The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-04
A PATH OF RUIN.
Awful Devastation Done by
Cyclone in Sioux
County, Iowa.
OVER A HUNDRED DEAD
Numerous Children Among the
Victims - Enormous FL
nancial Loss.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa, May A. 1S95-Prob-
ably one hundred people We're killed by
the cyclone that passed through Sioux
County from southwest to northeast an
hour before sunset yesterday. Half a
secre of prosperous little hamlets were
touched by the flying storm and hundreds
of farms were laid waste. The territory
devastated is as rich and populous as
any N Iowa, but the storm mainly kept
clear of the railroad tracks and tele-
graph lines. It will be many hours be-
fore the extent of the ruin is known or
a full list can be compiled.
A Ditiful feature of the disaster was
the number of youthful Ives crushed out
by the cruel wind Four school houses
near Sioux Centre were destroyed while
school was in progress and at each one
from three to ten children were killed or
injured.
Many of the children were carried
from a quarter to half a mile before
they We're dropped. Two little daughters
of John Kcster. a farmer near Sioux
Centre. We're picked up as they were leav-
ing the school house and dashed into
a wire fence and both killed. Two sons
of c. H. Haggie, at the same school
house, had Their legs broken. and re-
will die. Mr. Haggie's house is near
the school, and, although ne escaped,
his daughter was so badly injured that
she cannot live. The parents of many
of the children escaped the storm, and
are nearly frantic with anxiety to learn
whether their little ones are dead or
alive
The towns of Sioux Centre. .Ireton.
Orange City, Perkins,. Deem Hull, Shell
don, Alton, Ashton, Sibley and Lemars
We're almost directly in the path of the
cyclone. Fatalities have already been
reported from Sioux Centre, Ireton
Orange City and Perkins. How many of
farms between these little towns met
death in the rushing wind can only be
conjectured.
The cyclone was followed by furious
wind and rain storm. Telegraph lines
are down throughout the county, and
railroad tracks are washed out in many
places. Up TO an early hour this morn
ing the fatalities in the various towns
are estimated as oilows:-Sioux Centre,
ten dead; sibIey, i've dead.
II is feared returns from the more
remote points and from the farms in
the country will double the death list.
f1icted can be made, but it will reach into
the, millions. A curious feature OF the
trio violence. Many deaths by light
ming are reported. Numerous victims
We're found lodged in the trees, where
they had been hurled by the storm and
So seriously injured that death is ex-
pected momentarily
Two grown boys who had come from
the field near Alton at the approach of
the storm were injured zrllil La in tia hara=-
yard, one seriously and the other fatally
and will die.
Wires were completely stripped from
the poles and in some places posts were
all taken from the ground. Horses, cattle
like chaff, and the country for three
quarters of a mile wide and many miles
in extent is entirely wrecked Where
fine residences had stood could be found
nothing but a cellar hole, and in some
cases a few twisted timbers, while strewn
on the ground were portions of the build
ings and furniture bearing not the least
semblance of their origina1 FORM and use
less except for kindling. Fields that were
as beautiful as green carpets with the
sprouting grain are now as bare as in
the bleak months of winter. Trees are
uprooted and all is desolation along the
trail of the destroyer.