Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-19

ACOOtlnueu IFofu Ihke OneJ
twenty-five panes Of glass in the two
greenhouses. sixty feet wide and Loo feet
long. were broken. making a total area OF
$4,000 square feet OF shattered glass. The
value OF the broken glass is between
$4,000 and $4,000, and the balance OF the
loss was inflicted upon the plants. Hail
insurance TO the amount of about 81. 00s,
or tho market price OF the glass. was
carried.
Tho storm came across the country
from the northwest about noon. II gave
plenty OF warning OF its approach. emit
ting a roar that was heard more than
half an hour before the first hailstones
began to patter on the ground. While
all OF Council Bluffs was within the hail
belt, little or no damage was done. The
hail was small with only an occasional
pellet big enough to do damage. The Will
cox greenhouses In the city and those
OF Herman Brothers, Meyers. Lainson
ana others. escaped with the loss Of only
few hundred panes. The swath OF
heavy hail passed directly over Manawa.
There was little wind and the hail de-
scended In straight lines, None of the
glass on the sides OF the Wilcox houses
was damaged. but everything in the roof
was pulverized. The houses are devoted
entirely to the culture of roses. The
stock was hammered by the hail and cut
up by the flying glass. and there was
scarcely a plant that escaped damage
Street cars that were at Manawa at the
time show the pounding everything re-
ceived. Holes were broken In the roofs
and the woodwork dented and SCARED.
Manawa Is Hit.
In Manawa park the ground was COW
cred with leaves and small twigs from
the trees. Boughs more than half an
inch in diameter were broken off. cut
as II by bullets.
The storm continued straight southeast
and reports show that the area was more
than ten miles long. From Manawa
southeastward farm crops were battered
down. corn and small grain being almost
destroyed. Losses that may approx
mate many thousand dollars were in
flicted upon the fruit farms east OF Coun-
ell Bluffs. All of them. however were
outside the area of greatest devastation,
but there were hailstones plentiful enough
and big enough to inflict damage that
was last evening estimated to approx
mate from one quarter TO one-hslf OF
the grape crop and still heavier loss to
blackberries and raspberries. Apples
were also badly damaged. and IN some
orchards apparently not an apple escaped.
At the Hess farm. three miles south
east OF the Bluffs. the hail fell for only
few moments. but the missiles were
OF enormous size. After the storm Mrs.
Hess picked up one that measured five
inches in circumference The Hess farm
was just In the northern edge OF the big
hail area.
AT the Dorland. Rich and Avery fruit
farms the loss TO grapes and blackberries
was placed above 90 per cent OF the total
crop. As tho annual receipts OF the
Grape Growers association exceeds
$4,000 for grapes and berries in the
autumn, the seriousness OF the disaster
n apparent, as many OF tho largest vine
yards and orchards are within the dan
ger area. In vineyards lying further
south the loss was more nearly complete.
In the DorIand vineyard, one OF the
finest In the vicinity OF the Bluffs, the
loss TO the grapes was placed above 60
per cent.
Farmers report the corn cut up very
badly. but are confident IL will make a
quick recovery and suffer but little.