Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-06-22
HAVOC BY TWIsTER
IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Ia the East Central Part a Wind
Storm Deals Death and
Destruction.
FIVE IN ONE FAMILY ARE HuRl
or These, THREE. and Maybe -Four, VIII
Dle-Somc of the Worst Damago
Done by tho Elements In
Beadie County.

Huron, s.. d., June 1S.-Dr. Foxton
eturned from the scene OF Saturdays
yclone In the extreme southeastern
corner of the county, thirty miles from
this city. He reports finding q sad
condition of affairs in the path OF the
storm. which occurred early in the aft
srnoon.
The hrst house destroyed was that or
MIR. Mccormack. 1t was a two-story
structure, twenty-four feet square. The
family consists OF Mr. Mccormack and
wife and three children, ell OF whom
were seriously injured. The storm was
preceded by a heavy downpour OF rain
and dense darkness. There was no IN
dication OF a cyclone until q DGl!oon
shaped cloud suddenly formed, and w
an instant the Mccormack house. with
the entire family, was picked up, car.
ried several rods and twisted into kin-
ding wood. SO complete was the de-
structlon hat n wagon load OF frag-
nents could not be gathered up. me
family was thrown against q barbeh
wire fence and all were fearfully cut
and mangied. Mrs. Mccormack ana
the 7-ycar-old son were most severely
Injured. The child cannot live, II the
mother Is in n critical condition. hr.
Mccormack and the other children,
both girls. are seriously hurt. MIR. DC
Cormack's cola rbone Is broken, ana re
is badly cut about the head, while the
two daughters sustained Internal in1u-
ries that may prove fatal.
No Hopes for Three.
Physicians give little hope Of saving
more than two of the five Injured at
the Mccormack house. Besides the loss
OF the dwelling and all It's contents, all
the stock sheds. outbuildinRs and ma
chinery on the farm were destroyed.
A moving machine and wagon we're
carried from the Mccormack farm ana
deposited half a mile away. Every
SPOKE was broken from the wheels or
the wagon, and the mower was Deni
and twisted into a shape!ess mass, the
away. Nearly two hours elapsed before
away. eNarly two hours elapsed before
neighbors discovered the whereabouts
OF the Mccormack family, and When
found they were unconscious and coy-
cred with mud.
The rain fell In torrents n n heavy
wind continued long after the cyclone
had disappeared. The unfortunate
family were taken to the farm house or
Pat Finiay, and physicians sem Tor
A school house a mile and q mar
from the Mccormack home was totally
destroyed. Scarcely a board two feet
long can be found.
The residence OF Mr.. Gardner, V
miles from M~cCormack's. was lifted by
The storm and completely destroyed.
Mr.. Gardner was somewhat injured,
and his wife was severely hurt. Their
loss includes about all their household
goods and much farm machinery.
The third house 10 be struck was
that on the Palmer farm, where one
person was severely hurt n much
property destroyed.
The Gillespie home was partly de-
stroyed, and two persons more or less
injured, one nan having his leg bro
ken. other farmers suffered losses,
and many cattle and horses were killed
by lightning.
The rainfall Ia estimated at about .
inches In two hours time.