The herald., 1895-05-04
Great Havoc Created by a Tor
nadO in Nebraska
MANY LIVES WERE LOST
One Little Town Was Completely De.
vastated
School Houses Blown Down snd Number of
Teachers and Pupils r1et Death-Traii
of the Storm

OMAHA, Neb., May 3.--A special to
the Bee from Sioux City. Ia, says dis
patches received there by ths Sioux City
and Northern Railway Company at 4 80
this afternoon from their agent at Sioux
Center, forty-five miles northeast OF here,
telling of terrible cyclone near there in
which a number of people were killed and
injured and much property destroyed.
The wires were blown down and tele-
graphic reports are consequently very
meager. The first dispatch received by
the Northern road said the cyclone passed
three miles north of there. School houses
near the town were destroyed and teach
ers and number Of children were killed
and wounded The whole country in the
path of the storm was devastated. The
Sioux City and Northern track between
Perkins and Doom was washed out for
several miles. .~~
Dispatches from oioux Center at $3.50
tonight say three school houses and at
least twenty residences and barns were
swept away. At the school houses two
teachers and three pupils were killed and
many injured. Two women were found
dead about + O'Clock not far from the
poi1.t where one of the school buildings
stood.
One man who arrived 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, neighbor-
ing towns, but their work is being car
ried on in total darkness in the midst of
a tremendous wind and rain storm.
1t is consequently progressing slowly. A
number of bodies have already been re-
covered although the exact number can
not be learned. Every one is violently
excited and definite accounts cannot be
obtained.
1t is said that Perkins. a small town be-
tween Sioux Center and Doom. was direct
ly in the path of the storm and was al
most entirely wiped out. The wires lead
ing to it are all down. the railroad tracks
are washed out and the wagon roads can
not safely be travelled over owing to the
manner in which they were quilted by
the ram. 1t is consequently no easy mat
ter to reach it. Physicians have been
sent out from Hull Orange City and
Sioux Center, but are finding every con-
ceivable obstacle in their effort to reach
the scene of the storm. Help has been
refused from here, but if the same char
acter of reports continue to come in a
train may be sent out. No one seems to
know exactly what was the track of the
storm.
Later-Defnite reports are beginning
to come in as to the path followed by the
cyclone. The storm originated about a
mile and a half southwest of Sioux Gen.
ter. 1t moved from there in u north
easterly direction and passed directly
through Perkins, a small town six miles
north OF Sioux Center. After passing
Perkins. however, nothing was hear of
any damage. Later in the evening, how
eyre, news was received from Sibley to the
effect that storm struck there about
5 o. m., destroying the house of John
Watterson, killing Mrs. Watterson and in
juring Watterson and his son.
No names can yet be Termed of the peo-
pie injured about Sioux Center and Per-
kins. The Sioux City and Northern train
which arrived at 10 o'clock this evening
brought in several passengers who wit
messed the storm. They reported that
thirteen dead bodies had been brought
into Sioux Center at = o'clock. They
estimated that fifty people had been
killed. The northern train barely escaped
a smash-up in wash-out near Doom. but
was stopped by the section men before it
passed upon the dangerous territory.
The death roll so far as kno wn Isl Mrs.
Post, Mrs. John Roster, Miss Anna Mars.
den, Charles Marsden, G go rye Marsden,
d child of A. Verhoff, two children Of l..
B. Coombs. Miss Mamie s. Haggie and
five brothers, and Jameson, two Roster
children.
These deaths were all in the vicinity of
Sioux Center. The names of few injur-
ed near Sibley, where considerable dam
age was done by the storm, are not
known. Besides John Watson, who was
killed by flying timbers, Herman Belknap.
farmer near Sibley, was killed by light
ming, and Mrs. Frey and the Rossberg
brothers were badly hurt.
later dispatch says: 1t appears that
the storm origiated three lies northeast
of Ireton, passing in northeastern di-
rection, passing this town about mile
west and passing near Perkins. 1t first
struck the ground some miles mort h OF
here in the Coombs district and from
there to Perkins, distance of twelve to
fifteen hiles, not building was left
standing in the path.
The most unfortunate.th thing of all was
that its course was ON the section lines
of the school houses and so far two teach
ers are known to have been killed-a Miss
Anna Mar rsden and her brother. with from
one to four children at each school. -Four
school houses where school was in ses-
sion, were entirely wiped from the face
OF the earth, net a vesrlge left except a
few rocks to mark where they stood, and
the scholars carried from quarter to a
half a mile, where they were found,
some dead and others badly mangled. A,
the school house where George Marsde n
was teaching, not a vestige of the build
ing remains and Mr.. Marsden was
found some distance away in field dead
together with two scholars. Two little
girls of John Ebsten belonging to the
same school, were found clinging to.
gether where they had been driven into
wire fence, covered with mud, and are
expected to die. Two sons OF G. II. Hae.
gle. belonging to the same school, had