Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-06-13
WORST STORM In HISTORY OF WHINE.
SHEIK COUNTY.
DAMAGE ESTIMATED AT
100000.
Cyclone Wednesday Evening Does Great
Damage to Property, Tearing Down
Buildings. Windmills and
Timber. Three Per.
sons Injured.

III w luucsllth COuHty sWcpt dCTOSS
the northeastern corner of the county,
laying waste a strip of country nine
miles long and about eighty rods in
width, and doing inestimable damage
to farm homes, outbuildings, timber.
etc. 1t turned dark as night and many
of the residents of that section took
refuge in cellars, which fact doubt
less prevented loss of life. Forum
lately no one was killed, and but three
persons injured to any extent.
The storm first struck the farm of
Thos. Headington. five miles north
east of DEBORAH in Canoe township,
where little if any damage was done.
The first noticeable damage was at
the farm of H. s. ABBY in Canoe
township, where it tore off the roof
and upper story of his house, and
demolished two buggies in the yard,
then jumping to Fred Seeder's, where
it destroyed two outhouses and some
| timber.
The next place was that of Mrs. d.
T. Manning, where it tore the barn
to pieces, broke all the window glass
in the house and ripped off shingles,
besides blowing down number of
apple trees.
1t then swooped down the hill to
John Koppen's destroying an inn
mense amount of very heavy timber,
blowing one barn all to pieces. moved
the east end of his new barn off the
foundation and splitting the stills
badly. Also the granary, hen house.
milk house, buggy sheds, with bug
gies and machinery were destroyed
1t broke nearly every window in the
house, tore off the porch and crushed
in the bay window of his fine home.
Crossing the ravine into Hesper
township the storm tore down an
outbuilding at Christian Liens and at
Kittel Severson's destroyed all his
barns and outbuildings, tore off the
summer kitchen, and moved a strip
eighty rods wide through fine piece
of timber. Tie windmill and every
building except his granary and house
were piled up in mass in his door
yard.
Tearing on in its awful path of des-
tructiOn into Highland township it
struck the G. A. Luros farm, the old
Luros homestead. with great force,
demolishing everything on the place
but the house. A large barn eighty
feet long was spread for a mile or
more across the prairie, and his
windmill, wagons, new buggy and ma
chinery. and some timber is total
wreck, The house was also badly in
jured.
The storm fiend then jumped to
Granville Fawcett's place, tearing
down every building except his house
and small hen house, including his
two barns, granary, hog house, var
ious sheds, windmill, etc. and demol-
ishing wagons, machinery, etc. For
quarter of mile person could al
most walk on the lumber strewn "a
cross the field without stepping on
the ground "A cream gatherer seeing
the storm coming ran his team into
Mr. Fawcett's barn and just as he
came out was struck ON the head with
something and quite badly but not
seriously injured.
Nels Larsen's beautiful place was al
most ruined 1t took half the roof off
his barn, and destroyed the granary
and tool house, the granary jumping
over the tool house and dumping 800
bushels of oats into creek. In the
wheels of three buggies not spoke
was left. The windmill and large
amount of machinery was destroyed,
and pump and fifteen feet of pipe
was pulled out of we'll. When the
granary collapsed it struck the front
porch of the house and broke it to
pieces, and broke the glass out of six
windows. The west end of the gran
airy swept clear around the house and
moved down row of apple trees and
pine trees forty feet high
On the farm of his son. Louis Lar
sen, new outbuilding just finished
was blown down and the corn crib
badly damaged
Passing through the timber to Ed.
Torsen's the storm in its fury did
more damage than at any other place,
causing loss to him of from IS, 900 to
$40, 900. 1t took the second story and |
roof off from his fine brick house 30xi0
feet, valued at 81. 600 to 81, 900. The |
old man was in the cellar and his son,
Albert, 2S years old, upstairs. The
latter was carried away with the |
house, striking about 70 feet away in |
the yard. He got mp and tried to |
make his way back to the house, but |
was too seriously injured. and laid
down on mattress which had been
blown into the yard, where he was
found after the storm had passed over
He has since been very low, but it |