The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-07-16
Cyclone at Big Stone
City and OrtOnyille
Last Sunday Afternoon-Houses Torn
Down and Trees Uprooted-SeyeraI
Italians Killed and a Number In.
jured-Property Damage Large.

ltallanS KILLED and Number In.
jured-Property Damage Large.
JOHN DE CREEP LOSES HIS LIFE.
THE DEAD-BIG STONE
Phillip De Greet
ORTONvILLE
Four Italian laborers.
About 5 o'clock Sunday even
ing a cyclone swept down along
the foot Of Big Stone lake, doing
considerable damage and caus-
ing the death of perhaps a half
dozen persons. One of these
was John De Greet, one of the
early settlers in the county, and
who was bus driver on the line
between the Big Stone depot and
Simpson park.
AT BIG STONE
The cyclone struck the north
end of Big Stone City, seemingly
cling in a southeasterly di.
rectlon. 1t first showed it's dis.
tructlveness Dy the tearing to
pieces of large bal n on a farm
about four miles northwest of
town, on what is known as the
old Lyman Jones farm. When
nearing Big Stone it took up the
barn on the Zeigler farm and de-
molished it. It then crossed
the lake shore road leading
from Big Stone to Simpson park
a short distance north of the
John Gold residence. Just be-
fore coming to this point it caught
the house and barn of c.. w.
Schmickle and tore them to
pieces, and practically destroy
ed everything in the house.
There were seven or eight peo.
pie in the house at the time. but
all escaped without serious iu-
jury, Mr.. Schmickle only sus.
tanning some cuts on his head
and face.
The storm struck the home of
Conrad Puder, which was in it's
pathway, but aside from break
ing nearly every window in the
house and tearing out some of
the supports to a new piazza,
which was being built on the
house. No extensive damage
was done, though the shade
trees and some small out houses
were wrecked and the barn was
lifted a few inches from it's
foundation.
HOUSE FALLS ON GIRLS.
A small house owned by A.
F'ramm, a bachelor living on the
lake road, was demolished. No
one was in this building at the
time, but four young ladies who
were caught in the storm sought
shelter by standing up against
the building and the front wall
fell over on them. Before the
collapse of the building they had
thrown themselves fat on the
ground. AS the wall fell over
it dropped on a chopplug block
and this support of the wall
sayed the girls from being crush.
ed to death or receiving serious
injury. Three of the girls were
able to get themselves out with
out assistance, but the debris
had to be removed before the
third could be gotten out.
DEATH OF JOHN DE GREEF
1t was in this immediate vicin.
ity that the bus was struck, and
where the driver, John De Greet
was killed. The bus was on the
return trip from the Big Stone
depot, where it had been to meet
the four O'Clock train. Fortu-
nately no passengers we're in the
vehicle, but Warren Wood, the
little son of Mrs. j. G.. Wood had
accompanied Mr.. De Greet on
the trip and was with him on the
seat. AS they neared the fatal
place on the road, the vehicle
gave a sudden jolt throwing the
boy against the side of the bus,
causing is nose to bleed, and see.
ing this he crawled to the back
OF the bus, and was standing on
the bus step as they drove into
the path of the cyclone. In the
fury of wind and rain Mr.. De
Greet called back to the boy
"Are you all right, Warren?' and
had barely uttered the words
when the vehicle was lifted in
tho air Tho hOv uae ,o;olyna 80