The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-02
TORNADO IN IOWA.
Town of Bayard Damaged
100000 in Minute.
st. Paul Depot Almost Wholly
Destroyed.
Man in Its Path Found Hanging
in a Tree.
OTHER POINTS STRUCK
School Destroyed at Rippey, Is
Miles Away.
Four Persons Seriously Hurt at
Van Vert.

Des Moines, Ia, May 2.-Six persons
injured and $4,000 in damages to prop
erty was the result of the work of two
tornadoes that struck the state of Iowa
last night. The storms were $50 miles
apart, one striking at Bayard a town
of 500 in Guthrie county. and the other
between the towns of Weldon and Van
Meter in Decatur county, in a wealthy
farming neighborhood. The injured
are:
David Harden. of Bayard. about the
face and hands, serious.
Hazel Williams. Of Weldon. internal
injuries; will die.
Louis Williams. of Weldon. internally
Mrs. O'Hara of Weldon, not serious.
Two O'Hara. children, will recover.
The Bayard storm seems to have left
the ground after passing through the
town and Travelled Is miles without do
ing further damage, when it struck a
farming neighborhoOd north of Rippey
and there demolished a school house
and many barns.
Des Moines, Ia. May "A tornado
struck Bayard 80 miles northwest Of
here, at 7;45 last night and demolished
property to the value of $4,000 The
storms path was 100 yards in width and
dozen houses were badly damaged,
the smaller ones being badly broken up
anu lIf6 ls1S ones wrecked anu lW1Sl-
ed. The c. NJ. & St. Paul depot was al
most totally destroyed and two large
elevators standing alongside the Mil
Waukee tracks were unrOofed.
At Coon Rapids, ten miles west, there
was no wind. The storm seemed to
sWoop down on Bayard where it spent
its force, there being no reports of dam
age east of that point.
David Hardin was caught in the path
of the storm and fifteen minutes after
it had passed was found hanging to a
tree. He was unconscious all night and
this morning cannot recall what hap
pened to him. It is thought that he was
struck with flying debris.
Eye witnesses say that the tornado
did not occupy more than one minute in
passing through the town. The direc-
ton was from west to east Wires of all
kinds are down in the neighborhood OF
Bayard and communication with the
town is almost impossible.
Another severe wind storm is reported
to have taken place five miles north of
Rippey, Green county, and Is miles from
Bayard. The school house was COM
pletely destroyed while the barns of c.
T. Fleetwood, John Montgomery and ].
N. Morse were carried a distance of a
mile and then ground into kindling
wood
FOUR PERSONS HURT
Des Moines. Ia, May 2.-Four persons
were seriously hurt; two horses killed
and several houses demolished consti-
tute the extent of the damage caused
Dy the Cyclone at van w SLI last even
ing. Names Of the injured can not be
ascertained as yet, owing to prostra-
ton of telegraph wires.
MUCH DAMAGE TO CROPS
Coon Rapids, Ia. May 2.-The tornado
which struck Bayard last night swept
across the country and did a great
amount of damage to crops, farm build
irgs and other agricultural interests.
Following the wind storm there was a
deluge Of rain which in some places
reached nearly the proportions of a wa
terspout. The wind at this place reach
ed a velocity of seventy miles an hour
and blew down signs and a number of
small buildings were slightly damaged
All the wires along the st. Paul road
are down and number of poles were
broken off No person was injured, so
far as learned except Mr. Hardy at
Bayard, who was not seriously hurt.
FARM HOUSES WRECKED.
Des Moines, Ia. May additional
particulars from the cyclone that visit
ed Decatur county last night state that
it started six 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, We're wrecked and three members
of one family residing east of Van Vert
sustained broken limbs Three sons of
J. H. Williams, a farmer residing north
west of Weldon, are reported missing
this morning. The storm blew with ter
rife force and had it struck a more
thickly neighborhood, would have
wrought great havoc
David Hardin, who was injured at
Bayard, was whirled around a tree un-
til made unconscious and is still in a
precarious condition.
TRACK OF THE STORM.
Des Moines, Ia. May 2.-F'ive people
We're hurt in houses wrecked by a tor
nado between Van Vert and Weldon.
so miles south of here, at 5 o'clock last
evening. The storm struck a mile east
of Van Vert and Travelled in a north
easterly direction, just missing Weldon.
The injured people were members Of
farmers families. Two houses are re-
ported blown to pieces. In one of these
Louis and Hazel Williams were pin
ioned in the wrecked building and were
hurt by flying timbers. They will
probably die. Two women and a child
by the name of O'Hara were hurt in a
similar manner in another house a
short distance from the Williams
home. but the destruction of the build
ing was not so complete. and the occu-
pants escaped with less serious in
juries From Weldon the storm con-
tinued in a northeasterly direction and
struck Woodburn, a small town on the
c. B. & Q. railroad, where five houses
were blown down or off their founda-
tions. No lives We're lost at this place
and no one was injured