Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-05-22
CYCLONES AWFUL WORK.
Audubon County Visited Saturday
Afternoon. About $4,000 Worth
of Destruction. Sharon and
Douglas Township Citi-
zens are the Sufferers.


100 to 300 yards wide and about three
miles long in the north west part of
Sharon and south west part of Douglas
townships. 1t seems miraculous that
no lives we're lost. Property amount
ing to perhaps $4,000 was destroyed.
At about 5 80 p. m. Saturday a big
whirlwind OF dust or small funnel
shaped cloud was seen by some of the
Kimballton people about a quarter of
mile north west of that town, or west
of Hans Johnson's, while west of it
about quarter of mile was another
similar whirling column. They were
travelling rapidly north east and soon
came together and joined forces. II
did no damage to speak of until il
reached Andrew Larsen's place one
and one half miles north of Kimball-
ton and on the west eide of the ridge.
Mr., Larsen has a new house nearly
completed. The storm moved it or
the foundation some and damaged II
slightly. Nick Jorgensen lives Just
little north of here and it destroyed q
lot of trees aud damaged things con
siderably. Half a mile north of here,
or two miles north of Kimballton and
west of the road about an eighth OF q
mile is A. G. Sorensen's place. The
storm had veered west and it caught
the barn and out buildings which are
east of the house, smashing up the
cribs, sheds and barn badly, though
not destroying all of them. The house
is not much damaged. AIR. Sorensen
was the only person injured during
the storm. He is old and not very
strong. He was at the barn getting
some cobs to take to the house. The
storm struck him as he was trying to
go towards the house and kept blow
ing him back. At last he was thrown
down by it's force and piece OF the
barn thrown on him. After the storm
passed he was found almost insensible
by his son. He was badly bruised and
small bone in one leg was broken.
He is getting along we'll now, however,
and will doubtless recover.
Nearly half mile north of there is
Ludwig Hansen's place close to the
west side of the road. The storm had
acquired great force here and the
splendid big barn was completely
wrecked and smashed, though much Of
the lumber remained on the ground.
Considerable machinery was in here
and it was badly broken. The honse
is Just north of the barn. The main
part is story and half while the ell
to the west is one story. The storm
unroofed and tore off the upper part of
the ell but did not damage the main
part very much.
The cyclone then changed its course
a little, getting into the road and even
over to the east far enough to brush
against the residence of Chris N. Chris
tensen's, tearingloff the roof aud moving
the house and damaging it considerably.
The good barn just east was missed.
Changing its course if not its mind,
the cyclone seems to have spied the
school house a quarter OF mile furth-
err north but on the west side OF the
road, and it crossed over, picked the
house up, SO the observers say, tossed
it twenty or thirty feet in the air,
chucked it down two or three rods to
the west, then quickly picked most Of
it up again and whirled it into thou
sand fragments, scattering some ofthem
half mile away. Not piece is left
on the stone foundation, butiparts of
two walls are in the yard to the south
west.
1t still kept close to the ground
down the steep hill to the north de-
stroying fences aud even shrubs. Not
very far north OF the school house and
down in the hollow stood the modest
but good little residence of Chris Jur-
gensen with stabling and other build
ings to the west. Not vestige of any
of them remains except small hog
house. Even the furniture, clothing
aud all the contents of the no use are
blown no to one knows where.
The storm then veered to the east
crossing the road and going on north,
striking the place of Jens Rasmussen,
which is few hundred yards to the
east of the road running north and on
the north side of the east and west
road or in the edge of Douglass town
ship. 1t annihilated his house and its
contents, except a small addition to
the house which is left standing. The
stabling is also swept away. Otto An
derson's place nearly half mile north
of here was damaged some, the wind
mill being blown down and calf kill
ed. When about here the storm
seemed to rise from the ground and
vanish.
In the course of the storm it seemed
remarkable that no more persons were
hurt. Most people saw it in time and