Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-06-03
WRITES OF A WESTERN CYCLONE.
Prof. w. c. T. Adams Describes a Blow
TO His Residence Town.

Prof. W. C. T. Adams, formerly OF
/ this county, now an instructor in
| Bellevue College, Nebraska, sends the
CENSOR a postal picture of a recent
cyclone that passed over his town. II
| is a curious. ugly looking monster.
Mr.. Adams writes that the destructive
elements did Sl26, 900 of damage to the
town and $50, 900 to their college. at
was terrible disaster to our beautiful
town, which is a suburb of Omaha with
trOlly connections. Twenty-four houses
completely destroyed and as many more
ruined, and many badly damaged. The
army post, Fort Crook, which joins us
on the west was damaged to amount
of $500, 600. Congress has Just passed
bill to appropriate that amount, but
that does not help the more than 15C
homeless in our town. However sub
scrlptions are coming III 70 relieve i'm
mediate suffering. The house standing
on the block near mine was blown COM
pletely into kindling wood and some of
the furniture earned over into Iowa
across the Missouri river three or four
miles. | tell you it was close call. We
were in the basement when two by
fours, boards, furniture, picket fences
were pelting our house on all sides.
My porch posts Q2 inches through
were blown out and my out buildings
carried away. A curious freak was
that it carried away my henhouse and
LETT my chickens which continued to eat
as if nothing had happened. 1t carried
one fellow away and landed him astride
an arm on an electric light pole. An
other man who was alone in a small
house, was sitting on the bed and the
house was carried away the bed landed
where another house stood, the man
still in bed. How so much disaster to
property could take place without loss
of life | do not understand. My family
escaped without harm, for which we
thank our Creator. | watched the fun
nel-shaped twister until it unroofed the
Fort buildings, when took to the base
ment and looked out at the window
where | saw several buildings go up,
but felt that no harm would come us
Bellevue was settled in 1901, and is
the oldest town in the Nebraska terri
tory. Here the first bank, first church,
first Masonic lodge were organized
The church and old bank were badly
damaged. We were sorry to lose thess'
old land marks. Elm trees foot or
more in diameter were snapped off like
rotten posts. These trees, which were
of a century growth and the pride of
Beautiful Bellevue" are ruined. 1t
will be ten years before our orchards
will look as before. | fear the outcome
of our college but trust for the best.
| have had several letters inquiring
about us, so | take this means to notify
our many Vernon county friends that
we are safe. My new home can be
fixed mp for perhaps 800. | had just
taken out 81, 900 cyclone insurance and
escaped. My neighbors had none and
suffered severely. This is the first
cyclone for Bellevue and may God spare
us from another.
was sorry to note the death of Hon.
w. M. Kingston. One by one the old
teachers of Vernon are passing to the
great beyond. keep informed by
reading the CENSOR which has been in
our family since its first issue. would
miss it more than any other paper.