Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-06-24
Details Of Recent Wind ard
Hail Storm in Northeast
Iowa Get Thru
CROPS RUINED OVER WIDE AREA
Storm Cut. Path Fifteen Miles Wide
Floods Follow Rain and Hail-RaiI-
road Train Swept From Tracks and
Deposited in FieId-crop Damage
Estimated at 100000.

Dubuque, June 24.-Waukon, watef-
bound, with prospects of not seeing a
train for two weeks, cut off from
communication with the outer world,
save by the wagon road that leads
over the hills to Lansing, has been
heard from.
Late Tuesday afternoon T. ]. Kelle-
her OF that city, who is in Dubuque on
business, received letter from his
brother-in law NJ. H. Dougherty, who
was forced to drive to Lansing to send
news Of the storm to the anxiously
waiting Waukon man. 1t was the first
detailed account OF the terrible havoc
wrought to reach this city. It is the
first word, in fact to reach the outer
world of the damage caused by the
.cyclonic wind. hail and rain storm that
visited the Iowa town.
According to statements in the let
ter, a veritable cloudburst visited
Waukon, carrying away barns and
sheds innumerable, drowning live
stock. running stocks of merchandise
and dry goods, and leaving the town
picture Of grim disaster.
Storm Broke Early.
"The storm broke at $50 Saturday
evening" writes Mr.. Dougherty. s'The
sky, somewhat cloudy, became as dark
as pitch. One couldn't see three feet
in front of him. There were intermft-
tent zig-zag flashes of lightning and
then the thunder followed in rapid
fire succession. The rain began to fall.
then hail, the worst I have ever seen.
dows facing The north, it riddled cur
tains, and screens proved of little eff
feet once the fusilade OF icy pellets hit
them. At the Allamakee house every
window on the north side was beaten
out and the rooms were drenched.
The hail stones were phenomenal
for size. One Of the icy chunks meas
ured eleven and one-fourth inches in
circumference Most Of the stones
were as large If not larger than hick-
ory nuts.
"The storm area was enormous. At
the poor farm, three miles northeast of
the city, it found its extreme north
eastern edge.
"Among the townships hardest hit in
this vicinity are Ludlow and Jefferson.
These are literally wiped out, and not
hill Of corn was left after the icy fu-
sillade had ended. The floods, too,
abetted the hail in destroying the crops
and laying waste the surrounding
countryside.
"At the Frank McCabe farm not
vestige of the growing corn remains,
and Mr.. McCabe says there is nothing
left of promising crop" (Mr. Nc
Cabe is brother OF John McCabe, of
this city,
Cuts Is Mile swath.
"The storm cut swath about If
teen miles wide, tearing thru Rossville,
ten miles north Of this city, and Eton,
few miles to the southeast. In each
of these villages it wrought great
havoc.
I'm this city the storm played pranlss
the most unkindly. AS the floods swept
down the streets, sidewalks. cement,
brick and plank, were picked up like
chips and tossed playfully upon the
crest of the wave. From the Hart
residence to Mrs Gulrud's millinery
store, a distance Of six blocks, not a
trace of walk is left.
Carried Away Train.
Probably the most remarkable thing
done by the storm, prank that may
miraculous, occurred six
miles from town. The crashing waters
picked up the Milwaukee train, track
and all, and carried them half mile,
setting down the entire outfit un-
harmed The train is still on the track
from which the storm did not separate
it. Engineer Cooley was still at the
throttle when the train lit in VIII Kee-
mans meadow near the residence"
"The railroad track is in such shape
that don't think they will get a train
thru for two weeks. The washouts
prevail all along the line.
zone mile north Of town five men
had very narrow escape from death.
The men were seated in a wagon in
barn, one mile north Of