The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-01
Path of the storm-Fannea Fire Was
Stock i'm the Way Perished.
TORNADO NEAR AVOCA, IOWA
FEW PEOPLE HURT. BUT MUCH DAM
AGE DONE TO BUILDINGS.
severe Wind and Sendstorms in Gen.
trail and western Kanxas-Enor-
nous HaiIstones Elsewhere.

OMAHA, April 30-This has been day OF
severe storms in Nebraska and all sorts of
rumors are coming into Omaha tonight
about serious damage done by the wind.
For the past three days gales have prevailed
throughout the State, accompanied by rain
and in few places fall of hail. In west
ern Nebraska duststorms made l,fe well nigh
unendurable and started prairie fires which
did considerable damage. Last night severe
thunderstorms prevailed in the eastern part
OF the State and continued up till noon to-
day. AT Omaha the rainfall was the heavi-
est known for years at this season, doing
some damage to private property and wash
ing out sewers in some parts of the city.
Along the line of the Union Pacific the wind
has done considerable harm. At North
Platte to-day hundred telegraph poles
were prostrated. Wahoo reports slight dam
age by wind. Heavy rains. accompanied by
strong winds, are reported at Fairbury,
Geneva, Fremont, Columbus and Schuyler.
prairie fire burning in the hay flats
along the northern tier of counties of Ne
braska, ten miles from Coleridge. yesterday
afternoon passed into the track Of a tor
nado and was swept with the speed of the
wind diagonally across this county for
twenty miles, destroying everything In
it's path. The only lives lost as far as
known were those of Mrs. Rolla Livingston
and her five-year-old boy. The woman saw
the fire coming and ran to pasture to re-
lease the family stock. The boy followed
her. Both were knocked down by the terri
fled animals. The fire passed over them
before they could get out of the way. The
body of the boy was almost consumed and
Mrs. Livingston lived but a few hours. A
great many cattle were overtaken and
burned. A large number of farmhouses
were destroyed and the families escaped by
seeking refuge beyond the track of the
storm. The path of the fire was nearly one
mile wide. Some of the losses are: Rolla
Livingston, $4,000; Stanley Martin, $4,000;
David Walker. $4,000: Isaac Pritchett,
5000: w A. Bennett, 5000; Joseph Hodg-
kin, $4,000; William Weber $4,000: James
Parsons. 800 head of stock, etc, $1,000; Will
liam Zook, large number of horses and cat
tie. $1,000.
Valparaiso reports that a tornado passed
through Saunders county about four miles
west of there, destroying everything In its
path. A large quantity Of stock was killed
One child was slightly hurt. The damage to
property will amount to several thousand
dollars. The storm went in a northerly di-
rection and was about a quarter of a mile
wide.
A dispatch from Avoca, Ia. says: "A tor
nado struck this place at $3.50 D. m. to-day,
doing considerable damage to property. The
storm moved in a southerly direction and
passed through the outskirts of town. Two
houses on the outskirts were blown down.
but no one was hurt. Three miles southeast
of Avcoa farmer named Hunt lost his
barn and part of his stock. His house was
slightly damaged and two members of his
family slightly injured. The storm next
struck Oakland, four miles south of Avoca.
Near this place the barn on the farm OF
Richard Files was demolished and some
stock killed The family was absent at the
time. A man named Pollock, residing on
an adjoining farm, lost his barn. some cat
tie and had his house partly wrecked. but
wind wrecked the house and barn and 9TH
er outbuildings of John Hunt, farmer.
The contents of the house were strewn all
over the surrounding country. One men,
ber of the family was slightly injured. Be-
tween Avoca and Oakland telegraph and
telephone poles were prostrated and COM
municatiop cut off for several hours. Trees
three inches in diameter were either twisted
off or torn up by the roots. The wind was
accompanied by rain.
Avoca Is a station on the Rock Island
road thirty miles east OF Council Bluffs.