Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-25
Small Buildings, Porches,
Roofs and Chimneys Easy
Prey Of Winds; High
School in Path.
WEST OTTUMWA
SUFFERED MUCH
Path of Storm Was West
to East; Signs in Busi-
ness District Blown Down
List of Losses.
At least half of the city of Ottumwa

At least half of the city or OttumWa
was in the path of Sunday nights
windstorm, or miniature tornado. ;
Damage that can not be estimated
was left in the wake Of the fierce wind.
The high school building was perhaps
the worst damaged of any structure In
Ottumwa, while in Rutledge the Phil
lips Fuel Co. suffered loss Of $4,000
when the wind destroyed the tipple
on the abandoned mine and blew over
the large company store.
In West Ottumwa, notably on Fourth
street and in Fairview, the swift gale
played havoc with porches roofs,
chimneys. windows and small out
buildings.
Silos, barns. chimneys and roofs at
farms west of the city south OF the
riHeE were also easy prey to the ter
rife winds.
Display signs in the business district
anG all occasional window we're re.
duced to atoms. and practically every
billboard in the city was more or less
damaged.
uhe ball park at the foot of Myrtle
street was not overlooked, the grand
stand roof and the fences being DAM
hged to the extent that at least the
fences will have to be rebuilt The
north side of the enclosure. the bound
airy for loft field will have to be en-
tire'v rebuilt, and Owner Stoessel an
nounced this morning that the fence
will he placed more to the north, max
Ing the park regulation size.
Tha tr'enhcnn and telegraph service
has been r"dly cr:pn'ed by the storm.
Tile new phone company rarorted q
wa and on Woodland avenue and far
ont on North Court street The old
phone lines on West Slain street are
lady affected and the toll service
west. and even to Des MOines. is i'm
possible. Practically Ill the telephone,
trouble was due to frees falling On
lines and cutting tn, circuits. 6oth
The Western Union and Postal service
are crippled due to the storm, the fall
ing Of trees being resDonsible for Il
large part of the damage.
Street car service On the Second
and Main street lines was abandoned
at 10 O'clock last night for the re-
rlaiIder of the night. whiis a large
force of men spent The time chopring
down trees that covered The trolley
wires. The electric lighting wires were
also crippled, cutting off il!umina tion
in West Ottumwa from 20 p. m. on.
Only one arc light was put out of serv-
ice by the fierce wind. The mesh of
telephone and telegraph wires near the
west end car barns made entrance to
the barns impossible, and all the
street cars remained on the west end
tracks all night. Service today, how
ever. shows little or no signs of the
wind storm.
The mixture of hail, rain and wind
became active shortly before 10
o'clock Sunday night and the gale con-
tinued in it's mission of destruction
not more than forty-five minutes. That
brief period seemed like an eternity
to many people whose homes were
rocked or partially destroyed by the
windstorm.
The Ottumwa insurance offices were
easily the busiest places in this city
today. Reports of damages from at
least 100 persons were registered by
10 a. M Damage to much Of the farm
property, no doubt, has not yet been
reported.
High School Target.
The Ottumwa high school seemed to
be a target for the fierce gale Un-
protected from any-side, and partic-
ularly so from the south, west and
east, the huge structure with it's num-
erous windows suffered the full force
of the storm. The pictures Of the
young men and women who graduated
from the institution each year since
1902, which hung in room No. 10 were
hardly recognizable this morning. The
windows in the western portion Of the
building were easy prey Of the gale.
md in one instance the window cas-
Ing, plastering and brick was forced
into the room by the terrific wind.
Room No. 10 was Uttered with broken
rlass, brick and water this morning.
Continued IN page E