Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-06-22

IL.
The bodies of Mr.. Hopkins and his
wife We're found 100 yards north of
the house in his orchard after the
storm. They had been blown out of
the house by the wind, which, in It's
rotary motion, apparently whirled
them out of it's path as If angry at
them for not having placed an OBJ
struction in it's way.
The body of Mrs. Kelso was found
lying on a pile of debris near the for
mer site of the house. Anderson
Hopkins, the son of the owner of the
farm, lay near in the last agonies of
terrible death. Back in the orchard
holding to small sapling as if her
life depended upon the tenacity of
her grip, lay Ella Hopkins, an elderly
daughter, with her face and head badly
cut and her body bruised. Near her
little Carrie Kelso, granddaughter of
Mr.. Hopkins, was sitting on a stump,
dazed and motionless, as If she did not
realize what had happened.
The wind played strange pranks
around this house, apparently delight
ing in the destruction it was making.
The trees in the orchard north of the
house were torn up by their roots.
Their tops pointed in southwesterly
direction as if they had been blown
down by a wind coming from the
northeast. To the west of the house
the trees were blown toward the
southeast, the wind apparently re-
Stunning it's original course Not an
outbuilding was left standing. Bed
clothing, wearing apparel, furniture
and stock were scattered in every di-
rection.
Having demolished everything about
the Hopkins homestead, the death
dealing cloud sped upon the town. 1t
struck the first house in the extreme
northwestern portion. This was occu-
pied by Peter Christensen. Hardly a
vestige of the formerly comfortable
cottage was left. it being carried away
and smashed into such small frag-
ments that Mr.. Christensen could not
find even the Intel of one of his doors.
Again the storm seemed to desire
vengeance upon an unintentional OBJ
structor. Not only did Mr.. Christian
sen lose his home in Herman, but the
storm swept away his house and barn
on his farm four miles west of the
city, in what is known as Dane Hol-
low.
In the same yard with Mr.. Chris
Hansen was the home of Mrs. William
Bree. She had seen the storm ap-
preaching and had taken refuge, with
her daughter, Mrs. Louis Wachter, in
the cellar beneath the front porch.
Mr.. and Mrs. Christensen came and
Joined them, and it is to this desertion
of their home that the latter two owe
their lives. The Bree house was torn
from its foundation and twisted to the
south, leaving the cellar and its occu-
pants unprotected. A brick struck
Mrs. Bree on the shoulder, while sew
eral flying missiles fell upon Mr.. and
Mrs. Wachter, bruising and cutting
them quite severely.
Veering a trifle to the east, the wind
passed between the Bree house and a
dwelling across the street, leaving the
latter unframed, although it was only
fifty feet away. Right on this street
is where the storm spread Striking
the home of John Fitch on the corner
OF the street southeast of Mrs. Bree'
home, it commenced the leveling pro-
cess, its swath being two blocks in
width. AS if guided by hand which
believed in destroying everything pos
sible, it backed up a trifie, crossing
the back yard of the home of Mrs. J
G. Stokes, the first house on, the west
side OF the main street which was in
jured. Only slight damage was in
fiicted here, however.
Across the street from Mrs. Stokes
it struck a house where dinner had
evidently been ready when the storm
approached. The table was set and
even today the dishes are still I'M
touched. 1t was here that the Ander-
sons lived. They took to a cellar, &C
companied by Louis Claussen, which
proved so poor refuge that all were
injured, Claussen so badly that he died
several hours later after having been
removed to Blair.
The rest of the citizens between Sew
enth and Second streets felt the full
brult of the storm. Across from John
fftch's place, west of West street, his
barn was RACED, not single shingle
being left. A little further south on
West street the home of Mayor Z. w.
Burdic had the roof lifted off the east
ern wing. 1t was not far from this
point that, Postmaster w. S. Richards
lost his life. He sought safety in a
cellar, but it proved his tomb. He was
suffering from chronic asthma and it
is believed that this, augmented by
the terror of the occasion, was the
cause OF his death, as there were no
marks upon his body whan he was
found.
Another was so seriously injured in
the heart of the city that he died lat
er. He was T. ]. Hines, a contractor
from Blair, who had come to Herman
during the afternoon to attend to some
business. He was caught under some
debris which fell between two build
ings and injured fatally. He was re-
moved to his home in Blair, where he
died this morning. Mr.. Hines was for
merly a resident of Omaha, where he
was we'll known and highly respected.
He came to Nebraska early in the SOS.
With the exception of the Central
hotel and a residence a block north
not single building was left standing
in the heart of the city. Both these
buildings were fairly Quilted by the
| wind. The storm came just as the
| evening meal was being served at the
hotel. In fact, two guests were at the
table when the proprietor, NJ. J. Ken
yon, entered and advised them to &C
4 company him and his family to cave
until the danger had passed. In this
cave the ten. persons composing the
family of Mr.. Kenyon, the help at the
hotel and ten boarders and guests
found safe shelter from the storm, as
no one was injured.
The Baptist church, several blocks
above the hotel, was leveled, the wind
scattering the seats about tie streets
and carrying the pulpit several blocks
toward the south. Just below the