Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-05-02

Five persons at least were killed out
right three fatally and seventeen more
or less seriously injured and great de
struction of property was wrought by a
cyclone which passed over Clay county
Saturday night. The dead are;
Frank Peterson, wife and child,
Mrs. Ole Halverson.
A grandchild of Peterson.
The injured belong to the families of
John Morris, F. Wekin, Peter Anderson
and H. Gardner.
Passengers on the Rock Island train
from the northwest brought partial de-
tails of the cyclone.
It started about six miles south of
Clifton and went in northeas
rection for twelve or fifteen miles, then
lost its force by spreading. 1t passed
about halfway between Clifton and Nor
ganville. Its track varied from $50 yards
to quarter of mile in width. 1t tore
through farming community and left
nothing standing. Houses and barns
were wrecked, trees torn up or broken,
fences leveled and hay stacks blown in
every direction. The cyclone was fol
lowed by a terrific rain storm, which
lasted for several hours, flooding tn
devastated district
The cyclone took the people unawares.
There had been indications of heavy
rain all day, with local showers, but no
body expected a storm So far as learn
ed, the victims were in their houses and
the most of them had retired The storm
struck Peter Anderson's house at GRO
o'clock. This was about a mile from the
starting point The house was demol-
ished in an instant. Every memoer of
the Anderson family were injured.
When they had extricated themselves
from the debris they discovered that
Anderson's. gsandchild was missing. The
dead body - the child was found next
morning IN ravine half a mile away.
1t evidently had been carried there by
the wind.
Anderson alarmed the neighbors, who
lived out of the track of the Storm and
search was made for victims but little
/ headway was made in the rain. Couriers
were sent to Clifton and Morganvile for
doctors, but 1t was daylight before they
arrived, and the extent of the injury and
damage was known. At moor the next
day 1t was thought all the victims had
been found.
| A large MIN hey Of 4 a..
were killed and fruit in the storms
track was ruined.
Heartrending tales OF suffering are
told by persons who visited the scene of
the storm. Many of the injured lay all
night pinned down by wreckage or par.
alyzed in the mud, while others crawled
or hobbled across the country to a
neighbours house. In several instances
people were lifted into the air by the
cyclone and carried for distance and
then suddenly dropped, Buildings were
lifted up and then hurled 10 the ground
with force enough to demoish them
The wife and daughter of John Nor.
ris were reading when the shock came.
The house was divided. The women
managed to get out when the wind
picked them up, carrying them 700
yards and letting them down safely on
pile of straw just away from the
storms track.
The people for miles around today
gathered at the different points where
IL. IaI
assistance in every possible way. The
conductor on the Rock Island train said
that the track of the storm looked like
piece of ground which had been
leveled with a roller. Half dozsn tel
egraph poles were torn down when tht
cyclone crossed the road Telegraphit
communication between Topeka ant
:, Clifton was cut off from the hour o
:, the storm until 9oclock this morning
1t was expected much damage was dom
in the vicinity of Palmer, Washington
1 county, but the details cannot be learned
). Kansas Cit April 26-A special to the
h Journal from Clay Center, Kan, place
n the number of Killed in last nights cy
e clone at eight There are rumors o
other deaths south and west Of Clifton
A and ii is feared that when communiea
q ton with the stricken towns is reestab
. lished, that the los Of life will be shown
e TO have been great. The wires 10 mau1
Is points are down and but mcagre detail
are obtainable. Tie pecuniary loss ives
e of Clifton at one point is estimated a
Il $4,000, indicating that the total los
IS will aggregate high.
II The Journal correspondent gives In
: following list Of killed: Frank Peterson
II wife and one daughter; Julius Trembley
n Jesse Ham, Mrs. Halberson.
II Injured: Daughter OF Frank Ptersor
y cannot live; Frank Wilkinson, came
: live, the entire family OF John Morri.
as badly mangled; six children of Eli Bal
Is thazar, more or less injured.