The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-11-17
CYCLONE SWEEPS PATH ACROSS
ROCK COUNTY.
Causing Death and Destruction of
Large Amount of Property.

Inc most uSSCEuCLlV0 CyClOIG ever
seen in this section OF the state swept
a narrow path across Rock county Sat-
urday afternoon, leaving in it's track a
death list of a dozen persons and
property loss that is hard to estimate,
for homes, buildings, fences, telephone
lines within the line of the storm were
crushed, broken and twisted and liter
ally ground to pieces. The atmospheric
conditions of the day were favorable
for the formation of tornadoes, the air
hot and sultry with cold wave bearing
down from the northwest always pre-
monitory symptoms of some violent
disturbances.
The cyclone appeared to form in the
vicinity of Brodhead and Orfordville,
near the southern line of the county,
taking northeasterly course, passing
through the towns of Rock, Center,
GAINESVILLE and Milton in a path scarcely
more than forty rods in width, crossing
the river short distance west of the
county asylum, extending on through
Milton, following the railroad line for
mile or so, leaving wreckage for at
least 30 mile strip. Not farm with
in its scope escaped unframed. West
of Hanover Mrs. John Crowder met
her death, and Mrs. Proede died in
the ruins of her home. lin this vicinity
also was the greatest toll of death
where three members of the Schmidt
family were killed outright and ayoung
son fatally injured. Leo Lentz, the 16
year old son of Fred Lentz, con-
tractor, was almost instantly killed
when a large barn on the James Little
farm was carried away. 1t was in this
vicinity the tornado was most destruc-
tive and not only was every building in
the track of the storm demolished but
much live stock was killed. The school
house at Willowdale was completely
destroyed and not book or pencil left
to show where the building stood. The
Saunders school north of Milton suffer
ed a similar fate. Miss Eleanor Doug
lass, teacher in Spring Valley, was
among those injured.
A driving rain accompanied the
storm, followed by biting blizzard on
Sunday, making the work Of clearing
up the wreckage and getting the scat
tered farm stock and household effects
under cover slow and tedious.
AS the storm swept east of Milton
another death, that of a four year old
daughter of Aft Austin, occurred when
the house was demolished. Mrs. Aus
tin also sustained broken collar bone.
The villages of Milton and Milton juno
ton providentially escaped with but
little damage. The. gas company's
plant between the two towns was
wrecked and the machinery scattered
over the fields. The Campion farm
south of the Junction was on the edge
of the storm. At the Frank Stockman
place the small outbuildings, windmill
and chimneys were carried away. On
the Arthur Stockman farm adjoining
the damage was more extensive. A
large tobacco shed was completely
blown away, outbuildings were demol-
ished or blown away entirely. In the
rear of the house was a heavy gasoline
engine mounted on a cement block, the
entire work weighing over 1900 pounds.
The shed which stood over this was
carried away and the heavy engine and
it's heavy foundation lay over a rod
from where it had stood. At this place
several cattle suffered from broken
legs and had to be killed. However,
the loss of live stock in the vicinity of
Milton and Milton Junction was very
slight and farmers were extremely
lucky in this regard in this section.
Next north on the D. B. Coon farm
all the small buildings on the farm were
RACED and the roof of the big stock
barn and granary carried away, two
large stray stacks blown all over this
and adjoining farms. The seasons
grain was left unprotected and wet by
the driving rain. -Four hundred DuSnelS
of barley had been sold to be delivered
on Monday was also made unmarked
able. Still further north Roy Cary
suffered a heavy loss. He had entirely
remodeled the barns and the residence,
but barely trace of the large base
ment barn or any of the outbuildings is
left. None of the lumber in the barn
is to be found, and it was evidently
lifted completely and carried away. A
strange thing about it was that the
hay in the barn was left resting on the
stone basement without vistage of
the structure which was once over it.
The broken bits of the barn were
strewn over two or three adjoining
farms The house was badly wrecked |
and handsome line of maple shade
trees torn, twisted and broken.