Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-07-09
DESTRUCTIVE CYCLONE
Elk Point visited by n cyclone
which racks some nous
cs, searang things
generally.
Some Narrow EsCapes.--N0fes
Of the storm.

a. PtSPiN VI = Nhsy .
hat chill the blood as memory pie
lures the scene so fraught with dan
ger and excitement. During the
early part of the afternoon the gath
ering and darkened clouds foretold
rain, but few dreamed that behind
those vapory monsters a cyclone
was gaining strength to descend tc
the earth and leave its pathway
strcwn with the wrecks of shattered
houses, fallen trees and a widespread
scene of havoc and desolation. A
few moments before five O'Clock the
vivid flashes of lightning and rapid
peals of thunder in the southwest
caused our people to view the heay-
ems with no little concern. From
the southeast an angry looking cloud
seemed to be approaching for a mo
ment; then the whole sky appeared
to be boiling-cloud ran through
cloud one moment the heavens would
be as dark as q starless night, when
through the boiling mass Of angry
foam q flash Of lightning would dart
with such binding velocity as to
light up and show the fury of the
approaching storm. Soon the dis
tant murmur Of the wind could be
heard az it struck the forest south Of
the city. Business men left their
stores, shops and Offices and ran for
their homes. On each c~ountcnance
as men hurried to and fro was pic
tured uncertainty and fright,
As the sounds Of the rapidly ap-
preaching storm grew more destinct
the true state of affairs was soon dis
covered. At a quarter past five a
large clond the shape of an hour
glass, made its appearance in the
southwest. Every moment it would
dip toward the earth with the speed
of an arrow, while in its center could
be seen whirling the objects it had
gathered from the earth. When the
cloud struck the forest, the strength
of the wind was soon discovered by
the leaves and branches of the trees
that came whirling through the air
over the city. The scene the mo-
ment the leaves and branches came
into the city, as stated, is beyond
our power to describe. There was
one continual peal Of thunder, while
as one looked out over the city to-
ward the south, the air seemed TO be
full of boards, shingles, falling CHM
neys, summer kitchens, outhouses.
sidewalks, wagons and wearing ap-
parcl. Even outside the pathway
OF the cyclone the houses rocked and
groaned beneath the heaying wind
and binding rain, and as the proper
ty of our neighbors and friends came
laundering against the roofs and
sides Of our dwellings, the feelings
of those not directly beneath the
angry cloud which racked all it
touched were anything but calm
and serene.
But how of those in its pathway?
1t is difficult to imagine a more try
ing moment than some experienced.
Above the noise Of the wind and
singing claps of thunder could be
heard the falling chimneys on their
roofs, while their houses were rock
ing to and fro, plastering falling at
their feet and the quick swapping of
timbers overhead. The course Of the
storm was hear the southern part Of
the city, and consequently caught
here and there a house. which it
damaged more or less. Had the
course of the cyclone been through
the central part of the city the loss
of Life and property would have
been immense. But as it WAS the
escape has been truly miraculous.
In the city the heavy losers by the
storm we've j. T. Norton and Andrew
Woods. The experience of Mrs.
NHrton win long be remembered by
thatlady She saw that she was
III thc'midst of a severe storm, and
attempted to hold the door shut.
While thus engaged she felt tha
house fall ali around her, and in at.
tempting to run she slipped
through a hole the storm had made
in the floor and fell into the cellar.
In q second after she fell beneath
the floor the house lay a mass OF
ruins. The kitchen in which was Q
large stove was carried off and mos
of it has never been found. The
stove was picked up a number o.
rods from the building.
The house of Andrew Woods blew
down while his wife and children
We're i'll it. The children escaped
any injury, and Mrs, Woods got out
with a bruise on her head and Q
skinned limb. The escape of the
lady and her children was truly sur.
prising. The residence of G. p. Ben.
nett was moved off its foundation
about an inch and racked to some