The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-26
SCORES MEET DEATH.
from First Page,

rails were twisted and bent out of shape
The town was almost completely ruined
The buildings were demolished when they
stood in the full force Of the storm and
those which stood along the edges of the
storm were moved and twisted and IN other
ways injured. A schoolhouse was taken
away bodily and the fragments Of 1t have
so far escaped discovery. The family of
Charles Phelan seems to have been the
greatest sufferer near this point. 1t was
literally wiped out Of existence, together
with all its possessions. A pitiful story is
told Of how two children tried to hold the
door against the storm until the house was
lifted up bodily. There were some strange
FRANKS played near this town. An old man.
holding babe. was lifted up and dropped
In an adjoining field without the least in
jury being done to either him or the child
Leaving the wrecked town, the storm
moved forward, laying the country bare.
wrecxing houses and killing the inmates
One observer near Valera, who saw the
storm and observed it carefully, says that
the cloud appeared to be a high balloon,
dark green in color, with light streak in
the center. 1t travelled at tremedous rate,
tearing up the largest trees by the roots or
stripping them clean of limbs and bark,
driving posts into the earth and twisting
buildings in the edge of it's track end first,
scattering the houses close to it with mud
and sand. stripping hedges and licking the
grass from the fields.
From Valera the storm moved on, pass
ing near the town Of Mingo. At Ira the
cloud did its last damage in Jasper county.
Some Of the spectators say that the cloud
divided. others that it was lifted upward
or sped on in md-air with frightful noise.
The latter theory is probably the correct
one. Later in the evening a tornado seemed
to have struck near Manchester, In Della
ware county, although reports are still very
meager from there. 1t is possible that that
was the same storm, and that. after travel
ing hundred and fifty miles in the air,
it once more dipped down to the earth AMI
laid bare a strip half a mile wide and six
or eight miles long. There were serious
disturbances in northeastern Iowa, and they
may have been in the wake of the same
cloud, crossing the Mississippi river in Clay
ton county. The weather bureau is attempt
ing to trace the progress Of the storm as
here indicated.
The total loss to property is hard to esti-
mate. The crops. which were ruined. can
be replanted in many cases. as the season
Is still comparatively early. The buildings
destroyed will aggregate from $4,000 to
100000. for, fortunately. only one thickly
populated Observation-Disclosures In its
path.
The town of Valerla, Ia. Is located on a
high hill and here the force of the storm
was most felt. Vaieria to-day presented an
awful appearance. 1t is a town OF about
two hundred inhabitants with the business
houses on one main street. This street is
blocked with rubbish The fronts of the
stores broken in and the interior drenched
with mud and water. The X. of p. Hall
and block with general stock on the first
floor was destroyed in queer manner. The
first story being smashed in and the second
story now occupying the site of the frst
story. The Catholic Church was complete
ly wrecked and the NJ. f. edifce was
showed of its foundation. The houses of
G. w. Lacey, Sue Philson. Mr.. Woods, j. NJ
Kearns. Mrs. Wales. Sol Mickey, Harvey
Pitcock. Charles Couch and three houses
owned by A j. Lawrence are in ruins
Those living in the country lost large guam
titles of stock of all kinds. Hogs, horses
cattle and all live stocks were killed at
all the farms and horribly mangled
The work OF clearing up the wreck
and caring for the wounded was carried on
rapidly and this afternoon order was restored
and the dead prepared for burial. The diago-
nal depot was struck and two sides knocked
out. The wires were all broken torn up
and bridge blown out The creamery build
Ing. owned by corporation OF farmers. was
totally destroyed school house has not