Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-05-28
A MISSOURI CYCLONE.

/ N0A0fa >o0ity visited Dy a SCOrm fnES
| Leaves Death and Destruction in Its
| Path-Homes Swept Away, People Killed
| and Crops Destroyed-AnA Awful story.
MEXICO, Mo-, May GA cyclone
| passed three miles northeast of Mexico
about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon and
| through the Bean Creek neigh borhood,
about miles from this city. 1t trav-
lied IL a zigzag direction northeast
ward'y and laid waste the country for
!" o. Il miles It was the most severe
,t''rsn that ever swept over this county,
| aT'd carried death and destruction with
It. The news of the wreck was
lrst received in this city about 5 o'clock
through call for doctors and help.
All the doctors of the town responded.
The first storm victims found We're at
the house of a Mr. Duffy. half a mile
south of the path of the cyclone, being
| the family of John Doerger's six in
number. OF this family boy six years
old was killed instantly. He was fear
fully mangled, almost beyond recogni-
| ton, and covered with mud. daugh-
ter about II years of age was fatally
| Injured, having a severe wound in her
| side, one leg broken and several severe
cuts in the head and body. Mrs Doer-
| ger and two more children were very
seriously and probably fatally wound
| ed. Mrs. Doerger presented terrible
| sight, with her head and face cut and
| covered with blood. Mr.. Doerger had
| cuts in his head, body and arm and is
probably internally injured. His house
was swept entirely away. The barn,
| too, was blown down and two horses
| killed.
At the house of William Stromberg
were found William Yostmeyer, wife
baby and little girl. They were all
seriously injured. Yostmeyer's house
and everything on his place was swept
away.
The next place visited was that of E.
B. Norris. There were found seven in
jured people. Miss Gertie Fletcher,
daughter of R. S. Fletcher. fatally
wounded, her skull being fractured and
her head laid open, including concus-
sion of the brain. She will die Caleb
Norris badly cut, but not seriously
hurt; Mrs. Caleb Norris seriously hurt
and their son and daughter very seri-
ously mangled, the daughters leg be-
ing broken and cheek cut to the bone
Mrs. Emily Seal widow, aged 60, fatally
hurt and dying. Grandma Norris fatally
hurt.
SOME OF THE VICTIMS.
All these latter were at F. S. Norris
during the storm, where the house was
swept entirely away. The cyclone
seemed to be most severe at this point.
The house, bedding and furniture are
scattered ever the fields for half a mile.
The house of Valentine Erd1e.
wrecked by the storm, caught fire. and
the debris was burned, including barns
and outhouses. No one was hurt there.
The residence of T. b. Ham was
blown down, but his family was saved,
going into the cellar. A horse was
carried half mile and dashed to death.
Thomas Worksman's house was swept
away.
The home of Boston Kunl1el was
swept away, the wind being terrific at
that point. Mr.. Kunkel was picked up
and thrown against a wagon and IN
stantly killed. His large orchard was
picked completely up and carried sew
eral hundred yards and deposited in the
creek.
A farmer by the name of Rogers was
also killed, and several others are re-
ported dead. though in the existing con-
fusion positive information could not be
secured.
The force of the cyclone was so great
that it blew barb wire fences down and
laid the wheat fields as fiat as if moved
at harvest.
A farmer named Crane, in wagon,
was caught by the storm and literally
torn to pieces.
Joe Bendall's house and barn were
blown down. Mr.. Kendall had a mar
row escape. He had just left the house
and gone to the barn. The barn was
lifted up leaving Mr.. Kendall I'M
harmed The mules in the stable were
not hurt. The barn was scattered all
over the nearby fields.
James billiards. house was blown
down. Frank Carriers barn was blown
down. Here there was moving ma
chine carried about a hundred yards
and literally tori to pieces. A large
iron roller, weighing thousand pounds,
was taken up and carried a hundred
yards and broken to pieces. A calf was
taken up and carried over quarter of
mile. Several horses were killed out
right. Twenty-Five chickens were
plucked clean of their feathers. A new
wagon belonging to Mr.. Kunlel was
literally torn to pieces, the spoles be-
ing twisted and broken.
EXTENT OF THE STORM
The cyclone swept on past Rush hill.
one mile north carrying destruction to
houses and feneing. All along the path
of the storm great trees We're torn up
by the roots and broken off.
The scenes at the places visited arc
heartrending in the extreme. At Mr..
E. 3. Norris T. S. Norris sat in a chair
with his baby in his arms He said:
''When | first noticed the storm the
wind blew at perfect gale. / was
holding the baby in my arms when tn
cyclone struck the house. was dashed
against the wall and the baby was car
ried one hundred yards and against
tree. I picked it up and went back to
the house to find my family strewn in
every direction" At this he broke
down and could tell no more.
The width of the cyclone was about
500 yards and as far as heard from.
about twelve miles long. The people
of the neigh borhood visited are mostly
Germans of moderate means and are
now in a deplorable plight. for their