River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-08-20
FURIOUS sIORMS.
Loss of Life and Destruction of Prop
erty by Lightning, Wind. Hail and Rain.


Loss of Life and Destruction of Prop
erty by Lightning, Wind. Hail and Rain.
COLUMBUS, Ind, Aug. IA terrible
wind and electrical storm swept over
this county about 3 o'clock Saturday
morning. There was one continued flash
of lightning. At Elizabethtown. this
county, the elements assumed the shape
of a cyclone, and the black clouds
hung apparently near the ground, and
whirled and twisted in a fearful man
ner. There were dazzling flashes of
lightning and loud and instant reports
from the electrical bolts, two of which
struck the frame residence of
Horace Trent and burned it to
the ground The entire upper story of
the fine brick schoolhouse was torn
/ away and the building rendered of lit
tie value. The brick residence of
Charles Sisco had one end and one side
blown into the street. His wife, hear
ing the storm, had just stepped into a
frame addition when the crash came,
and escaped uninjured. The l6-year-
old son, Ezra, was asleep in a bed near
the wall that gave way, and was buried
fatally hurt abont the head and breast.
The father was also hurt, but not
fatally. From the Sisco dwelling a
good-sized mirror was carried some
distance, and when found was not dam
aged The stables of Mrs. Carter and
James Burns were blown down and
two horses in the formers barn were
killed. The large grain elevator be-
longing to Ed Springer, the barn of
Daniel Burns. Il. c. Newsom's flour
ing-mill and the Christian church
building were badly damaged, and a
large number of fruit and forest trees
were completely torn to pieces A
horse belonging to Ed Springer and a
mule owned by Daniel Borns We're
killed by lightning The damage done
by the cyclone in the town cannot be
estimated Some three hours later a
very angry cloud appeared in the
southwest and moved east very rapid
", with continual flashes of light
ming and a continued roar of thunder.
When first seen by parties in this city
it was very low and rolling eastward.
but gradually rose before reaching
here. In the center of this city there
wasn't enough wind to lift ones hat
off, while some shade and fruit trees
were badly damaged in both the ex-
IRENE nor thern and southern parts of
the city. In East Columbus the
house of Charles McCalla was
struck by lightning and Mr.. McCalla
was so badly shocked as to paralyze
his left side. About 800 yards north of
the McCalla residence a COW belonging
to George Monroe was struck by an
electric bolt and instantly killed. 4
young man by the name of Carson, who
was sitting in chair in the door of
his fathers residence, was so badly
shocked that he became insensible, and
his physician thinks his nervous sys-
TEN has been shattered and his mind
injured.
VANDALIA, ILL.,, Aug. 17.-In Pope
township during the progress of a
storm a nephew of State Senator
team of horses that he was driving,
took shelter under tree, when bolt
of lightning descended, killing the
young man and both horses
HASTINGS, Neb., Aug. 17.-During
the heavy wind and rainstorm here
the Vulcanite roofing factory on Lex
ington avenue, together with the large
tower, was leveled to the ground.
The loss on the building and material
will reach $1,000. Cellars in one bust
ness block were flooded, damaging
merchandise to the extent of $1,000 or
$4,000.
DENVER, Col, Aug. 17.-Electricity
flashed around Denver Sunday night,
and as a result John Cunning is dead
and Dan Fitzpatrick. Dan Edwards,
Mike Fennells and John Tuck are
badly injured. The men were all EN-
ployed at Buns briclxyard, just outside
the ciOy limits When the storm was
at its height and the sky seemed
almost sheet of binding
light the men crawled into a
brick kiln for shelter from the rain.
Immediately afterwards there was a
roar that eliminated in a peal, which
shook every window in the city. Then
came lightning flash so intense as to
be blue, and Cunning fell forward dead
without a word. Fitzpatrick, Edwards
and Fennels were all struck on the
feet, but Fitzpatrick is the only man
seriously hurt. Tuck was half mile
away and was knocked heels over
head. All the electric roads stopped
running for some hours An extraor-
binary display was seen among the tel
egraph wires. Heavy rains and wash
outs occurred in the canyons west of
this city and railroad tracks are dam
aged. The sudden rise in the Fountain
creek above Manitou Satur lay night
proves to have been extraordinary. AT
narrow gorges in the Ute pass the
wagon road, 20 feet above the ordi-
nary level of the stream, was washed
out
KEAREEy, Neb., Aug. 17.-About 200
feet of the cotton-mill wall was blown
down by a cyclone Saturday night. 1t
is estimated that the damage will
amount to $50, 600.
PHELPS CITY, Neb., Aug. ia ter
rife storm visited this section about
o'clock Saturday night and lasted for
several hours. The rain fell in tor
rents, flooding the streets with foot
of water The wind blew down sew
eral houses. among which was fine
meat market and barn. The hail
stones, which were about inches
in diameter, killed several hogs and
| other small animals. The prospect for
a corn crop is ruined.