The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-05-08
CYCLONE STRIKES IOWA
GREAT DAMAGE WROUGHT BY
WIND STORMS.
Twister Started Near Lohrville and
Visited Bayard, Van Vert
and Hiteman,

| the residence of j. w. Munirni, farm
er residing four mile southeast of
| Lolrville in the northwest section of
| the state at s o'clock Thursday even
ing, injuring six persons, the father,
mother and four children. The mother
is in serious condition from concus-
| sion of the brain and will likely die.
The house and outbuildings were
completely demolished. A school
house was also torn to pieces and
several barns wrecked. A terrific hail
storm followed, breaking the glass in
a number of houses at Lohrville.
The farm presents horrible sight,
every growing thing and every build
ing having been RACED to the ground.
That any member of the family sur
vived was remarkable, as they were
caught up by the wind at the same
time the house was whirled into a
million pieces, and borne several hum
dred yards before striking the ground.
Bayard, May 3.-One of the worst
storms that has visited this section
AO1 yCd10, oil uCh IulS pO1uL
night blowing the Chicago, Milwaukee
& st. Paul depot down, wrecking the
elevators and fifteen dwelling houses.
One man, David Harden, was badly
hurt and may not survive. The worst
of the storm came about 7:45 and was
cyclonic in it's character. Small out
buildings were blown from their found.
atoms. 1t was genuine twister and
moved with terrific force. 1t left a
! trail of devastation over a hundred
yards wide. The nel-shaped cloud
was plainly dfstinguishable as it ap-
preached and passed away. It/moved
from west to east and lasted about a
minute. David Harden was unable to
escape from it's path and seized tree
to which he chung while the wind
whirled him around and around so
rapidly that his form could hardly be
distinguished by the Mortified specta-
tors who were out OF the storms path
After the wind had passed, Harden
was picked up in an unconscious con-
dition and he did not regain conscious
ness until the next morning. His con.
dition is precarious.
Van Vert, May "a cyclone of un-
usual fierceness visited this section
of the state Thursday night striking
in the immediate locality Of Van Vert
at about 9 o'clock. The entire north
ern part of the county was storm
struck, dwelling houses and barns be-
ing blown from their foundations. Tele-
phone and telegraph wires were also
badly damaged.
At Weldon, northeast of this place,
farm house ws.s destroyed and three
children injured.
The cyclone started six miles south
of Van Vert and moved in north.
easterly direction, passing one mile
east of the town. A dozen farm houses
in it's path one hundred yards wide,
were wrecked a-.d three members Of
one family residing east of Van Vert,
sustained broken limbs. The storm
blew with terrific force and had it
struck a more thickly neighborhood,
would have wrought great havoc.
Those injured follow:
Mrs. Mary O'Hare, aged 72 years,
arm broken and badly bruised.
Mrs. j. w. O'Hare, stomach lacerat.
ed and back wrenched.
Mrs. O'Hares four-year-old child,
arm broken and numerous flesh
wounds.
Mrs. Monroe Williams, serious
bruises and possible internal injuries.
Two small children of Mrs. Williams,
fearfully cut and in serious condi-
ton.
The Tabler farm was the next in the
path of the storm. Several hundred
chickens were killed and many others
We're literally stripped of their feath-
ers, but otherwise uninjured.
The fo nm Of Tahy Mitoha1J WOE Ya,,k
struck and all outbuildings demolish-
ed The residence was fortunately out
of the path of the storm.
Ottumwa, May "a cyclone tore a
path two hundred feet wide q half
mile west of Hiteman at 9 O'Clock
Thursday night. Two farm houses
were demolished and a herd Of cat
tie were killed. Hundreds of Hiteman
people saw the two funnel shaped
clouds come together and watched tn,
destruction it wrought.
Fire Burns for Month.
Clinton. May 5.-For the past month
fire has been burning in the flats
at the old yards Of the Clinton Lum.
Der company, now. owned by the city,
which has proven serious menace
to the nearby buildings and source
of great annoyance to those who live
near on account of the smoke. The
ground is filled to a depth of from five
to SIX feet with sawdust and strips,
which have lain there for years. The
fre has eaten its way into the refuse
a nIimhor NJ foot nud m mot V,o ,.oe 1,I,.