The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-26
ANOTHER VERSION.

\ SIX IDWus, al Least, Are Rart1any
Destroyed.
OMAHA, May pa special to the
Bee from Des Moines says;
| Jasper and Polk counties were swept
sby a very disastrous cyclone last night
and today's sun showed the terrible
extent of the disaster. The storm,
which at first gave promise of nothing
more serious than a heavy rain, soon
developed into a tornado, rivaling in
force and destruction the recent lorna
does which devastated Texas and Kan
sas TX
As-far as can be sscartained at pres
ent, six towns were partially de-
stroyed.
They are Bondurant, Valera and
Mingo, on the line of the Chicago Great
Western, northeast from Des Moines,
and Ankeny, Polk City and Slater, on
another branch of the same railroad
running north from Des Moines. Bon
durant, Ankeny and Polk City are in
Polk county; Valera is on the line be-
tween Polk and Jasper counties, Mingo
is in Jasper county, and Slater is in the
southwestern corner of Story county.
WIRES GO DOWN.
All telegraph and telephone wires are
down in the districts swept by the
storms and communication is most diff
ficutt
The first intelligence of the storm
reached this city from Berwick, a small
station nine miles east of the city.
The railroad telegraph operators first
bulletin stated that Valeria and Bon
durant had been almost completely de-
G brow q
ern depot had been destroyed and that
at Valera. 800 feet of the track had
been picked up bodily and hurled into
mass of tangled, twisted iron, effectu-
ally stopping traffic from the north.
Trainmaster Sheehan at once sent out
word to have the track repaired as
quickly as possible. The train due
here from the north at $50 this morn
ing is expected to arrive here this af-
ternoon some time and until it arrives
no details can be secured.
THE FIRST FATALITY
occurred two miles east of Bondurant.
The house of Robert Bailey, occupied
by himself, wife and seven children
was demolished. Mrs. Bailey, Joe, aged
81; Lizzie, aged IS; and Joyne, aged
10, were killed outright. Mr.. Bailey sus-
tanned injuries that will probably re-
suit fatally
From this point the storm followed
the Great Western road to a, point
above Ira, in Marshall county, where
the last traces of it are found.
The town of Santiago was wrecked
and a family named Bolenbaugh, con-
sisting of father, mother and one child.
were killed. a number were injured,
but it is not thought any of the in
juries are serious
The next town in the course of the
storm was Valeria. 1t was swept al
most from the face of the earth. Here
a man named Phelan and his four
children were killed A large number
were injured. but as it is a point ten
miles from telegraph communication,
and all news comes by carriers, it is
hard to get definite information.
A dispatch from Altoona, east of here
says a courier reports that between
Valeria and Ira, the
LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY
is great. and that at present nine per-
sons were killed in the country and
their bodies brought into Ira 1t is
impossible as yet to get details from
there.
The best information, though, is that
the above death list is incomplete, and
lHdi thc hiiiSu HulifpcI just tWellty,
although this may be slightly increas-
ed by deaths among the injured in the
course of the day. At a citizens meet
ing called here a relief committee was
appointed. A train with physicians left
this city over the Great Western, fol-
lowing the construction train at 8
o'clock this morning, but on account of
track damage, etc, has not yet reached
Bondurant.
A severe storm struck west of Polk
City, in the north part Of this county
and on the Des Moines river. 1t