck the c. b. & Q railroad,
blewa down one hundred PANELS Of
railroad board fence and tore down
The telegraph wire by falling trees,
west of the Des Moines bridge.
Some small buildings at Shocks
was blown. 200 yards and mashed
them in pieces. ID. HENsHAw.
The storm blew the roof of Mr..
Sharp's brick dwelling house. ~
miles southwest of Chillicothe, demol-
ishing fences on several farms in the
ncighborhood, then struck
The farm of J. NJ. Swope, l mile south
west Of Chillicotha, breaking the win
iows and damaging his residence
,onsiderable,al also blowing down fenc-
es and trees in its track. The hail
stones were the largest ever seen in
this country, many of them as large
as common tin cup, doing great
to glass widows in the neigh
borhood. d. Fl.
FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY.
LocKRIDGE, April %, 1878.
ED. COURIER A fearful tornado
passed through this township, two
miles north of the e. b. & q. railroad
Yesterday afternoon, between three
and four O'Clock, completely destroy
ing thirteen houses, twelve barns,
the Dutch Lutheran Church and Cen
trail school house. No one killed but
several badly hurt. There were over
one hundred people in the church
when it blew down and all escaped
death, but most of them were badly
bruised. Mr.. Liblen had his leg bro.
ken from the falling timbers of his
house. The tornado was less than
quarter of a mile wide and extended
about five miles in length, taking al
most q due east and west course.
Apple trees, fences and everything
that came in its way was completely
ruined. Many horses and cattle are
killed and injured.
Yours truly, j. X. PIERCE.
The Hon. Thos. McGlothlin, living
about three miles southeast of Eddy
vile, informs US that the storm in his
yesterday afternoon
was very severe although no particu-
lar damage was done. He says that
hail fell very fast and few immense
of ice nearly as large as q
mans fist fell in his door yard, some
of them striking the ground with a
thud and breaking into half dozen
pieces.
ALTERATIONS.
Readers of the COURIER, our old re-
liable and original Nussbsum, No.
%, Union Block, sells you cheaper
and better clothing than any other
man of the same name, therefore
don't be deceived, but 60 to No. %,
Union Block, sign of the red flag,
the cheapest place in the
cstxr rnr <,Jn<hsnn A 90 w 8