The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-06-23
wOEFUL WIND.

A frightful storm, or series Of storms, swept
over large section Of the Northwest on the
18th and 18th OF june Grinnell, Iowa, seems
to have been the greatest sufferer, consider
able portion Of the town going down before tho
fierce wind. The loss OF life Ia the saddest
feature OF the disastrous visitation 1t Is be-
heved that upward Of 100 people were either
killed outright or fatally wounded. At Grim
nell alone the death-ron will reach nearly, il
not quite, 100. Nearly twice that number were
more less seriously injured, while the property
loss amounts to at least 300, 900. A corre-
spondent furnishes the following graphic ac-
count of the ravages OF the hurricane at Grin
nell and vicinity During the day the weather
had been unusually hot, and toward evening
Misunderstanding clouds hung in the northwest.
About 9 O'Clock deep &nd suLen roar like the
approach of several rapldly-moving freight
trans was heard but before the cause OF the
peculiar phenomena was surmised the storm
had burst In all Its fury. Striking the town
upon the northwest quarter, 1t cut sinu-
GUS path through the most beautiful resi-
dence part OF the town, carrying death
aud destruction in It's path. Every ANIMATE aud
inanlmate object was picked up in its relentless
grasp and hurled to death and destruction.
Houses were annihilated, fences obnterated,
tS,es broken of like straws, or in some cases
the trunks were left standing, stripped OF every
vestige OF foliage and peeled clean o. tue
bark, leaving but white monument OF the
fury OF the storm Sidewalks were picked up
and tossed about eacn particular plank
being converted into an engine of death III
the circing grasp OF the storm. In the light
OF the terrible damage done 1t seems almost
miraculous that there Was no greater loss Of
life. There can be but one way to account for
it. Many Of the village people were down town
doing the usual Saturday evening marketing.
The business portion OF the town escaped, and
in this way greater loss OF life was prevented.
The scene III the track OF the storm beggars
description. 1t was about half-past 8 O'clock
this morning when the special train from
Des Moines, in charge of Supt. Royce.
| OF the Rock Island road, and bearing
a corps OF physicians and relief force, arrived.
at thai time twenty-eght OF the de I'd had been
recovered from the debris In Grinpell alone.
| The hotels, school-houses and town hall were
converted into hosp tails In the town hall
alone were twenty dead bodies, ranging from
| the youth OF 1U or IL years to the III IN whose
hair had been frosted by age. All around We're
grief-strlcken friends and relatives, and the
spectacle was one calculated TO appall the stout
est heart. Tue wreck IN the early gray of the
morning was one of the most lamentable
signts presented to human eyes. The path Of
| destruction was through the town OF Grinnell
about 700 feet in width. On the outer edges OF
| the path the damage was the llghtest. For the
| space OF 205 feet III the center scarcely tree
or shrub escaped complete destruction. Houses
were picked up and thrown To the outer circle,
some to one side and some TO the other, as the
| freaks OF the wind prevailed. In some Asses the
| houses were removed, dashed TO pieces, scat
tered in fragments and foundation walls leveled
! to the ground. Nothing was saved oil the con-
| tents. Stoves furniture, pianos and ali the va
rious articles of household paraphernalla were
tossed about as though they were but chlldren's
! TOYS Articles Of bedding and upholstered fur
/ MIN mil
abiding-plsces. The handsome buildings OF the
| Iowa College were completely destroyed, one Of
| brick and another Of stone, entailng q loss
upon that institution of fully 100000.
The damage To the town cannot fall short of
500, 900 or $500, 900. Passing out of town,
| the storm struck freight train on the Central
! Iowa railroad, lifted it clean from the tracks,
and turned the cars promi ,cuousy around.
About a mile and half below Grlnnell il
struck west-bound freight on the Rock Island
road and removed every one OF the heavily
loaded cars, twenty-three in number from the
| track, leaving tue engine standing. Tue con-
/ ductor OF this train was fatally injured and has
since died. A brakeman on the Gen.
| trail train had his head completely
perforated with piece Of pine board.
Beyond the Rock Island train no serious dam
age was done until Malcolm was reached, a
small town twelve miles east Of Grlnnell.
| Here the work OF destruction was re-enacted in
all It's hideousness. The path Of the storm was
evidently much broader here, reaching out
/ to the south for pearly the distance of q mile.
The Presbyterian and Methodist churches were
demolished. Several business houses were
blown down and residences destroyed. Tncre
were eight lives lost at Malcolm and the imme-
diste vicinity. though the greatest devastation
was done III the country. THIS little town was
nestled nicely on geutle knoll To the south
and southeast iS beautiful valley, beyond
which is a stretch of undulating rairie Along
on this prairie were located many neat farm
cottages. There ID nothing left OF them
Standing in the streets of Malcolm, the writei
was shown the spots where the day before were
! located twelve comfortable farm houses About
half mile west OF the village Charley Wheeler
was killed. Mrs. Akers and her boy johnny
also lost their lives here. There is sad Incl
dent connected with the death OF Mrs. Akers.
| She had just closed her house In town for
the purpose OF making visit with friends
in Illinois. Last evening she and
her boy went over to Mr.. Wheeler's to pass
/ the night with his people, her husband being
absent in the mountains. She loft little glrl
with young friend IN town. Mr.. Wheeler's
house was destroyed. and Mrs. Akers' body
was found in ditch about ten rods away VITA
heavy beam of timber rastlng upon her, and a
| horrible cash across the side OF the head.
When.the reporter left Malcolm the girl was
| yet ignorant OF the fate OF her mother, and
was playing about the streets full of childish
| glee. About three miles southeast of the town
lived the Mcclure family of ten persons. But
one OF them had been found at noon, and il Is
| feared that death has overtaken them. Fifteen
miles south OF Brooklyna number of deaths are
| reported Considering the extent to which the
path OF the storm had spread when it reached
Malcolm, its fury Is phenomenal The debris OF the
farm-houses was scattered over the prairie for a
mile or more in southwesterly direction from
| the points at which they were located. The
! lumber splintered and fragments driven
INTO the ground with terrific force. Barbed
wire but recently put on was blown from the
! fence posts and coiled and twisted into divers
shapes. Telegraph poles were snapped asunder
! and spitefully stuck IN the ground. The dam
] age to property IN and around Malcolm Is estl-
mated ut 100000.
| The place where the storm first struck is not
definitely known. Northwest of Grlnnell great
| devastation is wrought and several lives are
known to have been lost, four being reported
killed in one family. At Kellogg, station east
! OF Grinnell, one house was blown down. AT
! Sheldahl several houses are reported destroyed,
and it was probably in that vicinity that the
first force OF the blast was felt. II there was
ever a case that calle1 for human sympathy II
Is the case OF these people whom misfortune
has 30 suddenly overtaken.
The cyclone entered town from the west and
skrted the edge OF the place, taking n north
easterly course until within about hundred
varia ~ the coileoe where IL yeered to the