Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-03
STORM HITS
IOWA TOWNS
CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE
sUsTAiNs HEAVY DAMAGE
DURING NIGHT.
CIRCUS LOSES HEAVILY
Barnum & BaiIey's Tents at Iowa
City Blown Down and Considerable
Damage pone--one Man Killed at
Coon Rapids.

Damage pone-one Man Killed at
Coon Rapids.
The report which was circulated
in Ottumwa yesterday and this
morning regarding storm in
Omaha, resulting in many deaths,
was investigated by the Courier
and found to be utterly unfounded.
Iowa City, Sept. 2. = A dozen show
men were hurt. the animal tent struck
by lightning and burned to the ground
and much other damage done to the
Barnum & Bailey circus here last
night by fierce storm shortly after
z o'clock and just before the evening
performance. The destruction to the
huge show is heavy, but it proceeded
to Muscatine and exhibited there to-
day according to plans previously an
nounced.
Tents Burn; Men Injured.
Shortly before p. M, ominous look
ing clouds came out of the west and
small tornado was on the city in an
instant. The big shows were in the
path of the storm and the first tent
leading into the main canvas was seiz-
ed and torn to fragments. Huge poles
were bent and twisted and hurled to
the earth, catching and imprisoning the
hustlers inside the big structure max
Around the side walls stood the ami
NAL wagons and many of these were
smashed but fortunately none of the
animals escaped.
Rescue Men and Animals.
The whole mass immediately caught
fire, but the injured men and heavy
cages were gotten out of harms way.
Considerable other damage was done
Us other tents. The wrecked show was
loaded on cars and departed for West
Liberty
Second Storm Hits City.
A second storm struck the city
shortly afters11 O'Clock. A deafening
flash of lightning struck near the tele-
phone exchange, knocking out num-
Der of wires and slightly wrecking the
central Office. Details are meager.
Death at Coon Rapids.
Coon Rapids, Sept. 2.---F G. Minnich,
we'll known farmer and stock raiser
living two miles southwest of this
place, was struck and killed by light
ming last night. Mr.. Minnich has been
resident of Carroll county for forty
years.
Cattle Killed BY Lightning.
Waterloo Sept. 2.-(Special. "A
disastrous wind and electrical storm
visited here last night. Eight head of
cattle belonging to e. L. Benedict, were
killed at single stroke of lightning.
lSeveral buildings were wrecked and
trees were uprocted
Damage at Marshaltown.
Marshalltown, Sept. 2.-Late yester.
day afternoon wind and rain storm
struck the city. The wind blew gale
and rain fell in torrents. No serious
loss has been reported as yet with
the exception of fallen wires, both tele-
phone and electric lighting, and the
fire alarm. Several large trees were
blown down, one on the court house
lawn being torn up at the roots. The
storm lasted twenty minutes.
Farm House Destroyed.
Mason City, Sept "A storm late
farm house of Lou Huffman, five miles
ings were blown down and trees strip
ped and corn prostrated. No one was
at home.
Damage at sigourney.
Sigourney, Sept. "A small sized
cyclone struck Sigourney at $50 last
night and demolished several barns
uprooted trees, tore down windmills
and did much other damage. There
was no loss of life.
Coal Mine Damaged.
Des Moines. Sept. 2. - The smoke
stack of the Center Coal Co., nea
Twentieth and st. Joseph streets, wal
blown down yesterday afternoon. Th,
roof of the engine room was caved il
and the hoisting machinery damaged
b Some water got in the mine, but it /
not thought this will cause serious dii
ficulty.
Thomas A. Ray is president of tn
company and S. H. Blount secretar
} and treasurer.
Damage at Valley Junction.
Ten sections of the glass skylight
over the Valley Junction shops wer
caved in by the wind and rainstorm @
yesterday afternoon The damage ha
not been estimated, but will not be ir
considerable.
Eight Hurt In Wisconsin.
Lacrosse, Wis. Sept 2. - Eight pei
sons we're injured last night by tol
nado and lightning in the souther
part of the city. All will recover. Sever
al residences were badly damaged b
, wind and the heavy rain caused man
J washouts on the railroads SO that al
; the trains are late today