Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-06-29
An Iowa Town DESTROYED by
a Terrible Tornado.
People Manned and Killed and
Property Destroyed.
A College Annihil4 ted and Some Stu
dents Killed.

Saturday, June II, will be remem
bered as day of terror to MANY sec
tlons of Iowa from the fearful tornado
storms which swept over them. Be-
ginning in the central western part of the
state, crossing the Chicago and Rock
Island road near Avoca, in Pottawat.
tamie county; thence eastward and
south, crossing the Chicago and North.
western road between Arles and Mar
shalltown, then eastward to Grinpell,
and crossing the Chicago and Rock Isl
and road again at Malcom; thence
moving to the southwest. So far as can
be ascertalned, along this route the
same storm center moved, but with
unequal force. In Fottawattamie
county but comparatively little dam
age was done, beyond the leveling of
fences, trees, and telegraph wires. 1t
sW1rled with gathering powers until it
reached the line of the Chicago and
Northwestern road, when it began to
destry. Buildings were damaged, trees
broken, and miles of telegraph poles
| prOstrated
Passing on, it localized at about six
miles northwest of Grinnell, into one
of these funnelshaped concentrations
Of lightning, wind, rain, mud and de-
structiOn, which have come to be a
dread and terror. 1t swooped down on
that beautiful little city about $50, and
in less than fifteen minutes, swept
out of existence nearly 100 homes.
where all that culture and refinement
could suggest. For fifty rods wide in
the north part of the city, it is impos-
slble to conceive of destruction so terri
BILE and complete. Large and elegant
mansions were crushed to splinters, and
scattered over the earth. Everything
they contained, furniture, clothing, etc,
was likewise reduced to fragments. On
exoations. l have followed the tracks
of several of these tornadees, but never
found the debris SO little scattered. 1t
is usually carried long distances, and
in large fragments. But here every
thing was ground and pulverized on
the spot. The track of the storm con-
tains nearly the entire material of the
structures and their contents. 1t seems
to have had terrific explosive power,
and a gentleman who watched it from
favorable position says it was dense
black mass on the outer surface, but
the center was livid glare of electric
light heightened by constant expIo-
sions like hand grenades. 1t was on
this two blocks of most complete de-
struction of property that there was the
smallest damage to life and person; for
the people took refuge in their cellars.
There is the only place of safety in
such storm; nothing On top Of the
earth can stand up against 1t; and yet,
when going TO the site of dwelling
where the mother or father were
searching for som mething to save, if pos
sible, of what was their home, and they
would point to the spot in the cellar
where the family secreted themselves,
| it seemed impossible that they were
not killed, not space enough being un-
occupied by broken timber and debris
for single child.
The beautiful college grounds, the
pride and glory of the town and the
state, is desola.ion. The professors
dwellings are utterly destroyed or torn
and twisted into useless shape, and
their contents ruined. The three story
brick hall is fat, its walls having col
lapsed and fallen inward, burying seven
students in the ruins, all of whom were
safely recovered save one, III. B. Chase,
of Storm Lake. who died on Sunday.
Another student was blown out of q
third-story window eastward, landing
several rods distant, and receiving In
juries which caused death in few
hours. His name was Buggert, OF
Deep River. The roof of the stone
building, or Central Hall, was taken off,
and a portion of the northwest upper
wall, which, falling into the labora
tory, compounded the chemical
which ignited, setting fire to the whole
structure, and it burned up, destroying
the meseum, library, apparatus, musi
! cal instruments, and part Of Presl
dent Magoun's library. This building
cost $4,000; the brick cost $4,000
: The residences of President Magour
and Hon. ]. B. Grinnell were jus
ontside the track of the storm. anC
not injured. The college grounds arr
strewn with the splinters of houses
fragments of furniture, bodies of horses
: COWS and poultry, torn and borkel
r trees. The loss to the collage will no
r be less than $4,000 The total loss t,
the town will be over $500, 600. Although
, nothing definite is decided, yet Presi
dent Magoun said on Sunday that tn,
e work of rebuilding would be com
menced at once, and tempory omar
ters provided to open the Fall term
:, There are no funds, yet the officers ar
i confident they will be provided:
The death roll in Grinneil will reaci
over 80; at Malcom II; and at point
northwest of Grinnell, in Rock town
ship, Jasper county, 7; south of BROOK
. lyn, 2. 1t is likely it will be over 1OC
OF the wounded there are in Ginnel
nearly $50, nearly half whom are sc
: rious, and many fatal. Over 200 dwell
ings were demolished.
The wounded at Ginnell have bee
quartered at the City Hall and othe
> places, and are tenderly cared fol
Sunday night Superintendent II. I
Royce, as soon as he learned of tn
disaster, notified surgeons here, and 8
t points along the road, made up specis
train, and at midnight had arrived Wit