Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-21
Miniature Cyclone Visits Ottum-
wa for Few Minutes.
HITS NEW BONNlFIELD BUILDING
Several Thousand Bricks in Green
West Wall Fall During Storm
Trees Damaged on West Second
Street.
fFrom Wednesdays Daily.I

tFrom Wednesdays Dailyl
Ottumwa was last evening visited by
severe wind storm which amounted
almost to the proportions of a cyclone
in some places The new building III
course of erection on West Main street
near Washington, owned by w. B. Bon
nifield, was damaged to the extent of
probably $500, the west wall having
been blown partially down. Trees in
different parts of the city, principally
along West Second street, We're brok-
en- or uprooted, and the people of the
city were caused considerable anxiety
lest Ottumwa be the scene of a cyclone.
The wind lasted only few minutes,
| and was accompanied by little or no
rain.
Gave No Warning.
The storm arose quickly and almost
without any warning whatever. The
heat of the day probably coused it.
The wind came from the west with
great velocity, and the clouds from
which it seemed to emerge were sus,
pended directly over the city. The
wind which, struck the city hardest in
the center, began in earnest and con
| tinued for about ten minutes. Every,
thing loose in the downtown portions
was blown away or tipped over but
| in the residence portions there was
but little notice taken of the wind al
though the clouds attracted all eyes
Building Damaged.
| Just before the rain started the
people who happened to be within
three or four blocks of the new Bonni
field building heard a terrible crash
and investigation proved that the new
wall, which had just been completed
yesterday, had collapsed. 1t had nc
supports except the front and rear, ant
the center of the wall stood the brunt
i of the effect of the wind. Contractor
i w. E. Cook, who, as a member of the
1 firm of l.. T. Crisman & Co., has the
i contract with Mr.. Bonnifield for thu
brick work, stated that about 35, 00(
brick were displaced by the wind. II
Il the center of the wall hole was made
which embraced more than aft,
1 courses of brick.
Delay Completion of Work.
The bricks fell into the building
with the exception of 200 or 800, which
fell upon the roof of the one-stor,
building belonging to and occupied b.
Frank Re, adjoining the new structure
on the west The Re building was no
damaged to very appreciate extent
( but the new building suffered mucl
damage to the floors O
the second and third stories, where tn
ing joists as if they We're matches
of CT, vii
be delayed considerably by the acc
dent, as all the more pains will be ne
cessary now to insure the stability O
the remaining part of the wall which
it is said, was sprung somewhat whe
, the joists were broken by the fallin
bricks.
All along West Second street thi
morning small trees and limbs of lars
, er trees, We're strewn along the walk
z and even into the street, having bee
blown down by the storm. In othe
, parts of the city. although no damag
J. of great amount was done, severe
{ trees were damaged somewhat.
False Alarm.
I During the storm false alarm wa
received at the central fire station, il
| ulCdlluSo d III Z III llS iINieaitoi bioSi
. where the Courier office is located
e The fire department made quick r.
Spouse and the firemen did all in the
d power to find the blaze, but after hun
e ing for some minutes unsuccessful
h they decided that the alarm had bee
}. false one and returned to the st;
e ton. During the evening the bell ran
several times, owing to something b
q ing wrong with the electrical alarl
system.
Cars Stopped.
The street cars were out of commi