The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-10
LEFT DRATHMIHSWAKE
/ TORNADO CAUSES RUIN
IN MANY IOWA TOWNS,

Nearly Q Hundred Killed Outright
and Two Hundred dInjured-AV Vast
Amount Of Property Destroyed
Several Towns Swept Out of
Existence-A Path OF Devastation.
The worst storm CT wind, hail and rain
known IN years between 8 and II o'clock
p. swept over narrow strip OF country
600 miles long IN Iowa and everything in It's
path was laid waste by the hurricane which
In many places developed into regular
Cyclone. In the path Of the "twister" wero
left ruined towns, devastated farms and
several hundred dead and injured peo-
ple.. Starting about ten miles south
Of Spencer in Northwestern Town, the
storm OF wind at 8 O'Clock began its work OF
destruction. Taking everything before It It
swept across the State Just north Of Emmets-
burg and Algona. It touched only the
southern part Of Lincoln Township. and
thence passed eastward to Manly Junction
and into the southern part OF Worth
County.
The latest reports from the stricken dis.
trict Of the destruction wrought indicated
that the loss Of life was about seventy-hve,
the injured number, perhaps, 800.
SOmC VI ll0S0 uuEt Ho3O SApCSkSo W wv
and 1t was considered not unlikely that fully
100 persons would be numbered In the List
of the storms fury. The property loss Is
very heavy.
The fury Of the storm seems to have been
spent with the destruction Of Spring Valley.
In this place four persons were left dead.
some severely hurt, while the property loss
ls estimated at $4,000, the eresidence portion
Of the town lying directly In the path OF the
cyclone.
At Leroy. lying southwest, four were
killed and several fatally injured. The de-
struction OF property amounts to about S75,-
900. This Is q heavy blow to the village, for
Its chief business houses lie In ruins.
Fifteen miles north Of Mason City, Iowa,
four persons were killed outright and as
many more probably fatally hurt, while all
the buildings struck are total wssSEs; rec oSd the
East at Lowther, town OF about 100 per-
sons on the Chicago and Great Western,
three persons were fatally hurt and the
whole country for miles around laid IN
ruins. The loss in that vicinity will probably
be not far from 100000. Five miles north
OF Usage, Iowa, six persons were killed and
a large number hurt. The destruction OF
farm property is quite heavy.
West OF Mason City, near Britt, two per:
sons were killed outright, while north OF
that town some half dozen lost their lives.
Three miles north OF Wesley, Kossuth
County, ]. Binghau's house was overturned
and caught fire. The inmates had narrow
escape. The killed in that vicinity are N.
Castle and wife, J. W. Dingman, Mrs. Tweed.
mother OF Thomas Tweed two children OF
Tlonas Tweed, NJ. Schweppe and two chill.
dren, Fred French and two children, infant
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Eden, and Mr. ana MIS-.
Rockaw.
North Of Agona seems to have been the
scene of the greatest number OF deaths,
more persons being killed In Kossuth Coun-
ty than - any other one county through
which the tornado passed. Nineteen funer-
ais were held at Agona next day. ST.:
North of Emmettsburg, which seems to
have been the place where the tornado first
assumed dangerous proportions, Two lives
were lost. From there the storm went tear
ing across the country, demolishinS every
thing in its path. .
Fol the most part Of Its course II travelled
through farming district, Leroy and Spring
Valley, Mimi, being the only two towns of
any consequence that were damaged, but
even here the deaths were comparatively
few.
The fact that the storm went through g
part Of Spring Valley, and most OF the resi-
dents were not aware otits work OF destruc-
ton until the fire bells were rung, shows
what q narrow strip OF country was swept.
As the storm travelled through the coun.
try and avoided villages and towns, the
property loss Is largely confined to farm
buildings, and theso being badly scattered
make even an approximation OF the loss I'm.
possible, but conservative estimates place
the damage at not less than 81 ,oo0, 900.
Incidents reported from near Al9ona,
whence relief expedition OF surgeons and
others went out show the fury OF the storm.
The little town OF Cylinder, twenty miles
west Of Algona, on the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul Railway, was literally swepe
from the face of the earth.
About twenty-five miles north ofthat place
a family named Culden, four In number,
were all killed. The town Of Whttteman,
twelve miles west Of Agona, was unharmed,
but Robert Stevenson, farmer living four
miles north, was killed, and his wife fatally
injured.
Eighteen persons who sought shelter In
the house onthe Durant place were more or
less hunt. They were going home from the
county tair at Algona. ;
A little further on fourteen others were
huddled into the Begelmair house. Here
Carl Barrycke was badly hurt and his wife
was probably fatally injured. Charles Leo
and wife and i've children were blown away.
One OF the children was killed and the
wife badly hurt, and all Of the company who
6SCdpou ooutu WOfO LhJo3Oos Aoo "SHS e><AA
children OF Fred Pompe, In Fenton Town
ship, were In the house which was complete
" wrecked, but they were covered up by the
falling walls and NOT one Of them was hurt.
/, George W. Beavers, three miles north OF
Alsona, had Just resched home from the
+, fair. He got into the house with his vile
and two children and an adopted boy, and
was just going down cellar when the torna-
do struck the house and demolished It COM
pleteIy. The whole family was carried with
Inc, ruins about four, rods into the, road.
Beavers had the baby In his arms, and with