Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-08-24
STORM DAMh,usy
GRANT COUNTY
Fennimore and Vicinity Get
Worst Visitation.
MUCH HAVOC WROUGHT
F. N. Kern & Co., FennimOre Merch-
ants, the Heaviest Losers. Crops
Annihilated in Storms Path.

Our neighboring village of Fenni-
more is thanking her lucky stars
that she is still on the map, with
something more than cellars.
Last Sundays storm, which was
general all over the northeastern
part Of the county, conferred at
Fennimore with great force. The
big black cloud, which was several
hours in gathering, came down
from the northeast, and when it
struck the village was so low as to
nearly touch the housetops. 1t
came on fast, with light cloud
over the surface, and the portion
of the cloud which went through
the center of the town and created
the most damage was whirl1ng like
cyclone cloud. Although it was
midday it became as dark as night.
The cloud turned green, and when
it broke over the town there was a
great crash resembling the discharge
of thousand pieces of artillery.
Accompanying the wind was a
heavy rain and hail storm.
It was all over in half hour,
and then the people went out to
assess the damage, which appeared
to be greater than it proved to be,
on account of the immense amount
of trees and limbs blown across the
street.
The only serious losses on the
business street were sustained by
F. N. Kern & Co., general mer-
chants, and Lenahan & Smith, pro-
prietors of the adjoining saloon
building. The wind carried the roof
from the store, which is two
story brick, to the top OF the Tormey
building on the left, and the walls.
of the upper story fell out. The.
front wall went into the street.
The south wall fell about a foot
and lodged against the Tormey
building. The western end of the
north wall fell onto the back part
of Lenahan &. Smiths one-story
saloon building, carrying roof and
floor through to the cellar. Two
pool tables are under the debris.
The upper story of the store was
full Of goods, some of which were
carried to the street. All Of these
goods and many on the first floor
were damaged by water.
John Maso, an employe who
happened to be on the upper floor
of the store, was Carried through a
south door and fell to the ground
with the wall He was bruised but
not seriously injured. His escape
is considered miraculous.
Kern & Co.'s loss is placed at
$4,000. Lenahan & Smiths is about
$4,000.
The broken windows on the east
side Of this same block gave it the
appearance of having been bonn
barded by the Japs.
Other losses about the village
were: Albert Weber, skylight
demolished; Farnham's, two rear
windows crushed in; roof of Tormey
building damaged thereby damag-
ing some of Thompson & Dragg's
stock; Shearer & Summers millinery
store, glass front blown in, side
bulged out, part of stock ruined,
i loss $1,000; front windows de-
molished in A. COVERS tailor shop,
Will Kerr's cigar factory, Mrs. G.
acknowledgements restaurant, Els
kamp Sisters millinery store, j. A.
Orchards bakery and the opera
house stores; P. Fritz's saloon front
demolished; Doan's harness shop
and Months place slightly damaged;
cornice torn from Everson's livery;
Joe Worley's machine building
damaged; framework for Bartholo-
news new machine building torn
down; smokestack on new power
house torn down and building
damaged, loss $500; railway wind
mill down; Hinn's mill, loss 81, ZOO;
Lutheran church damage $1,000;
Catholic, NJ. E. and U. B. churches
damaged; Geo. Harrower's barn
down; Fred Kraemers barn des-
troyed, and one horse killed.
VIM. Rogers, owner of the fair
ground farm, had two barns de-
stroyed, loss $4,000; Henry Ruchti,
carpenter shop, 81, 900 loss; lumber
yards scattered.
Barns were also blown down at
B.W. Frankenhoff's, M. q. Shearer's,
i D. L.