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

fore.
| John Malloy was crushed under the
heavy timbers of the structure. His
chest and head were both crushed and
death must have been instantaneous
His wife was apparently struck on the
head by flying boards. Husband and
wife We're lying close together The
rest of the family were blown some
distance from the house. They We're
covered with blood and mud and their
clothing was torn completely to
shredS.
Harry was conscious when picked
up, but declared that he could not live.
He was bleeding profuscly from the
mouth and no one doubted the truth Of
his prediction.
BERNARDs' NARROW ESCAPE.
The fate of the Bernard family
would doubtless have been the same
as that of the Malloys but for the fact
that all took to the cellar as soon as
they saw the storm. Mrs. Bernard re-
! marked coolly, as they started, that
she feared some of them might be hurt
by falling bricks or timbcrs and took
an armful of pillows with her to cover
their heads. She says she had no idea
what had happened until she thought
it was time for the cloud ohave passed
and, glancing up, saw the open sky
above her. When the crowd reached
| the place they found Mr.. Bernard with
his arm about his wife's waist, trying
to comfort her and assuring her that
the loss of their property made little
difference as long as the family was
uniniured The house was torn to
llndling wood.
AT the Hasscll place conditions We're
| the same. Mrs. liasscll is widow with
several children, and the timely aid
rendered by Dick Malloy probably
saved their lives. Such was the suction
of the cloud as it passed over the house
that one of the children narrowly es-
capped being drawn up into it. Others
who escaped only did so by taking to
| their cellars.
APPROACH OF TIE CLOUD.
The storm was preceded by an UNI
usually fine day. 1t was somewhat
warm, but the sky was clear and re-
freshing breeze was blowing. About
5 o'clock the clouds commenced to
gather and people began to look for
another heavy rain. They do not think
the tornado formed in their immediate
vicinity, but that it came from con-
siderable distance. Its approach was
heralded by Il rumbling like that, as
one of the spectators said, "of about
1000 freight trains" For half an hour
before and during the blow hail fell.
Some of the stones were nine inches in
circumference. AS there was little
wind, however, outside the path of the
1,a c.f, g<,11 ~
down and comparatively little damage
dows We're broken. The twister was
in sight from SaliN about five minutes.
Immediately after its disappearance
there came IL violent dash of rain and
mud which coated everything quar-
ter of an inch thick.
People who saw the cloud describe
its appearance as something frightful.
1t was very dark, but the whirling,
secthing pillar could be plainly seen
from SaliN. Il was of the usual green
ish, coppery color, and is said to have
kept continually dropping closer and
closer to the earth and growing wider
and wider as it moved. There were
few flashes of lightning, but the cleo
trical display does not seem to have
been uncommonly vivid. Many witt
nesscs say they saw buildings sucked
up by the funnel. They describe them
as collapsing like card houses, flying
out of sight into the interior of the
cloud and dropping down an instant
later in unrecognizable fragments.
FRIGHTFuL DESOLATION.
Wherever the storm touched the
country presents an appearance of aw-
full desolation. The ground is strewn
with pieces of houses and household
furniture. dead animals and a perfect
tangle of barbed Wire. Several peo-
pie were quite badly cut ON this wire
while searching for victims in tho
darkness. For about n half mile south
down and telegraphic communication
i'm that direction is impossible. Be-
tween SaliN and Sioux City the tele-
graph wires worked satisfactorily last
night. Telephone messages could not
be sent, though there is no evidence
that the telephone wires to the north
were injured. The hail is said to have
done some damage to crops. The
loss will hardly prove very heavy,
however, as there is little vegetation
far enough above the surface of the
ground to be badly cut or beaten
down.
CLOSE CALL FOR SALIN.
SaliX's escape from destruction was
much too narrow for comfort. While the
storm was moving toward the town no
one expected to escape Only the change
in the course of the cloud prevented the
anticipation of their apprehensons Tho
nearest point touched was a corncrib
about one-fourth of n mile south of town.
The Malloy, IIassell, Berger and Bernard
houses are also inside the coropration
limits.
AT SERGEANT'S BLUFF.
At Scrgeants Bluff there were threats
of Il tornado for a time. The wind was
very severe about $50 O'Clock in the aft
ernoon, several smokestacks at the brick
yard were overturned and n number Of
sheds We're blown Il considerable distance
The depot chimney fell. smashing a hole
through the roof, and b. NJ Reeds barn
was capsized.
IN SLOAN TOWNSHIP.
In Sloan township the only damage vet
reported was to the granarfes on Pierre
l.aCroiN's ranch in sections Is and 10. The
loss will probably be several thousand
dollars.
STORM NOTES.
The $50 passenger south from Sioux
City. ON the Sioux City and Pacific road
/ does not usually stop at Salix. IT did so
last night through the kindness of Con-
| ductor O'Neill to permit press represent
tati.'es to reach tho storm-stricken dis
trict at the earliest possible moment.
| Northeast of salix Sam Taylor's house