Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-20
Work Of a Waterspout in
Wisconsin Last Night.
TRACKSARE WASHED OUT
Wall of Water Eight Feet in Height
Sweeps Over the Town of Preston
and Does Much Damage to Houses
and Railroads.

ton, Mimi, that waterspout struck
few miles from there last night delug-.
ing the country for miles around and
causing the death by drowning of four
people. Alderman Conkey was killed
by lightning. Eight feet of water
swept over the town moving from eight
to ten houses from their foundations
and washing out the Milwaukee roads
track for four miles and doing great
amount of damage to other property.
Four Children Lost.
A report has just reached here that
Michael Wilbright, living near Forest
vile, lost four children, his house and
barn. Everything was swept down by
the stream. Three children have been
found.
Iowa Road Abandons Traffic.
Cedar Rapids, May 19.-(Special. -
Traffic on the Decorah branch of the
B., C. r. & N. railroad has been aban-
dend north of Independence on account
of washouts. Saturday night the
storm did considerable damage to
buildings in the northern part of Linn
and Benton counties.
cIoudburst at independence.
Independence, May ia cloud
burst and high wind did great dam
age in this county. Gullies were wash
ed along the Illinois Central tracks,
wrecking a freight train one mile east
of this city. Nine cars were ditched.
No one was injured but over dozen
barns were destroyed by the wind.
The Illinois Central embankments
alone saved the town. They held back
a big reservoir of water.
Trains Blocked Near Dubuque.
Dubuque, May 19-Two inches of
rain fell in one hour. causing wash
outs on the Illinois Central between
here and Waterloo. Several miles of
track on the Great Western between
here and Oelwein were washed out.
Buildings Wrecked.
McGregor. May 19-Three brick
buildings were wrecwed by an elec-
trical storm that swept over McGreg-
or accompanied by heavy doWnpour
of rain. Lightning struck the three
buildings occupied by Frees -jewelry
store, the Metropolitan saloon and a
billiard hall, and all collapsed. Four
men were hurt.
Roundhouse Is Wrecked.
Fairfield, Neb., May 19.-The worst
windstorm of the seasovn visited Fair
field at o'clock yesterday, wrecking
the st. Joseph and Grand Island round
house and blowing to pieces the resi-
dence of a Mr.. Benedict. Several
houses were unroofed, chimneys blown
down, and number of small buildings
wrecked.
Damage in Nebraska.
Red Cloud Neb., May 19.-Eeavy
wind, bordering on a cyclone, passed
over this city and county, doing con-
siderable damage to houses, outbuild-
ings and trees. Two persons were in
jured.
Washouts in Wisconsin.
Sparta, Wis, May ia cloudburst
in the eastern part of this county did
much damage to farmers and railroad
companies. Three long bridges on the
Chicago, Milwaukee & ST. Paul road
near Oakdale We're carried away and
| the track washed out in several places.
Over 200 feet of the Chicago & North
western road was washed completely
away ten miles south of here. Many
hogs and sheep were drowned. and
much damage done to crops, highways
and bridges.
Wrecked by the Wind.
Aberdeen, S. D.. May 19.--H. Tobias
1 of lIdmunds county, lost all his build
1 ings in a wind storm last night and
| his son, four years of age, was killed
by flying debris.
Killed by Lightning.
Bloomer, Wis, May 19.-Evelton
Garug of this city. was struck by a
bolt Of lightning last night and instant
ly killed.
storm Sweeps British Coast.
London, May ia storm isesweep
ing over the coasts of the United
Kingdom.
Destructive Indian. Hurricane.
Bombay, May ia destructive
| hurricane swept over the province ol