Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-05
LARGE BARN WRECKED
Wind Storm of Saturday Night
Does Considerable Damage
on the Harding Farm.
Large Barn Torn to Pieces-Six
Horses and Four Cattle
Killed.
Storm Accompanied by Over an
Inch Of Rain-The River
Highest OF the Season.

ten head of cattle and horses killed
storm Of Saturday night in this vi
cinity. The damage was wrought on
the farm of Mrs. Henry Harding, six
miles northeast of this city, on the
Green Mountain road, the place being
tenanted by Mr.. w. c.. Smith.
The barn on the Harding farm was
situated on a hillside and built on a
stone foundation with basement quar-
tiers for cattle and hogs. Saturday
night eleven head Of horses, six cows.
a calf and about fifty hogs were housed
in the structure, as were a large guam
Shortly before midnight. when the
storm which came from the northwest
was at its height, an unusually strong
gust of wind lifted the entire struc-
it on top of and beyond the south and
east walls. The building was COM
pletly demolished and it was miracu-
|lous that all the stock was not killed.
Two Of the horses were instantly
killed and four others so badly injured
that they had to be shot. The re-
mainder Of the eleven horses escaped
with only slight bruises, altho they
were rescued from the ruins with diff
ficulty. Two cows and one calf We're
slightly injured, but four of the cattle
were killed by the wreckage which fell
in the basement. Not one Of the fifty
or more hogs was injured, the walls
of the basement protecting them.
The storm which did the damage was
not of the tornado variety, but blew
straight from the northwest The res
idence near by was uninjured, but the
motor of the windmill IA blown down
and several large trees on the premises
were broken.
Mr.. Smith, the tenant, summoned as
sistance from the neighbors and a
dozen gathered and worked thru the
rain to rescue the stock. AT daylight
many others volunteered their SER
vices. All day between seventy-five
and one hundred men devoted their
energies to rescuing the imprisoned
stock and saving h grain and ma
chinery. The hay was removed and
restacked, n the oats was hauled to
the elevator at Green Mountain. The
loss of grain will be small Inc the ma
chinery was not greatly damaged.
The top of a buggy was demolished.
1t will cost $1,000 to replace the barn,
and Mr.. Smiths loss will reach $1,000.
Mrs. Harding, who owns the property,
rac;Inc In $hsr oStx, S,ith ha. Il a,,,1,fay.
Mrs. D. S. Good.
Sunday afternoon scrapers were Sc
cured and a long trench was dug. In
this the ten head of stock were buried.
No other damage is reported in the
county with the exception OF the
breaking of trees in the vicinity of
Green Mountain.
One hundred and fifty workers and
visitors were given their dinners at
the Smith home, the neighbors assist
ing in the preparation of same.
Mr.. Smith does not know the exact
time the barn was wrecked. It was
some time between 1870 and L.
o'clock. The family thought The house
was going to go and started for the
cellar, and while doing so saw by the
lightning that the barn had been
blown to pieces.
The Rainfall Heavy.
The rainfall in this vicinity was the
greatest of the season, and was greater
north OF here along the line of the lowe
Central. During Saturday night the
total fall in this city, as measured by
the gauge of Observer Jones, amounted
to 1:1S inches. AS a result of the
heavy rains north the Iowa river is
higher than at any time this spring
The water commenced to raise AT &
O'Clock Sunday morning and continued
until 10 o'clock this morning, when ii
was three feet higher than previous
70 the storm. AT that hour it was
about stationary. The water covered
the bottom lands above the city in
places. Owing to the washings from.
the ploWed fields the water was as
black as h ground itself.
The storm from the south at +
O'Clock Saturday evening was heavy
east Of the city. blu no rain fell at
that time west of the Soldiers Home
The storm which brought the rain
came from the northwest at 10 o'clock
and continued for three hours, accom-
panied by a high wind and almost in
~cessant lightning.
In the depot district the effects of the
rainfall was most apparent. The union
station platform was literally covered
with water from three to four inches
deep and the night trains pulling into
the city plowed thru water, throwing
1T a distance of ten feet on either side.
Passengers We're compelled to wade in
order to board and leave trains and the
baggagemen and truck men expert
enced great difficulty in getting about
to look after their heavy work during
the night train hours.
The wind late Saturday afternoon
unroofed a car of sugar that was
standing on a Northwestern siding in
the east yards. The car roof narrowly
missed hitting two men who happened
to be walking east thru the yards at
the time.
Owing to a small washout a short
distance north of Abbott, the CentraI's
early morning passenger, No. 4, was
delayed two hours and fifteen minutes
Sunday. The train was held at Ack-
ley until the damage to the roadbed
could be repaired.
Considerable damage was reported to
the Northwestern wires east of Belle
PLANE, the greatest trouble being in
the vicinity of Otis, a small station east
of Cedar Rapids.