Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-04
TIE WINDS TERRIBLE WORK
Sioux County, Iowa, Swept by a
 FrightfuI Cyclone.
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Killed and Lett in the Wake of the Elements Covered by Timbers of Broken Houses.
 One Village Is Wiped Out.

Sioux City, Ia,, May 3.-Sioux- county.
 was devastated by a terrific cyclone this
 afternoon The storm came from the
 northwest and struck Sioux Center,
 small town forty-five miles north of this
 point, at 1 o'clock. Photographic reports from the scene of the storm are very
 meager the wires being down, but it is understood that a considerable number
 were killed and injured. The first reports
 were received by the Sioux City and Northern railroad from their agent at Sioux Center. The dispatch read; "Cyclone passed three miles northwest of
 here. School houses near town blown down. Teacher killed and several chil-
 dren killed and injured. Exact number
 and names have not yet been learned. Whole country in the track of the storm devastated. Sioux City and Northern tracks between Perkins and Doom washed out for several miles,"
 Dispatches from Sioux Center at 8:30 say that three school houses and at least twenty residences and barns near that place were swept away. At the school | house two teachers and three pupils were killed and many injured. Two women | were found dead about 6 o'clock not far | from the point where one of the school buildings stood.
 | One man who arrived in Sioux Center | late this evening reported that his house | was blown away and his family killed. He himself escaped and says that at | least 100 people must have been killed. | Parties have been sent out from Hull, | Sioux Center and Orange City, neighbor- | ing towns, but their work is being car l ried on in total darkness and in the midst of a tremendous wind and rain | storm. It is consequently progressing | slowly. number of bodies have al | ready been recovered, although the exact | number cannot be learned. Every one | is violently excited and definite accounts cannot be obtained.
 1 It is stated that Perkins, a small town l between Sioux Center and Doon, was | directly in the path of the storm, and
 was almost entirely wiped out. The wires leading to it are all down. The | tracks are all washed out and the roads cannot be safely traveled over, owing l to the manner in which they were l gulied by the rain. It is consequently l no easy matter to reach it. Physicians | have already set out from Hull. Orange l City and Sioux Center, but are meeting | with every conceivable obstacle in their | efforts to reach the scene of the storm | Help has been refused from here. but if l the same character of reports continue | to come in a train may be sent out.
 This evening news was received from | Sibley to the effect that a storm struck 1 there at p. m., destroying the house of 1 John Watterson, killing Mrs. Watterson l and injuring Watterson and his son. No 1 names can yet be learned of the people l injured about Sioux Center and Perkins. l The Sioux City and Northern train which 1 arrived at 10 o'clock this evening bsouglt l thirty passengers who witnessed the | storm. They reported that thirteen dead 1 had been brought into Sioux Center at 6 l D. m. It is estimated that fifty people | must have been killed. The Northern 1 train barely escaped a smash-up in a l washout near Doon, but was stopped by
 section men before it passed upon the l dangerous territory.