Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-07-01
The Iowa Cyclone.

A Grinnell Herald extra Of the 18th
contains the following account of the
cyclone that visited that and other
places in Central Iowa On the evening of
the 18th.
"The most terrific disaster in the his
tory of Iowa is the one Of which our
now desolate town of Grinnell is the
victim. The peculiar aspect of the sky
was matter of common remark on the
streets yesterday afternoon. An hour
or more before sunset the northern sky
was hung with conical, downward-point-
ing clouds the like Of which none Of us
had.e seen. After sunset, and even
after darkness was gathering, the west
crn horizon and the western sky half
way to the zenith was lurid and brilliant
and unearthly,-an ominous sight which
fascinated while it filed one with-defin-
ed dread, Almost ere the brilliant ap-
partition In the west had disappeared,
the storm broke. 1t was accompanied
with roaring like thunder, or perhaps
more like the rumbing of "a doxen heavy
freight trains. Chimneys, trees, houses,
barns, began to fly like leaves. People
took to their cellars.
The rain came in floods, as If water.
spout had burst, which in fact was prob
ably the case. The wind and rain and
binding lightning continued so furious
for near a half hour that it was scarce
safe for those whose roofs staid over
them, to open their doors; but the
damage was probably done IN very
few minutes, probably not more than
five. The northwest quarter of town
was laid fiat. The path Of the storm
was comparatively narrow, but scarcely
anything was left standing within its
limits. Word comes Of occasional farm
houses destroyed several miles west Of
Capt. Merrill's, but the fury Of the storm
was most terrific in the portion Of the
village north of Fifth Ave. Ii first Gu
tered the town from the west and
reached Main street 1t then curved to
the southeast, whipped up the college
building, and several houses on the east
side Of town. 1t then seemed to bound
into the air passing over Mr.. Shows and
Mr.. Perry's. 1t crossed the G.. r. l. &
p. about q mile and half east of this
city where it met westward bound
freight train which is completely demol-
ished. AS it passed south of east across
the country it demolished farm houses,
fences and barns, as far as we have been
able to trace il. 1t struck Malcolm in its
northern half and wrought destruction
as complete as in Grinnell. The track
of the storm center as it crossed the city
averaged about two blocks in width.
The damage outside that narraw track
was comparatively small, although in
this respect, the tempest seemed as
freakish as lightning 1t would OCCASION
ally dip down and catch up roof or
cornice, as for instance in the case of the
Hatch building and Child's livery
stable.
The storm seemed to have an explo-
sive force, not infrequently carrying out
one side or end of a house. Within the
space Of twenty feet one house would be
thrown to the west and another to the
east Most Of the buildings were crush
ed like egg shells and reduced to splin-
ters; few were lifted bodily and turn
ed round. 1t is marvellous that the loss
Of life was not greater than it was. The
storm came up with such roar that
many betook themselves to their cellars
This saved them, as their houses disap-
peared from above their heads. Even
the foundation walls in many cases were
brushed off even with the surface Of the
ground. A considerable number of
cows and horses were killed. Within
the space of one-half square near DR.. e..
b. Gruwell's six horses were killed.
Fowls had their feathers entirely strip
ped of, and the earth appeared as if
beaten and lashed with indescribable
fury"
In Grinhell "a people were killed and
over $50 wounded. The governor of the
state has made an appeal for contribu-
tons for the sufferers.