Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-05-13
SMALL SIZED CYCLONE
VISITED THIS COUNTY
Blew Down Buildings In Several
Localities.
Lancaster Escaped Injury, but Reports
Of Serious Damage Come From
Many Quarters.

One of the narrowest escapes this
city ever had from being wind
swept was on Monday of this week.
A storm had been brewing since the
evening previous and broke at
about two o'clock that afternoon.
From the manner in which the ele
ments acted it looked as though the
city would be swept by a cyclone
but the angry wind clouds seemed
TO veer and sweep around The city
striking the rural districts and
villages on nearly all sides.
Many of the farmers living In this
vicinity have sustained heavy losses
through the destruction of their
barns and sheds. Telephone lines
were thrown down in all parts of
the county. People in this city first
realized the extent of the damage
that had been done when the rural
carriers returned in the evening,
drenched but happy that they had
escaped so luckily. They reported
that the road in places was blocked
entirely by trees, timber and debris
generally.
The barn of Byron Landon who
lives about ) miles east of the city
was levelled to the ground. W. w.
Oyer, living about 4 miles south
east of here on the Platteville road
also had a barn destroyed. Ralph
King, had driven into this building
to escape the fury of the storm and
warned by the shaking of the
structure. left it just before it fell.
The rural carriers had hard work
to return home. They encountered
many obstacles, the roads being en-
tirely blocked in some places as we
have said. 1t was extremely diff
ficult to drive against the furious
WIND and at times they were almost
forced backward. Reports from
other parts of the county indicate
that the loss of farm property is
greater than was at first supposed.
In the vicinity OF Bloomington
and Beetown the storm did very
little damage, but near Patch Grove
it destroyed among other smaller
buildings a barn belonging to Fred
Foster and windmill on the Knapp
farm
In South Lancaster harms and
sheds were destroyed at Christian
Vesperman's and John Bailie's and
Othes farmers sustained heavy
losses of fruit trees, etc.
In Fennimore there was con-
siderable damage done Two large
window were broken; one in
the H. Roethe residence and one in
the home of Frank Roach At the
latter place a piece of the glass flew
and struck Mrs Roach on the head,
cutting a deep cash. A physician
was called and he found it neces-
sary TO take several stitches in the
cut
East and south east of the city the
wind seems TO have done the great
est damage. On the Walter Boyd
farm, east of town, more or less
damage was 0one TO the DulIdlngS
and at the Bast farm near w. w.
Oyer's large hay shed was blown
over.
On the old Tom Mcdonald place
where Carl Brandemuehl now lives,
three outhouses were completely
DESTROYED. A little girl was in one
of these buildings at the time that
it was blown over, but escaped
without being injured.
AT the Levi Garner place east of
the Rock school house. windmill
was so twisted that it was almost
completely spoiled for future use.
All through this section fences were
demolished and the usual damage
was done to trees, telephone posts,
etc.