Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-05-10
MANY HOUSES AROUND WILSoNvlLLE
A MASS OF RUINS.


Miraculous Escapes of Many Persons Who
Were Caught and Injured-Damage
Done to Property Will Run Ear Up
Into the Thou sands.
WILsoNv1LLE, Neb., May Ruin
and desolation reign in the path of Sat.
urday rs storm, the demon doing its work
well, and complete families whose
homes are a mass of splinters are being
cared for and everything possible is
being done to make them comfortable.
Returns from the storm swept district
bring new catastrophes to light and it
is little short of miracle that as yet
there are no fatalities. The worst in
jured are Mr.. and Mrs. Tower, who are
in a precarious condition.
At the time the storm struck the
place Mrs Tower and daughter were in
the house. They were trying to raise
trap door to get into the cellar, when
the house commenced to shake. Sud-
| denly everything became dark and fly
ing debris commenced to strike them.
They were carried for some distance,
with boards constantly striking them,
and were then thrown to the ground
with some of the ruins on top of them.
Mrs. Tower succeeded in extricating
herself and crawled some distance,
where she lay until found about an hour
later. Little Goldie was held prisoner
by boards across her chest, with the
big hailstones striking her in the face,
until relief came. Mr.. Tower and
son Addison were in the barn, when
it went to pieces. Addison escaped
with slight injuries. Mr.. Tower
started to go, too, when something
struck him and he knew no more. He
has one leg and several ribs broken and
is badly bruised about the head and
chest. Mrs. Tower has collarbone
broken and is seriously injured about
the back and chest. Little Goldie has
an ugly cash in her head and is bruised
about the body, though not danger
ously. All of the buildings were blown
to atoms. Loss, $4,000.
H. A. Bourne is another victim who
suffered some injuries, as did also Mrs.
Bourne, who has wrist broken. Mr..
Bourne is badly injured about the head
and chest. He was in the house at the
time it was blown to pieces and was hit
by a flying board. All their buildings,
consisting of their house, barn and out
houses, were completely demolished.
Loss, 81 900.
E. P. Lavine and wife, whose house
was completely wrecked, had an excit-
ing experience. Mrs. Lavine and son
Enoch were carried 80 feet high with
the house and landed 200 feet from the
foundation. Enoch was but slightly
injured, while Mrs. Lavine was injured
on the leg and head. Mr.. Lavine, who
was out of the house when the tornado
struck it, received a wound on the
shoulder. M. E. Mcfarland had large
barn, a washhouse. two cowsheds and a
granary blown to pieces.
H. H. Gerrish's house, barn and
other outbuildings are a mass of ruins
The family luckily was not at home at
the time and escaped injuries. About
30 hogs were killed. His loss is $1,7OO.
The schoolhouse standing near Mr.
Gerrish's was wiped from the face of
the earth and there is little to indicate
that house ever stood there.
John McCoomp's house was blown
down and his granary, barn and wind
mill reduced to ruins.
The Presbyterian church in town is
wrecked and cannot be repaired A
brick building in the north part of town
was blown down and a large amount Of
damage Of smaller Importance was the
result of the storm. The damage done
in general will amount to thousands of
dollars.
TORNADO AT SAN ANTONIO.
Barracks at Fort Houston Demolished.
Many Buildings Demolished.
SAN ANTONIO, May S.-A tornado
swept through San Antonio yesterday
morning and caused loss aggregating
over 100000. No loss of life is re-
ported. At Fort Sam Houston the en-
tire gallery of three barracks were de-
molished and the officers quarters were
unroofed. Hundreds of trees within
the fort are utterly ruined. Bexar
county will be a heavy loser by the
wreckage of bridges. Individual losses
of several local merchants range from
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