The Hickman courier., 1889-07-19
THREE CYCLONES
Unite In Destroying One Little
Ohio Village.
Houses, Trees and Fences Leveled nno
Crops Ruined-The Loss VIII heach
We'll Into the Thousands.


ticulars Of the storm at Princeton, But
Ter County, eight miles east OF here,
have been received. Three cyclones
met and descended on the little village,
whirling Il skyward almost In tho
twinkling Of an eye.
The destroying winds came from the
northwest, west and southwest, each
division cutting a swath from 100 TO ib0
feet wide. The clouds. shaped like bal-
looms, rushed along, the tails dipping
every now and then TO the earth, and
his bhfsssa ass q n al oEssts elR
of way.
Herman Lutz. a Princetonian, says he
was sitting in front of HIS house Sunday
afternoon about 3:45 o'clock, AMI saw
the clouds coming. He knew their
meaning, as during the past twelve or
fifteen years cyclones have visited the
immediate neighborhood thrice, and
with the assistance of his wife managed
10 close the doors and windows on the
ground floor before the storm, which was
accompanied with heavy thunder and
vivid lightning, struck the town.
The three clouds seemed TO meet just
over the big brick school house. In a
moment the air was filled with flying
trees. portions of roofs, fences and
houses that we're broken into fragments
and scattered piecemesl in every direc-
tion. The disturbance lasted only
about two minutes, but in that time
damage TO the extent of fully $1,000 had
been inflicted and half the town wiped
out
The school house, valued at 81, 500,
was completely wrecked. only the lower
portions of the end walls being left
standing. The force of the storm may
be reckoned from the fact that the walls
we're fourteen inches thick, and they
were separated brick from brick. The
contents OF the building we're scattered
broadcast, and tree standing alongside
was stripped OF every branch and the
trunk twisted of about ten feet from the
ground.
The cloud from tho southwest seem
cd TO be the strongest and in its path
| up the little valley did immense damage
TO the standing crops. Kirk Condon's
barn was rendered roohesss, and the
cloud, bending slightly toward the north,
| barely missed the house and other build
ings on Clinton Clawson's farm,
leveling a big orchard not more than
| fifty yards from the house.
Striking the town, ii tore off the rooi
OF part Of John Lenhoff's house gut
ting the second story. Herman Lutz'
house was struck next, and the west
gable lifted of and blown clear over
the school house fifty yards away. His
stable and smoke house were blown into
kindling wood. Next door stood the
blocs sSep vs. kaRsaE iISaS ans Ss
sN:sasssN :sasN Vic only remains of the shol
were the foundations and the forge
while the barn had been lifted bodily
few feet north, and then dashed to the
| ground completely flattened out. The
frame house occupied by Ross Miiiel
was completely ruined leaving the
family homeless as were several others
The cloud from the northwest strucl
barn belonging to j. Simpson, unroof
ing it, and tearing up trees and scatter
ing fences. 1t completely demolished I
large frame dwelling belonging to Salem
| Clawson, the finest in the town. ane
damaged the building occupied by An
| drew Lebrich. This is the post-office
! A portion of the roof of Richard Blue,
house was torn Off, and that of the resi-
dence of Ashley Wallace was carried
away. The cloud from the west joined
the one to the south just west of tn,
town.
Leaving the stricken village the storm
took direction east by north and. up
roofing trees, scattering fences and de
stroying crops, reached Shakerville
twelve miles away. Its force was theI
almost spent, and but little damage wa
| done.
| The families that were rendered home
loss were taken in by their more fortun
ate neighbors. Strange TO relate no on'
was hurt. The cloud from the ives
struck the NJ. Il. Church just dippin:
over the top, knocking over chime!
and ripping of two or three rows o
shingles. Sunday school was in session
at the time, and panic was causet
among the children, but they wer,
quieted before any one was hurt.
The damage TO the crops will reacl
well into Ave agGrcs. Yesterday tn,
Princetonians were busy at work gather
ing together their scattered househol,
effects and repairing damages as bes
they could.