Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-05-03
DAMAGE IS WROUGHT
BY TORNADO IN WEST
Property Loss at Bayard, Ia,
Estimated at $4,000.
MANY PEOPLE ARE INJURED

One Man Was Blown Into a Tree,
| Where he Remained Unconscious
Until Daibreak-ssveral Persons
| Said to be Missing.
Des Moines, Ia. May "A tornado
struck Bayard, so miles northwest of
| here, last night and demolished proper
ty to the value of $4,000 The storms
path was 100 yards in width and a
dozen houses We're badly damaged.
The Chicago Milwaukee and st. Paul
depot was almost totally destroyed and
TWO large elevators standing alongside
the Milwaukee tracks were unroofed.
At Coon Rapids, 10 miles west, there
was no wind. The storm seemed to
sweep down on Bayard, where it spent
It's force, there being no reports of
damage east Of that point.
David Hardin was caught in the
path OF the storm and Is minutes af-
ter it had passed was found hanging
to tree. He was unconscious all
night and this morning cannot recall
what happened to him. 1t is thought
that he was struck with flying debris
Eyewitnesses say that the tornado
did not occupy more than minutes II
passing through the town. The direc-
tiOn was from west to east. Wires of
all kinds are down in the neighbor-
hood of Bayard and communication
with the town is almost impossible
Another severe windstorm is reported
to have taken place miles north of
Rippey, Green county, and Is miles
from Bayard. AT this point the school
house and three barns were complete
ly destroyed.
Reports show that the storm did
great amount of damage to crops, farm
buildings and agricultural interests
Following the windstorm there was q
deluge of rain, which in some places
reached nearly the proportions of a
waterspout. Additional particulars
from Decatur county state that the
tornado started miles south of Van
Vert and moved in a northwesterly
direction passing one mile east of the
town
A dozen farm houses in it's path, 100
yards wide, were wrecked and three
members of one family residing east
of VanWert sustained broken limbs.
Three sons of ]. H. Williams, a farmer
residing west of Weldon, are reported
missing this morning. The storm blew
with terrific force and had it struck a
more thicl1ly settled neighborhood
would have wrought great havoc
Four persons seriously hurt, two
horses killed and several houses de-
mOlished constitute the extent of the
damage caused by the tornado at Van
Vert last night. Names of injured
cannot be ascertained as yet, owing to
the prostration of telegraph wires.
Further details received here state
that five people were hurt in houses
wrecked by last nights tornado be-
tween VanWert and Weldon, so miles
south of here. The storm struck a
mile east of VanWert and travelled in
a northeasterly direction. just missing
Weldon. Two houses are reported
blown to pieces. In one of these Lou
ise and Helen Williams were pinioned
In the debris and were hurt by flying
timbers. They will probably die
Two women and child by the name
of Hara were hurt in a similar man
ner in another house short distance
from the Williams home, but the de-
struction of the building was not so
complete, and the occupants escaped
with less serious injury.
From Weldon the storm continyed
in a northeasterly direction and struck
Woodburn, a small town on the Chica-
go, Burlington and Quincy railroad,
where four houses were wrecked. No
one was injured at this place.