The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-07-16
THE STORM LENaR8.

near Lemars, Iowa, writes him
graphic sketch of the storm which
passed over that portion of Iowa few
weeks ago, portion Of which we copy
below:
Te describe it best would be a broad
swift. moving river filed with 'eddys."
So this was y broad river of wind or
of them, and whatever one of these
granery roof was as strong rs any in
north side of it and left the cOrnices
boards, rafters and shingles into fine
kindling wood and "drizzlcd'' along
for forty rods, while an empty corn
crib 20 feet away with hay on the top
on some poles and held there by one
pole, was not touched, scarcely a spear
Of hay moved, and the stable 10 feet
though terrific. did very little damage,
liza and Eva to hold our west door from
storm Wadsworth and Amelia came
here before the storm, thinking it
would be safer place. We were in
bed when they came and would have
been ''caught napping'' by it if it had
not been for them, and it the door had
burst in the damage would have been
greater. When the straight wind got
into I: house it had to get out some
where. Crowley's deor went in and a
window went out the same moment
and the roof parted at the peak; anoth-
er q new and strong house, when the
door went ir the whole north side
went out bodily, but if the ''tempest"
was SO great that no hurt was done,
were what did the mischief generally.
Of course there are lots of condolences
and strange freaks in each locality,
some tragical, some comical. One
bcightor and wife jumped out of bed
and struck for the cellar. He went in.
She thought of her Jet dog and while
hunting for it house, woman and dog
went flying through the air. while the
man sat two "mortal" hours in his
cellar drenched with rain, clothed in
his shirt. Of course the darkness of
itself WAS appalling, and added to the
other horrors was worse than that.
When it was over people started on
horse back and on foot to the ''neigh-
l,Or's' to see who was hurt and every
one was astonisl!ed to find themselves
alive and unhIrt when it was dohe.
Was much scared? No, not exactly.
though after the storm had lasted
more than ten minutes 1 made up my
mind that much damage would be
done. When half hour was passed
and it still increased thought clean
sweep would be made and when the cy-
clone struck the granery and the floor
of the house danced so that it made un.
steady walking, gave up all as gone;
for in addition to the Niagara Falls
roar of the tempest was the clatter of
sticks, boards, &c. striking against
the house. The outside cellar door
flew open. cracked and smashed and
pandemonium was let loose and SO
dark that the form of the grove could
not be seen against the sky. Then like
the Turk l said: God is Good''-but l
didn't say. land Mahomet is his proph.
et" When Wadsworth got home his
stable was totally gone and two Of his
horses fast to the hitchinQ plank un-
hurt, his cow and calf nearly covered
with debris, mare and colt gone, pig
pen gone with its ''contents, !" the west
door Of his house blown In and the east
blown out. and contents thoroughly
mixed and scattered. A big log chain
was picked up off the ground ard car
ried 70 rods away. a barrel full of wa
ter carried 100 rods, while an empty
tub sitting by the side OF it was not
moved, and outside of the work of
gathering up his loss was not five dol
lars. Unlike my roof, which was lit
orally ''chawed up" my nearest neigh
aor, Crowley, was swept clean; his gra-
merry. stable, cowsheds and machinery
torn all to pieces, wagon broke, in fact
all gene but his house and that badly
wrecked. and probably his insurance
faulty. Ny whole loss was replaced by
SIS.