Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-06-15

DESTRUCTION OF A CITY,
Herman, Where Once Reign.
ed Peace and Content
ment is Now q Mass
of Ruins.
Herman, previous to few days ago
the scene of happiness, contentment
ana prosperity, is now the scene of
oeagn, chaos and misery. 1t was q
woebegone picture that presented it.
sell to the eyes of the si9htseers who
yesterday flOcked to the ruins wrought
by angry nature Tuesday night. Hours
of ceaseless toll and labor have at las,
commenced to make the work of the
heroic tollers manifest itself, but YES.
terday as we wandered over the ruins
we could but marvel at the wonderful
force which is at the instant command
of nature. Acres of ground which
previously were covered with peaceful
homes and prosperous business estsb-
lishments yesterday we're covered with
the remnants of houses broken into
splinters. Dead and mangled horses
COWS, dogs, pigs, cats, and al other do
nestle animals, were piled about the
former streets of the little town. and
under the rays of the hot sun. which
poured upon them almost the entire
day, this mass of the mute dead gave
forth its sickening, evil fumes. As
fast as possible the dead animals were
hauled to the edge of the town. there
to remain until the human dead are
buried and the human injured cared
for. With the exception of three small
"shacks" every home, over 100, and
without q single exception every bust
ness house In town, were completely
destroyed by that blast from hell
which blew through the town.
Detected, low-spirlted men and wo-
men wandered hither and thither over
and among the mass of debris, dead
and dying animals, and over the tim
bers under which human beings short
time ago were sent to their God. Fam
lily heirlooms, broken furniture, hard
ware, groceries, millinery, drygoods,
the jets0m of town piled into one
terrible mass.
Early in the day beasts, not men, ar.
rived on the scene and commenced
| their nefarlous work of pillaging the
dead, in some instances cutting off fin
(, GERS Oh ,.nich there were valuable
jewels As soon as possible the village
board convened and one hundred boys
and men were sworn in and instructed
to guard the remaining valuables of
the luckless people. In one instance
we saw guard drive thief away
from milo of goods at the point of .
revolver.
The fact that such large percentage
of the 500 or more human beings who
passed through the storm came out of
1t alive and comparatively uninjured
in which the ITO Sfannel,shsped
town is located on gradually declining
ground, at the west of which about
half mile away rises low range of
bills. The evening being hot, most of
the inhabitants we're Outaide their
houses and saw, Immediately upon their
appearance, the two rapidly revolving
clouds. The forward motion of these
clouds was exceedingly slow and at
frequent intervals would rebound from
the earth into the cir and immediately
back to earth. Although slow, the cy-
clones made straight for the town, and
the citizens realized the impending de-
a;ruetlop Of products Of their years of
toll and sacrifices.
The alarm spread and the women
and children were housed In the cyclone
caves, altar which the noble men
caught shelter in cellars or any place
that would afford protection. Ths =
storms struck the tow 80 wv.
/ and lnate>-' simultaneously
..n,ly the fury of ten hells was
j, let loose Brick buildings were crush,
ed as man would crush an eggshel
under his shoe and in less time than II
takes clock to tick one hundred ant
twenty times the town was in ruins
the church on one side of the town ant
the school house on the other the onl.
1.-TWO buildings remaining. Following
the cyclone came darkness, intense ant
terrible, as If nature wished to throw
, mantle over her awful work. Only on
lantern was procurable, but with thi
and pine torches which threw wier'
shadows among and against the ruin
the fortunate uninjured started search
ling for the killed and injured.
Society women helped tramp lift
, board that some luckless person nigh
be released. All through that terribl
, night the heroic men and brave wome
, worked, bringing succor to the injure
and caring for the dead. So soon q
the terrible calamity to its sister cit
became known Blair sent q relief trai
, Ito the stricken town. The member
of the Blair fire department offere
their services for patrol duty.
In conversation with an insuranc
a agent residing in the town, he informe
us that out of the entire loss only on
man carried tornado insurance and hi
policy covered $75. In the opinion {
I many of Herman's former merchan,
and residents the town will not be II
built, as the storm has made many
prosperous man an utter bankrup
their entira funds being invested
y their stocks. In one instance q dealt
!. iost a sock valued at $1,000, an
from this TIE prices range downwar
into the hundreds.
j. Many curious freaks, peculiar an
d destructive, were wrought in the tw
minutes the storm ragged. The depo
. which was in the eastern part of tow
was carried to the business stree
about three blocks west and dumpe
in promiscuous heap In the middle {
the street, while a hardware store Q
. the business street was carried thrt
~ blocks east and dumped near the depo
Houses in the eastern part of the tow
II were carried into the western, ar
I? buildings In the western were carrie
into the eastern. A huge steel SAT
weighing probably three tons, was ca
n ried q distance of four blocks, whe
the force of gravity again manifesto
n Itself and overcame the force of IL