News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1893-07-13
The Western Storm.

of the western states last Thursday
evening, and which did SO much dam
age in Calhoun county, Iowa, is much
worse than was at first reported.
Scores of people were killed or badly
injured, and the property loss will
reach millions of dollars. 1t was one
of the worst that ever struck the
west; in fact, the path of the storm
is marked by devastation, whole
towns being well nigh wiped out and
crops ruined.
The storm was confined to the
northwestern quarters of the state of
Iowa, and in its worst form followed
very nearly the line of the Illinois
Central railroad from Lemars to
Manson, a distance of 100 miles.
Much damage was done to crops and
property east of Sioux City in Wood
bury county and counties east. Cher
okee, Ida, Buena Vista, Sac, Calhoun
and Pocahontas were devastated to
a great degree, while some damage
was done outside this territory.
Pomeroy, a town of 900 inhabi-
tants in Calhoun county, was practi-
cally destroyed. So persons were
killed, rs fatally injured, while $50
are suffering from broken limbs, cuts
and bruises more or less severe. The
town itself is one complete wreck
There is scarcely a house left stand
ing. Two hundred and fifty houses
in all were destroyed and the money
loss on these and their contents is
placed at 81 100000.
The storm broke about z o'clock.
Those who were watching say cloud
like column of smoke dropped to the
ground and gathered in strength as
it advanced toward the town. They
recognized it as a cyclone and gave
the alarm. Many sought shelter in
cellars and others mounted horses to
flee from the path of the destroyer
There was dash of hail, binding
flash of lightning and a deafening
peal of thunder. AS soon as the
storm struck all was confusion, and
it was several hours before the condi-
ton of affairs was known. A relief
train was sent out as soon as posi-
BILE over the Illinois Central road with
physicians, tents and provisions.
The town was in total darkness.
and the streets were filled with the
wrecks of homes and business houses.
The scenes were appalling, as men
with lanterns went about in the de-
bPis. In some instances entire fami-
lies were wiped out, the mangled re-
mains being found in the ruins OF
their homes. The cries of the injured
were heartrending, and the general
confusion was increased by the wall
ing of the survivors, who were separat-
ed from friends or who had relatives
in the wrecks The work of rescue
was slow, and the train load of help
made little Roadway.
The south half of the town was
RACED. There was no place to care
for the injured, and a church which
was Just outside the track of the
storm was turned into a hospital. The
surgeons worked there by the aid OF
lanterns and lamps Those with
broken bones were stretched upon
the pews, while others who needed
surgical attention were compelled to
stand or lie upon the floor and await
their turn. The dead were laid upon
the ground in a vacant lot at the
edge of the devastated district.
Through the narrow aisles left be
tween the dead bodies the survivors
passed, looking for lost ones.
In other towns the devastation
was general. At Fonda four churches
were wrecked and a number of resi-
dences literally reduced to splinters.
Fires were started in three localities
by lightning. The storm center APP
peared to pass four miles west of the
town, where for many miles nothing
was left standing. Several lives were
lost.
In the vicinity of Cherokee the cy-
clone cut a swath of from one to
three miles wide Many of the iniur-
ed have been taken to Cherokee and
placed under care of physicians.
Houses, barns and fences were strewn
over the valley for miles. Hundreds
of acres of crops are utterly ruined,
and probably five hundred persons
in the farming community are home
less.