New-York tribune., 1896-05-26
AWFUL WESTERN STORMS.
MORE TOWNS BLOTTED OUT
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE REPORTED IN
THREE STATES.
CLOUDBURSTS AND TORNADOES.
WORK OF DESTRUCTION IN IowA-PEoPLE
SEEK REFUGE IN CAVES AND CELLARS. AND
MANY LIVES ARE SAVED THEREBY
RAILROADS SUFFER GREAT LOSS
PITIFUL INCIDENTS OF
PITIFUL INCIDENTS OF
THE STORM

\
PITIFUL INCIDENTS OF
THE STORM.
Des Moines. Iowa, Nay 25-A tornado swept
across Polk County and into the eastern end Of
| Jasper County between 1870 and IL o'clock
p. m. Sunday. There are about twenty now
! known to be dead, and at least as many more
/ seriously injured. number OF whom will almost
certainly die. The storm was in many ways
remarkable 1t appears to have started in
! two sections One from the north and
was tremendous wind The first trace is found
| about mile south Of Ankeny and twelve miles
north of Des Mones 1t seemed to be moving
| about due east when 1t began in serious force
! The first place at which it did serious injury
was at the home Of j. L. Woods. mile south
of Ankeny The other branch of the storm con-
| tributed the rain. 1t started nine miles north
! of the first and moved from northwest to south
/ cas-. following the Des Moines River The two
! divisions met two miles east of Ankeny, and
| here they developed first the tornado form fun
ne-shapei with tremendous force, and roaring
and electrical disturbances
TWENTY MILES OF DESTRUCTION.
From this point west for nearly twenty miles
the path of the storm is a path of destruction.
At Polk City and Ankeny considerable damage
was done at Bondurant much damage was DONE
but the serious loss OF life occurred from Bondu-
rant TO the northeast.
The storm, after the tornado conditions were
developed, swept across the country at terrific
speed It gave warning OF its approach to all in
its path until 1t got Valera. Jasper County.
where the most harm done. Here it came
with such awful force that people who saw 1t say
that tho great black funnel. hanging down from
backer heaven. tore across the prairie at
greater rate Of speed than the fastest train.
Nothing was left In it's path. For several miles 1t
passed through dense forest. Oak and elm
trees two fee. in diameter were torn up by their
roots or twisted Off. Where a human habltation
lay in It's pata. the destruction was instant AS
It approached the eastern part Of ite course 1t
strengthened
At ValerIa a little town Of COO people It wiped
cut almost half Of ths town. The people were
nearly all in the caves and cellars. but many Of
them did not ever have q warning until 1t was
too late Tho loss Of lie was remarkably small
considering the number Of buildings that were
wrecked ard the wond 'rfu escapes almost
withou; number.
The pat. covered ny the tornado proper is in
most places from forty 10 eighty rods wide. 1t
had an the remarkable features that tornadoes
are famous for. The first large building wrecked
was the Monarch school-house. of Bondurant.
PRECEDED ny AN AwFUL ROAR.
II had been a felrfully hot and sultry day
II ere WAS rain and thunder storm just In
advance ~ trc tornado. and while the wind
whistlinS through the trees and the rain beating
down In Sheet suddenly the awful roar that
every prair, farmer knows az the dread fore
runner of the tornado was heard. Another in
stant and the storm struck and then al! was
chaos Tn ,sc who heard il early saved them
selves by getting into their cellars or caves. In
other places whole families We're klllel or terri
bly Injured and ttcir property destroyed.
\ typical bit Of destruction was at the Bailey
home. northwest II Bondurant. There were ir.
the house nine peopl'. four of them were killc:
and the rest injured So badly that IT is doubtful
n any Of them will recover The house was on
"A high hill above the surrounding country. and
the funnel dipped down on IT, House. barns
outbuildings and grove were alike destroyed
Two minutes after the storm struck there was
no trace ~ house. save the cellar. and in it we're
piled the chimney and stove and half the furni-
ture Tho house was torn to pieces; the boards
into spllntcrs They scattered so far that
no trace can be found here and there for
"A mile east.
The bodies of the victims were found in the
oolds whore were ais, distributed the bodies Of
q dozen horses two score OF cattle and about a
hundred hogs.
This also was the experience al the home OF
Peter Bolenbaugh. mile further west. Mr..
and Mrs Boenbaugh both about forty-hve years
old occupied the home with little boy Tbeopm'
Ius Mayburn a neighb,r. The house was razed
so completely that no sign Of it can be seer.
The three inmates were killed. The% were no.
found until . o'clock ir the morning.
At Valeria where the worst damage was donr'
the etorr. struck first the house o' Charies
Phelan. a wealthy farmer. on the edge OF the 'own
phelan. his wife and three children were killed;
two or three others will probably die one OF
the daughters heard the roaring and got up to
arouse the family. She was pulled out ~ a room
through an open window and carried back In the
,oco os the storm about 100 feet. where she
was left on the ground unhurt She started TO
,he house to see 1t crumble to spnters before her
ewes. With 1t went the barns and sheds around
a,,d In another instant five in the family were
Titled The bodies were found in the ploughed
folds where they were In fearfully mutilated
condition and pastered with mud. Around them
were the bodies Of horses. hogs and cattle
SAVED by THE TORNADO CAVE
Al yaleria the station OF the Chicago Great
Western Railroad and the Methodist and Catho-
lie churches were totally wrecked ABOUT uozeh
business houses were blown to pieces or partially
wrecked The large part OF the population OF the
town went into the tornado cave In the middle OF
~. n,oce and got within its shelter few seconds
hafore the storm struck The storm spent Itself
about three miles northeast Of Valeria
As nearly complete list of the dead as can be
had IL as follows:
James Maxwell struck by lightning north or
pondurant: Mrs Robert Bailey aged sixty; LIZ
z,a Railey. aged nineteen; Joe" Bailey, aged
twenty-five: John Bailey, aged twenty; Mary
Raiey. aged eighteen; Peter Bolenbaugh, aged
6ftv. Mrs Peter Bolent augh, aged forty-hve;
Theophilus Mburn, aged eight; Charles Phelan.
onad forfv-fye: Susie Phean. aged eighteen.