Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-07
SATURDAYS STORM
DID MUCH DAMAGE
Two Fatalities Are Reported Near
Sheldon There May Be
Others.
0'BRiEN COUNTY IS HIT HARD
Only Touched Southeastern South
Dakota Points With Linn
tied Damage.
0'BRIEN COUNTY IS HIT HARD
0T0 AND SMITHLAND VISITED
Farm Houses and Barns Are De-
stroyed---ItepOrts From other
Points la the Storms
Path.

avn
Sioux City, May AS the details
Of Saturday nights storm come in 1t is
found that the damage has been CON
siderable in places and much more
than at first thought.
Maurice, Ia, May This town was
visited by a destructive tornado at 4:ij
Saturday evening, but no fatalities re-
suited. The funnel shaped cloud ap.
preached from the southwest. It's
fearful roaring gave the citizens ample
warning, and most Of them had sought
refuge in storm cellars or caves when
the storm broke in its fury. In the
northwest part of the town the most
important structures lcyelcd to the
ground and totally destroyed are the
following: Sioux City and Northern
depot, st. Paul and Kansas City Grain
company's elevators, valued at about
SO, 1000, insured. The elevators con
tanned about 1,J0O bushels of wheat
and the same mount of corr and oats,
which will be saved with but little loss
Three ears containing nearly ZOO
bushels of wheat had been loaded and
were billed for shipment. These ears
were overturned, but the wheat will
all be saved, with probably the loss OF
100 bushels. The elevator is owned by
the Sioux City and Northern railroad
and leased by a. ID. Thompson d Co
| The building is ruined. IT contained
no grain, as il was not being operated.
The dwelling house Of j. Nicely was
destroyed with its contents. The resi-
dence Of {. Van Gorkam with contents
is q total loss.
There were many minor losses, those
of most importance being the destruc'
ton of a box and q stock car FOR the
Northern railroad, considerable dam
g to their water tank and stock
yards and the killing Of several head OF
horses, hogs, etc.
When the work Of destruction had
been finished in Maurice, the storm
continued in a northeasterly direction
until it came to the farm house Of Hen.
nv Duvan, one mile from town. The
house, together with the barn and
farm machinery, were lcyeled TO a mass
of ruins. The family escaped to the
| cellar and were unhurt. The storm
continued on it's course, demolishlng
barns and outbuildings. until last
| heard from, Il mile west of Sheldon.
where the greatest damage is said tc
have occurred.
The only person hurt here was an
aged man, Isaac Van Gorkam. He was
pinned for a time i'm n cellar by falling
timbcrS. His injuries are not OF a Sc
riouS nature. The shock to his nervous
system ON account of his age at first
promised to prove serious, but he Is
now considered out of danger. by 4
fortunate providence each family in
the path of the storm was provided
| with q storm cave or cellar, and these
| were taken advantage of in time.
The depot will be rebuilt at one and
at least one Of the elevators will be
reconstructed. The most of the dwell.
ings DESTROYED will be replaced with
better ones. The work Of clearing NJ
the debris has been energetically pros,
ccuted, and those who lost their al
have been provided with temporary
quarters, and will he well cared for
The town today has been visited by
thousands from adjoining towns anc
country to view the destruction.
O'Bricn County Suffers Severely
Sheldon, Ia, May "a large amount
of damage was done by the storm Sat
urday afternoon. The tornado seemed
to be in three parts. That coming
from the southwest demolished
O'Kanc's farm house and barn, the
family barely escaping into n dugOut
Their n%cighbors, the Bronlis, across
the road. IA family of eight, had two
children sick with measles, who could
49,. l.. ln,,r.,1 M, utn,,,, CA rI1.lr ih,
house, tearing a child from the moth
er's arms and landing the little II on
in the field unhurt. Most of the fam
ily were badly cut and some had bone
broken. One of the boys who was sicl
was landed about ten rods from the
house, right side up on his bed, with
out a scratch.
The storm worked on northwest Il
Alex Persons, where the house wa
turned around, the barn demolished
and a horse killed.
Next it passed to Henry Weeks
where only the barn was smashed will
sixteen head Of horses, none of which
were killed.
At the Evans place the house was
wrecked and the barn blown over. NJ
one was hurt. Evans lives one mile
west of town.
The city pumping station was mex
in the path, but only the barn of th'
superintendent was destroyed.
Another branch of the storm wen
south of here eight miles, killing TIVE
children of Mr.. Lemkahls.
East of here three miles the storm
struck the Bonderman place, breaking
an arm and leg of Bonderman, junior
Reports are coming in slowly. Al
the physicians of this place were il
the country all night in attendance
upon the injured persons. There wa
very little warning Of the approach
iug storm. \ heavy rain followed
The st. Paul passenger train wa
stopped two miles north of town til
| Me storm passed. No damage was done
to the track.
At OTTO and Smithland.
Otto, Ia, May 2.-As was briefly re
ported yesterday, Otto was among tn
places visited by Saturday evening
tornado. The storm began about A
with terrific rain and hail, and at 81
the dreadful funnel shaped cloud wa