The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-06-23
The Recent Wind. Storms.

Great destruction to life and property has
been caused by the recent tornadoes in
Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Texas,
etc., and fearful accounts are given by tele.
graph of the doings Of the wind storms in
many sections. Rain and hail storms Of
great severity accompanied the cyclones in
several instances. A Topeka (Kan.) dis
patch states that in the vicinity of Solomon
City, in Dickinson County, on the Kansas
Division of the Union Pacific Railroad, hail.
stones fell in great quantities, and of large
size, some Of them actually measuring ten
inches in circumference. The storm ex-
tended over a strip of fine farming country
about four miles wide and six long, the di :
rection being from the northwest to the
southeast. In this district everything in
the shape Of crops Is wiped out, including
the fine fields Of grain which were lust ready
for the harvest.
A newspaper correspondent, describing
the scene near Olivet, Kan, says: A horse
was lifted out Of his stable and carried over
high hill and dashed upon the ground in a
corn-field mile away. Cattle were lifted
from the ground, carried into the air and
dashed to pieces. Powell's fine orchard
was totally destroyed, trees being torn out
Of the ground and twisted In a thousand
fragments.
Miss Tweed found the works of her gold
watch quarter of mile from the house.
Everything was carried away. The furni-
ture was all destroyed. The bed-clothes
and wearing apparel entirely disappeared.
Miss Tweed's clothing was torn off, and she
had not single dress left in the world. Her
trunk was lifted out Of the house and carried
of, and could not be found.
Several persons were killed outright and
many others seriously injured, while the
destruction to buildings and other property
was very extensive. In many cases the
debris of each building destroyed was scat
tered over acres Of ground, and in some in
stances fragments were found a mile from
where the building stood. Articles Of house.
hold goods were smashed and ground into
atoms, and bedding and clothing whipped
into rags and shreds.
A Burlingame (Kan.) dispatch of the 18th
says:
"One incident OF the cyclone will give
some idea of it. At the residence of II. NJ.
huStAl uls ILilOS udO JUST UTlNcu
up and hitched his team. Mr.. Austin had
an underground cellar away from the house,
to which he sent his family. Austin and
Hammond remained at the house. Seeing
the storm-funnel coming directly for the
house, both ran and tried to reach the eel
lar, but failed. Austin fell under hedge
and held on to the roots. Hammond fell ut
fence-post and hung to it. The wind
thrashed the ground with him several times,
but he and Austin escaped with only bruises.
Hammond's buggy went with the house,
and has entirely disappeared. The two
horses remained hitched to the post
uninjured. For fifteen miles in the most
densely settled and best part of Usage Coun-
ty the cyclone. cut swath of desolation and
death. Entire farms have been stripped Of
buildings, cattle, and much of the vcgeta-
ton. AT one place only piece of tire foot
long and hub was left OF lumber wagon. -
Many incidents similar to those above re-
corded occurred in other localities where
the storms prevailed, and great and wide.
spread destruction to life and property is
the story told from all the wind-stricken
regions.