The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-05-30
TERRIFIC IOWA TORNADO
Estimated That Fifty Lives Have
Been Lost.
Bondurant, YaIeria and Ankeny
Suffer Severely.
Des moines Council Meets to Plan
Aid Measures.
The Cyclone Burst Upon the Coun-
try About Nine O'Clock Sum
day Evenins-Polk aad
Jasper Counties
Devastated.

Des Moines, May 25.-The most alarm
Ing reports are being received here this
morning respecting the cyclone which
swept over Polk. Story and Jasper u
ties shortly after midnight last night.
Owing to the almost total prostratIon
of Geographic and telephone wires, 1t is
not possible to verify the reports that
have been received. but the Indications
are that the casualties will reach fifty
killed or injured. Fourteen persons are
reported killed in the three towns of Va
lerla, Bondurant and Ankeny.
The w latter towns are In this tPclk)
county. while Valera is in Jasper coun-
ty directly east.
30 far as heard from, Slater is the
only town In Story county which suf-
Tered, bu as there Is no mea of COM
munication with that section this morn
ing, there is every probability that res
toration OF telegraphic communication
will bring news OF disasters as yet unre-
ported. Nc details have been received
from Slater further than the bare state
ment that the whole town WAS de-
stroyed. The same report comes from
Polk City, this county.
Worse Than First Reports.
Later-A telephone message from Ber-
wick says hat a courier just in, reports
twenty-four persons killed at Bondu-
rant, five at Valeria and three at An
keny.
The situation grows worse as anthem
tic news comes from the cyclone dis
trict. AT Vaieria it is now known that
fifteen people were killed, the number
being first placed at but five. Most OF
those killed were In the depot Of the
Chicago Great Western road, some Of
them having Just alighted from a train,
and others having taken refuge there
from the rain. The depot was literally
blown to pieces. The west bound pas
senger train escaped the cyclone but a
few minutes. Had it remained at he
station five minutes longer. the list of
killed would undoubtedly have num-
bered scores. AS 1t was, the train was
uninjured.
A dispatch from Santiago, this county,
says the storm was Unprecedented in its
fury In that section. Three miles west
of the town a house was lifted bodily
from the earth. carried some distance,
and thrown to the ground a shattered
wreck. The entire family Of occupants
were killed. The roads are almost I'M
passable from debris.
A messenger from Bondurant, who ar
rived at 9 o'clock. says tina a church at
Ankeny was blown down and several
persons were hurt. The town of Gran
ger was badly wrecked. The number
OF farm houses wrecked between Va
leria and Bondurant is very large.
Mayor MacVicar of Des Moines has
called a meeting at the coun-
Gil chamber to AXE active
measures for the relief OF the sufferers
and a number of collins have been
shipped to Bondurant. via Hermick,
which is the nearest accessible point. r..
G. Scott is one of the killed at Bondu-
rant.
At Bondurant, the Bailey residence
was wrecked n Mrs. Bailey, her son,
daughter and nephew were killed out
right. Mr.. Bailey is dying. The north
ern part OF the village is destroyed.
The cyclone caught up the house of
Peter Bolenbaugh. north of Santiago,
and as yet no vestige OF 1t has
been found. Mr.. and Mrs. Bolenbaugh
were found In a field a hundred yards
from the house, entirely nude and dead.
them, yet further way, was crushed al
most to a pulp.
AT Valera, Charles Whalen's farm
house vas demolished and himself and
wife and three children killed. Others,
swelling the number to eleven. were
killed, but names are not obtainable.