The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-07-12
WIND AND HAIL STORM
SEVERE TORNADO STRUCK LONG
PINE SATURDAY.
WAS SEVERE HAIL AT GREGORY

Places.
Long Pine, Neb., July Special to
The News: At 4 o'clock Saturday af-
ternoon Long Pine was visited by the
heaviest wind, rain and hail storm in
the history of the town. In some in
stances the storm took on the force of
a cyclone and almost everything NOV
able was carried from its place.
The Methodist church had just re-
Gently been remodeled and rebuilt,
was completely wrecked and the
whole structure is now In ruins. On
Sunday afternoon the members of the
church had a meeting to make ar
rangements for a new building.
The storm came from the north and
a light wind was blowing from the
south, the two winds meeting and COM
ing to the ground at point just above
the town. Many people saw the storm
approaching and fastened to their cell
lars and caves. The streets were
crowded with farmers buying their
weekly supplies. The business hous-
es were soon packed with badly fright.
ened people; men were yelling, women
were fainting and above all the dread
full roar of the wind as it picked the
shingles from the roofs of houses and
in many cases carried away the whole
roof The first real thought of danger
was when the large fire bell over the
town hall came crashing to the side
walk and the large timbers from the
bell tower went flying through the
glass windows on the opposite side of
the street. One of the timbers passed
into the front part of the meat market,
which was crowded with men, women
and children. Thos. Wright, farmer
living north of town, was struck in the
abdomen and suffered internal injuries
from which he probably will not re-
cover A number of other people were
slightly injured by flying glass and
timbers.
The Interstate telephone company is
perhaps one of the heaviest losers, as
almost all of the telephone poles are
broken off at the ground and wires are
broken and scattered throughout the
town.
The large carpenter shop belonging
to E. E. Ansminger and containing
much valuable machinery, is a COM
plete wreck, as is also a large number
of barns and other smaller buildings.
Large pieces of timber were carried
for half a mile and were sent through
the air with such force that they were
carried through the roofs of different
buildings. The old Northwestern
roundhouse was completely unroofed
as was also the coal schutes and
number of other buildings belonging
to the company. A number of barns
and windmills were literally torn to
pieces and twisted out of shape. Sew
eral new houses which were almost
completed were carried and twisted
from their foundations. Many trees
were torn up by the roots and carried
blocks away. Almost every business
house had one or more windows brolp
en- by flying debris
Arba Robinson, manager of the Long
Pine dray line, had just put his horses
in the barn when the whole building
went up in. the air and dropped with
a crash about eighty feet away. Mr..
Robinson had a very narrow escape.
One of the horses was carried with
the barn, but was not in the least in
jured There was hardly a house in
the town that was not damaged in
some way
An estimate of the damage as given
out by some of the leading insurance
agents is $4,000, about half of it COW
cred by tornado insurance. The hail
did little damage as it came after the
wind had subsidized and the hailstones
were very small.
Hail Damage at Gregory.
Gregory, S. D., July S.-A big hail
storm struck here at A o'clock Satur-
day afternoon. Thirty-five store win
dows were broken on Main street
Hundreds of windows were smashed
over the town.
Small grain has been damaged one
fourth. The damage is mostly local.
Destructive Wind at Creighton.
Creighton, Neb., July Especial to
The News Severe wind Saturday
evening moved three barns from their
foundations, totally demolishing one.
Two houses were moved from their
foundations. Thirteen windmitls were
demolished and two miles of telephone
poles and wires destroyed. The storm
was three miles wide and occurred
three miles east of here.
Wind and Hail at Niobrara.
Niobrara, Neb., July Especial to
The News: Severe rain, wind and hail
struck here at 6 O'Clock Saturday
evening, doing great damage to shade
and fruit trees and almost running
small grain. Considerable damage to
corn is reported. Gardens were ruined
by the rain and hail. A large barn on
L.