The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-04
IOWA DEVASTATED
A Serious Cyclone Sweeps Across
the State.
It Carries Destruction to Every
thing in It's Path.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
Wires Down and Railroad
Tracks Washed Away.

sioux CITY, Ia, May 4.-Dispatches
were received here by the Sioux City
& Northern Railway Co. at 4:30 yester-
day afternoon from their agent at
Sioux Center, As miles north of here,
telling of terrible cyclone near there
in which number of people were
killed and injured and much property
destroyed. The wires where the
storm was were blown down
and telegraph reports are conse-
quently very meager. The first
dispatch received by the Northern
road said: ga cyclone passed miles
northeast of here at $50. A school
house near town was destroyed, the
teachers killed and number of chill
dren killed and injured, but have not
yet been able to learn exact number or
names. The whole country in the path
of the storm is devastated. The Sioux
City & Northern track between Perk-
ms and Doom is washed out for several
miles"
Dispatches from Sioux Center at $40
p. m. say three schoolhouses and at
least twenty residences and barns were
swept away. At the schoolhouses two
teachers and three pupils were killed
and many injured. Two women were
found dead about o'clock not far
from the point where one of the school
buildings stood. One man who ar
rived in Sioux Center late in
the evening reported his house
was blown away and his family killed.
He himself escaped and reports that
at least 200 or 800 people must
have been killed. Parties have been
sent out from Hull, Sioux Center and
Orange City, neighboring towns, but
their work is being carried on in total
darkness in the midst of a tremendous
wind and rain storm It is conse-
quently progressing slowly. number
of bodies have already been recovered,
although the exact number cannot be
learned. Everyone is violently ex-
cited and definite accounts cannot be
| obtained.
It is said Perkins, a small town be-
tween Sioux Center and Doom, was
directly in the path of the storm and
was almost entirely wiped out. The
wires leading to it are all down, the
railroad tracks are all washed out and
the wagon roads cannot safely be
| travelled over owing to the manner in
which they were quilted by the rain.
1t is consequently no easy matter to
reach it. Physicians have already set,
out from Hull, Orange City and Sioux
| Center, but are finding every conceiva-
BILE obstacle in their efforts to reach
the scene of the storm.
More definite reports were beginning
| to come in later as to the path followed
by the cyclone The storm originated
about ~ miles southwest of Sioux
Center. 1t moved from there in a
/ hco o71xr n nd
rectly through Perkins. Late last
evening news was received from Sibley
to the effect that a storm struck there
| about p. M, destroying the house of
John Watterson, killing Mrs. Waiter
son and iniuring Watterson and his SON
No names can yet be learned of the
people injured about Sioux Center and
| Perkins
The Sioux City & Northern train
which arrived at 10 o'clock yesterday
evening brought in several passengers
who witnessed the storm. They re-
ported thirteen dead bodies had been
brought into Sioux Center at 6 o'clock.
| They estimate fifty people must have
been killed. The Northern train bare
| Iy escaped a smashup in a washout
near Doom, but was stopped by section
men before it passed upon the danger
Gus territory.
The death roll, so far as now known,
is: Mrs. John Roster, Mrs. Post, Miss
Anna Marsden, Charles Marsden,
George Marsden, a child of A. Werhoff,
two children of L. B. Coombs, Miss
Mamie S. Haggie and five brothers,
and Jamison and two Roster children.
These deaths were all in the vicinity
of Sioux Center, The names of a few
injured near Sibley, where consider
able damage was done by the storm,
are known. Besides John Watterson,
who was killed by flying timbers, Her
man Belknap, farmer near Sibley,
was killed by lightning, and Mrs. Froy
and the Rossberg brothers were badly
hurt.