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

10 very nedNy, DIS he also UAQ ABOUT
| $1,000 worth of furniture stored in an
other part of the city which was to-
| tally destroyed.
In its course southwark the storm
| struck the new waterworks of the city
and demolished them. A great iron
boiler sixty feet in length and weigh
ing seventy tons was rolled block.
Not only did the storm wreck all
the buildings on the main street, but
it went out of its way to deal the rail-
road pretty hard rap. The stock
yards, opposite the Plateau bank, were
razed, the heavy fence and deeply i'm
bedded posts proving poor distractions
to the wind. Back of them the Peavey
| elevator and the elevator of the Crow
ell Grain and Lumber company con-
tributed their roofs, the upper portion
of the cupola leaving in each case.
The contents were thus exposed to the
rain, which poured down upon them in
floods all night
Along the Omaha railroad track nine
cars were blown over, their trucks be-
ing twisted off and carried twenty-five
or thirty feet away. Two cars were
apparently picked up from the track
and set down three feet away, thereby
SiNlH6 luC toolou tudI luc Wluu
mad found them with their load of
grain too heavy for further transporta-
ton. The railroad depot, coal sheds
and telegraph wires were blown down,
the books of the depot being carried
half block away and deposited in a
bunch upon the hill. Superintendent
Haynes estimates the loss to the rail-
road alone at $4,000.
Over across the railroad lived the
only man who carried cyclone insur-
ance in the town. This was John Lar
son, section foreman for the Omaha
railroad. When Larson saw the storm
approaching he gathered his family
about him and descended to the ce-
ment cellar which he had constructed
shortly after hard windstorm several
years ago. He thought from the ap-
pearance of the storm at that time
that he might need it and it was for
this purpose that he put so much toll
and money into it. His labor was re-
paid after years of waiting. That cave
saved his life and those of the beings
| he valued most. The storm carried
away his house, leaving the cellar open
to the world, but the occupants were
secure from harm. He Is homeless to-
day, but his cellar will remain and a
new home will rise on the site of the
old one, as John says he intends to
retain the cellar as long as he lives.
He had 81 900 cyclone insurance on his
| house and contents. AS scarcely a
vestige of either remains he will ask
the Phoenix Insurance company to pay
his policy.
! Returning to the main street and
| concentrating it's force, the storm scat
tered the lumber from the yard of the
Crowell Lumber company to the four
winds, although they seemed to have
been concentrated into one for the
! time being. The cottage of d. w.
Pipher, local agent for the Standard
Oil company, lost its roof, and the oil
company's building to the south of
the cottage was lifted from around
the two heavy tanks and blown across
the country to remain unidentified.
The pipes around the tanks were bent
into coils, having the appearance of
having been wrapped around a gigan-
tic spool.
Opposite the Office of the Standard
Oil company the homes of DR.. Clark
and d. w. Harper were visited. The
roof OF the rear wing of the Harper
residence was torn off and the side of
the house badly marred by flying
pieces. The wind blew the windows
out of DR.. Clark's house and the rain
did the rest during the night, coming
in through the damaged roof and
soaking everything within.
The last house struck in the south
ern portion of the town was occupied
by S. J. West. 1t was switched around
50 the corners rested on the sides of
the foundation, but the damage was
slight. except to the contents, which
suffered materially from the soaking
they underwent. 1t was here that
"Caney" West was injured The re-
mainder of the family went to the
cave as soon as they saw the dark
cloud approaching. "Caney" West did
not think the cloud would strike Her.
man, so he remained in the house
| When he saw. it really intended to
visit the little town he removed his
shoes so he could wade to the cave
He was too late, however, as the wind
caught him before he left the house
1t carried him out through the window,
which was broken by the wind for his
passage. He was found by his broth
er later limping around in the yard
way back to the house. He had run
a nail through his foot and was Sc
riously injured about the body.
After passing Vests house the
stormed veered to the east, and left
the large school house and couple
of cottages opposite it uninjured.
Then, as stated with destruction, it
rose in the air and left the vicinity
which it had ravaged so sorely.
When the spectators began to arrive
this morning the sight was one which
appalled, the most thoughtless. Piles
of lumber lay in the streets. Wherever
! the eye turned it rested upon the re-
suits of the visit of the elements.
Hogs, horses, cattle, chickens, ducks
and cats were strewn along the streets,
the storm having driven them to their
death. The household goods of the
| citizens We're strewn from one end of
| the town to the other. Vases, books,
furniture of all kinds, china and glass
ware and kitchen utensils were seen
on every hand. Men who considered
themselves well off in the world yes
terday wandered over the scene of
their late abodes today wondering
where the next meal was coming from.
Pitiful smiles, which were given with
a vain attempt to be cheerful, marked
the races of the unfortunate citizens
when they spoke Of their misfortune.
Each tried to make light of his own
losses when a neighbor was near and
to offer his condolences for the hard
luck of the other.
1t was scene of restitution, al
though few of the sightseers appeared
to realize 1t. Two thousand of them
wandered over the ruins looking for
souvenirs of the storm. They did not