Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-06-17

lore. + 2 4
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 were lying close together. The
rest of the family were blown some
distance from the house. They were
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 profusely 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 anne
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 timbers 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 tohave 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
uninjured. The house was torn to
kindling wood.
At the Hassell place conditions were
the same. Mrs. Hassell is a widow with
several children, and the timely aid
rendered by Dick Malloy probably
saved their lives. Such was the suction
of the cloud as 1t 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 THE CLOUD.
The storm was preceded by an un-
usually fine day. 1t a somewhat
warm, but the sky was clear and a 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 a con-
siderable distance. Its approach was
heralded by a 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
tornado the stones fell nearly straight
down and comparatively little damage
was done, though a number of win
dows were broken. The twister was
in sight from SaliX about five minutes.
Immediately after Its disappearance
there came a violent dash of rain and
mud which coated everything a>quar-
ter of an inch thick.
People who saw the cloud describe
its appearance as something frightful.
it was very dark, but the whirling,
seething pillar could be plainly seen
from SaliX. 1t 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 a
few flashes of lightning, but the cleo
trical display does not seem to have
been uncommonly vivid. Many wit
nesses 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 desoIation. 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 the
darkness. For about a half mile south
of SaliX the telegraph wires are also
down and Geographic communication
in that direction is impossible. Be-
tween Salix 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 SALIX.
Sallx'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 apprehensions. The
nearest point touched was a corncrib
about one-fourth Of a mile south of town.
The Malloy, Hassell, Berger and Bernard
houses are also inside the corporation
limits.
AT SERGEANT'S BLUFF.
At Sergeant's Bluff there were threats
Of a tornado for a time. The wind was
very severe about $3.50 o'clock In the aft
ernoon, several smokestacks at the brick
yard were overturned and a number of
sheds were blown a 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 yet
reported was to the granaries on Pierre
LaCroix's ranch in sections Is and 10. The
loss will probably be several thousand
dollars.
STORM NOTES.
The 1850 passenger south from Sioux
City on the Sioux City and Pacific road
does not usually stop at Salix. 1t did so
last night through the kindness Of Con-
ductor O'Neill 10 permit press represen-
tatives 10 reach the storm-stricken dis
trict at the earliest possible moment.
Northeast Of Salix Sam Taylor's house
was slightly damaged.
Albert Devin's face was cut by flying
glass.
IN NEBRASKA.
Homer, Neb. June ia cyclonic storm
struck here last evening. A tent in which
n gospel meeting was in progress was