Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-02
WIND and ELECIR|C
storm. DAMAGE N
CITY and COUNTY
Two Severe Storms Strike Cent
raj Iowa Thursday After
noon and Night
CORN LEvELED IN PLACES
CORN LEvELED IN PLACES
lightning Strikes Big Rhoades- Car
mean Stack, Demolishing It Kelley
Family Has Close Call - Telephone
Service lnterfered With Church
DAMAGED Near DilIon-Reports
From Different Points.

FROM Inherent COiUtSs
Two terrific wind and electical
storms, accompanied by heavy rains,
struck central Iowa late Thursday
afternoon and about 8 o'clock Thurs
day night, resulting in damage in the
CITY and different points thruout the
county. The wind was more violent IN
1 the afternoon storm, but at night the
electrical feature predominated, altho
accompanied by a high wind. Trees
were blown down in different parts OF
town: three buildings were struck by
lightning, and In the south part of the
city several small outbuildings were
blown down.
Street car and electric light service
were interferred with In the evening,
but the general damage was only
slight. Many crosses to telephone
wires kept linemen busy turnout the
night, in an effort to have the service
In shape for today's business. Tele-
graph wires were also interferer with,
both the Western Union and Postal
suffering to some extent. From the
country reports Of damage to corn
fields have been received. altho 1t is
early yet to estimate the damage. corn
ia down quite badly in many places,
but most Of the farmers talked Win
saw that they do not believe the dam
age will prove material. They claim
the corn is far enough advanced so
that il it does not fully stfalghten the
damage will be slight.
With the wind and electricity came
the rain, which fell in torrents during
both storms. The precipitation for the
twenty-four hours ending at thls
morning was 2.12 inches, making To-
tai OF 421 inches for the present Week.
or almost as much as has fallen uuF
fnr any one month thruout the summer.
with the rain of Thursday afternoon
and night a total precipitation OF 1850
has resulted since June l, DIVIDED as
follows, June, go; July, 4.5O; August
3.1S; September, 2l9.
Hia Stack Shattered.
The big brick stack at the Rhoaaes-
rarmean Buggy Company plant was
struck by lightning at 1o:3O THURSDAY
night. and a telephone alarm called out
the are department. No fire resulted,
as the lightning appeared to nave lett
the building at point where the STACK
emerged from top story. The stack
was ruined. being split from the top
to the roof. The damage Will be sew
eral hundred dollars, as a new STACK
will have to be built. 1t would take
hut little wind to send the loose brick
topping to the ground, and danger
sipns have been placed to prevent peo-
ple from getting in harms way. The
stack cost about $1,000 when built
faw wears ago. From the roof down,
however, it is not damaged.
Family Has Marrow Escape.
The most narrow escape experienced
during the storm was at the nome OF
Daniel w. Kelley, 907 West State street
which was occupied by Mrs. Kelley ana
her five children. Mrs. Kelley and her
eldest daughter were reading When the
storm began, having retired to Inc
room occupied by the smaller children.
who were asleep, with the idea OF pre-
venting them from becoming frighten-
ed should they awaken. The l1ght-
ming struck the home in two places, the
most severe bolt hitting the chimney
over the room, which the family occu-
MED. Clothing in q closet In the
sleeping room was ignited. and huge
pieces OF plastering fell from the ceii-
ing to the bed on which some of the
children were sleeping. Mrs. Kelley
showed remarkable presence of mind,
and In the thickest of the storm, with
her house on fire, she grasped her twin
babes in her arms and with the other
children before her, hurried them to
neighbors, whose assistance she secur-
ed The rain and the neighbors pre-
vented serious conflagration. An at
tempt was made to turn in an alarm
OF fire, but telephones and the alarm
service were SO affected that central
station could not be notified.
The lightning also struck the kitchen
chimney at the Kelley home, but dic
but very little damage. A tin bread
box. standing directly under the eli.
ney, was punctured so full of holes
that 1t had the appearance of having
been set UP for target before shov
gun. The strangest part of the ex-
perience at the Kelley home was that
none of the family was shocked. Huge
balls Of fire were noticed by neighbors
in the air above the Kelley house, and
1t Is q. great WOlluGT JIdC no one was
hurt, especially the babes, who were
only within a few feet distance from
where the lightning entered the closer,
Mr.. Kelley Is out of the city, being
employed on work for the Marshall
town Cornice Company. The house
is owned by James S. Haskell, who es-
Inmates the damage done at about 500
Swiok Home Struck.
The residence of II. o. Swick, 1908
West State street was struck by light
ming, which followed the chimney down
to the ground. Bricks were torn from
the chimney, and the tin at the base
was ripped from the roof. Miss Rob-
inson, who WAS q guest at the Swick
home was severely shocked, and it re-
quired some time before she was res
tored to consciousness. The damage
to the house was very slight.
The Peterson home, on South Sew
enth avenue was also struck by light
ming. The damage was very slight.
Church Damaged Near Dillon.
The German Lutheran church. one
mile south OF Dillon, was struck by
lightning and the steerNat sttroyed. II |
4 estimated that III on thsse Will not