Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-06-22
TIKI HERMAN DISASTER
Dstails of the Storm that Brought Destruc-
ton and Death.
TEN DEAD TWENTY-FIVE WOUNDED
Only Six Buildings in the Town Left
Standing Hundreds of People Home
less and Subjects of Charity-Measures
Taken to Afford Relief.

HERMAN, Neb., June 16.-Special to
the Omaha Bee: The desolation is in
describably pathetic. Such is the uni
versal verdict of the thousands of spec
tators who have visited the site of the
once pretty village of Herman today.
Yesterday it was peopled by hap
by, prosperous half-thousand citizens
as could be found in Nebraska. Today,
with half dozen exceptions, all are
homeless, without place to lay their
hands or table from which to eat.
Yesterday they would have scorned
charity. Today the wealthiest are liv-
ing on provisions sent by kindly heart
ed citizens from neighboring towns.
Days will pass before the debris will
have been cleared away and the scene
will have lost even a portion of the
heartrending features which may be
seen on every side.
AS result of the storm ten persons
lie dead, one family having been al
most entirely swept out of existence.
Twenty-Five are injured, some of them
fatally.
Yesterday afternoon at o'clock
Herman presented a peaceful scene.' A
little later clouds began to gather and
before 6 o'clock torrents of rain were
eluglng the streets. The citizens were
tot frightened at the appearance of
he storm, because they thought it was
imply repetition of the heavy rain
fills, which had visited that section
previously. At o'clock, however,
omnibus clouds began to appear, and
little knots Of people assembled in
every part of the town to watch them.
AS the clouds grew more dense the
inky blackness appeared terrifying
and the more timid sought storm cell
lars. Scores of people congregated in
these cellars awaiting the approaching
cyclone.
At els it swept down upon them,
Noming from the northwest with a
tightful velocity. Those who were still
b positions to watch it's onward
rections and the appearance of the
town today would indicate that such
was the case. Old-timers who were
eooler-headed, however. think differ
emily. They believe it came down
from the northwest, spreading as it
struck distractions and converging
when these were torn out of the way.
1t required but few minutes for the
storm to do its work, although it
seemed hours to the unfortunates
penned up in the storm caves.
Citizens who are able to recall their
impressions during the storm, al
though suffering with terror say that
as the wind passed over them it
seemed like the flight of thousands of
large birds, accompanied by the inter-
mittent crashes of heavy shells. They
knew little of the havoc which was
wrought in and around their homes.
When they emerged it was. to find a
scene of desolation which was abso-
lutely appalling.
Houses were blown down IN every
direction. With few exceptions the
citizens could locate their homes only
by the cellars in which they had
crouched or by a few familiar pieces
of furniture which remained in the
shells which formerly had been COM
modious and comfortable homes. AS
far as the eye could see, from south
to north, no building stood to furnish
a refuge for the homeless citizen.
1t required only a moment of con-
temptation of the frightful scene to
bring the citizens to a realization of
their duties to each other. Parents be-
gan looking for children, wives for
husbands and sons for their parents
AS these were found unscathed the
neighborly spirit took possession OF
them and they turned their attention
to alternating the sufferings of those
about them.
The dead were removed to the Meth
odist church in the north part of the
city, which served as morgue. The
injured were taken to a parsonage &c
be transported later on a relief train
to Blair. Relief trains came down from
Tekamah and Blair with physicians
clans AMI nurses to aid in the search
for the injured and dead. Ninety-six
PERSONS, injured and uninjured, were
sent on an Omaha train to Blair.
where they were cared for in the Cliff
ton hotel and in the homes OF the clti-
zens. The night was made all the more
disagreeable by the rain, which fell
on the houseless citizens in torrents.
1t ceased only for an hour, apparently
to gather additional force and make a
second attack. Few thought, however
of seeking refuge from the elements
spending the night, especially the men
in looking for the injured. The women
and children were sent to the school
house and the other buildings which
remaineu intact.
The darkness of the night was
broken by brilliant flashes of light
ming, which added to the impressive
ness of the scene. The power of the
storm appeared to have been irresist.
ible, although it's ravages were not
plainly observed until this morning
when the sun revealed them in al
their hideousiness.
AS the hours passed and the returns
from the injured increased it seemed
to the citizens as If every family in
the town had suffered. After a sys
tematic canvass had been made, how
ever, it was discovered that those liv
ing in the northern portion had suf
fered most in casualties. II was Their,
the storm had done its worst, although
Its force was almost as great in tn,
heart of the town.
The storm undoubtedly came dowI
from the northwest Its first effect,
are reported from five miles northwes
of the city, where the home of ]. e
hawkins was wiped off the earth. Mr.
Hawkins was blown into his barn
lightning seemed anxious to supple
kent the cyclone in its destructivenes
ind added bolt. 1t struck the barn
setting it afire and killing Mr.. Haw
kins, If the force of the wind had no
ended his life previously. This morn
ing his remains were found charre,
to crisp and unrecogniZable
"Grandma" Nosler, mother of Mrs
Hawkins, was badly injured inter
nally and both arms were broken. l
is not believed she can survive. Mrs
Hawkins was badly injured and he