The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-04-02
LOCAL pAShES.

/ AUS CICA l1dulHlcS, vi GAN
ME, Texas, who has been a guest at
the John Hammes home, is a victim
|of the Grinredd cyclone. She was a
little girl at the time and the family
which lived at, Davenport were resid-
ing temporarily in GrinneH. when the
storm swept the town on the evening
of June II, 1882. The house in which.
the family lived was first partially
crushed by a fallen tree and then
carried away in the wind. The in
mates found shelter in a nearby Gel
lar. More than ona-ffth of the town
was destroyed by the storm and forty
people were killed outright. Many
we're seriously injured and afterwards
died, bringing the list of dead in Grin
nell and nearby towns up to ninety.
The west building of Iowa College
was RACED and the wind wrecked and
flames destroyed the main building.
The Grinnell cyclone was by all odds
the most destructive storm that ever
visited Iowa, and OskalOOsa people
will recall the peculiar aspect of the
Say. even at this distance from the
scene. An hour or more before sun
set the northern sky was hung with
conical. downward pointing clouds,
the like of which had never before
been seen. After sunset, and even
after darkness had gathered, the wes-
tern sky half way to the zenith was
lurid and unearthly, filling one with
dread and fear Almost before the
brilliant apparition had disappeared
nine o'clock the damage was COM
III s,NI
with a roaring-like thunder, or per
haps more like the rumbling of a null
titude Of heavy freight trains. Chin
neys, trees, houses. barns and great
buildings were mown down like ripe
grain before a reaper, and in a few
minutes the work of many men for
many years was but mass of ruins.
In these days of garages and auto
mobiles it is interesting to recall
that the first livery barn in Oskaloosa
was started by Major Medley, about
1916. In 1S4S the late Henry Stafford
purchased its belongings and moved
to an old building that stood where
the Masonic opera house Is now To-
Gated. One day party passed
through the village with two large elk.
Mr.. Stafford traded horse for the
two animals and had dreams of
training them TO work and attracting
wide attention to his livery. In this
he failed, as the animals would not
stand hitched.' and they we're sold
and butchered for meat. Mr.. Stat
ford had twenty-three head of horses,
and his teams made trips all over
Iowa, going frequently to Burlington,
Keokuk and Council Bluffs. In those
days Oskaloosa was an important
station on the stage routes across
Iowa.
- - -
Jesse DUNCAN, of the Golden Eagle
Clothing store. served five years in
the regular army, most of which time
was spent in Arizona. This was back
In the seventies when the Indians
were still giving the government more
or less trouble. During one Apache
uprising Mr.. DUNCAN was dispatched
with messages to Tucson, distance
OF 100 miles. He rode one pony all
the way and made the trip In a little
over thirteen hours. He admits that
he was little sore the next day,
but after a days rest he started back
with the relief expedition. He still
likes to ride horseback, on the i'm
stallment plan, but believes he would
try to hire substitute now Ii IL
were necessary TO go one hundred
miles In hurry on bronchO