Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-03-25
|STORN DOES
MUCH DAMAGE
Many Farmers South of Here Lose
Livestock-Barns and Other
Buildings are Blown
Down.
ISAAC SMITH PLACE HIT HARD.
Timbers are Blown Through Roof Of
House-Blairsburg Also
Struck.
ISAAC SMITH PLACE HIT HARD.

!
Sunday nights storm played sad
havoc on number of farms south
and southeast of this city. Barns
and other buildings, windmills, ETC.,
were blown down or badly damaged
on the w. o. Mcconnell J. E.
Adams, Oscar Gilmore, J. C.
Sterling, w. H. Berryhill, T. E.
Silvers and other places L.. NJ. Cros-
by, on the VIM. Spicer farm, had
stock killed. One farmer lost six
head of horses and others suffered
losses of livestock. w. G.. Myers had
four mules killed. The house occu-
pied by Logan Corbin on the E. p.
Harrison place was moved off it's
foundation, a big machine shed was
demolished and the windmill blown
down. .-
The Isaac Smith farm must have
been in the direct path of the storm
as more damage was done there than
has been reported from any other
place. Practically all out buildings
were blown down., including a large
barn and silo. Every window glass
in the house was broken, large tim
bers We're blown through the roof
into the rooms below. Twenty-four
peighboring farmers waded through
the mud to offer assistance to the
family and helped them clear up
things until there was at last one
room in the house they could oceu-
py. They also helped to- get the
stock still alive, out of the wrecked
buildings. Six horses had been kill
ed. -.. ... .EL-
Reports from Blairsburg are to
the effect that the storm was Sc
we're there. 1t is said that many
barns and sheds were blown down
and nearly every residence and, busi-
ness house in town was damaged to
some extent. A car was blown over
upon the railroad track. which caus-
ed wreck by train running into
it. Thus far no loss of human life
is reported. but a number of animals
were killed.
LATER.
More details of Sunday nights
big storm have been received today
and all combine to show that it was
one of great devastation and the
area covered by it was widespread.
Telegraph and telephone connection
was badly crippled in all directions
and news as to the extent Of the
damage done by the storm was i'm
possible to obtain yesterday The
tornado was the worst in eastern
Nebraska and western Iowa but it
extended over Wisconsin,, Illinois
and Indiana.
Here in Hamilton county many
farmers lost heavily through damage
to barns. outbuildings and livestock
killed. W. o. Mcconnell OF this city
visited his place south OF town yes
terday and the sight which met his
gaze upon arriving there was one of
much destruction. lis loss from
wrecked buildings, etc, will be in
the neighborhood OF $4,000. He had
two cattle killed and is fortunate
that the loss in this line was not
greater. While the barn upon his
place was wrecked the horses inside
of it escaped and how they did so is
marvel. Mr.. McConnell's expert
ence is duplicated by many of the
farmers in his neighborhood, as we'll
as those located farther east in Inde-
pendence township.
Considering the destructiveness of
the storm Hamilton county is partic-
ularly fortunate in that no loss of
human life occurred.