The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1909-06-25
FARM HOUSE OF w. j.. NOBLE
ROLLED OVER AND OVER.
FAMILY FELL OUT OF WINDOW
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE z IRIS.
NOBLE AND TWO oTHL
LEFT IN GRASS; HOUSE GO,s

Mrs. Noble, Her Daughter and Miss
Intveen Were All More or Less
Bruised and Gashed-Many Farmers
Completely Hailed Out.
Clearwater, Neb., June 24.-Special
to The News: A terrific wind and
rainstorm visited this community yes.
terday just before noon. 1t came from
the northwest, a great rolling mass of
black cloud turning toward the south
west but advancing toward the south
east. It's duration was about half an
hour and then 1t went rolling on its
way, leaving the sky as clear as before
the storm.
Many Farmers Hailed Out.
But north and east of Clearwater it
left track of desolation, being one
of the worst hailstorms that ever visit.
ed that section. Several farmers came
to town in the afternoon reporting
their small grain irreparably ruined
and their corn set back two or three
weeks by being cut off or pounded into
the ground.
Moved Oats Field.
The center of the storm passed over
the farm of w. ]. Noble. six miles from
town. His oats are reported as being
mown as smoothly as II done with a
mower. 1t was there also that the
wind reached its greatest velocity,
blowing perfect hurricane.
1t picked his house, story and a
half frame structure. off its founda-
tion, rolled it over two or three times
and left it lying on its roof fifty yards
from where it stood.
House Blown over, Family Lives.
Mrs. Noble. her little daughter, and
Anna Intveen were in the house at
the time 1t blew over. There are two
different versions to the story of their
almost miraculous escape. One story
Is that as the house went over por-
tion of the brick chimney went
through the double window and they
were thrown out after it, bruised and
cut by the glass, but not seriously in
jured. A later story, which Is probab-
ly nearer the truth, is that the wind
blew out the windows Just as the
house left It's foundation and that the
woman and the two girls fell out Of
the double window and the house
passed over them, leaving them lying
In the grass. 1t was all over so quick.
ly and they were so dazed at suddenly
finding themselves on the grass in the
midst of terrific hailstorm, with no
roof over them that they scarcely
know how it was done. They all sus-
tanned bruises and cuts from the glass,
and Miss Intveen was caught by the
family organ, which fell on her as
the house went over. but at latest re.
port she is not seriously injured in
ternally.
House On Its Roof.
Mr.. Noble was in the barn at the
time the house blew away. having Just
come in from the field. The barn, be-
ing a lower and wider structure than
the house, withstood the storm, al
though IL was partly lifted two or
three times by the force of the wind
He did not know the house had gone
until his wife and daughter struggled
to the barn through the binding
sheets of rain and hail. After the
storm the hail lay in drifts and could
be scooped up with a shovel. The
house is wreck, lying on its roof
with the floor caved in. The furni.
ture is literally smashed to pieces, and
had the mother and the two girls not
been so fortunate as to be thrown
through the window during the first
revolution of the house they must
surely have been killed by the flying
furniture and pieces of chimney.
Many windmills were demolished in
the central path of the storm, but no
other such serious damage as Mr.. No
BILE has sustained has been reported.