The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-06-04
STORMDESTROYS>
CAPE MANS 10
ACRESOF WHEAT
Not a Straw Left Standing
In Klostermanf Field Near
AllenEille.
SOUTHEAST SECTION
OF COUNTY is SWEPT
Crops Ruined and Livestock
Killed, Emil Pruitt Reports
House In Ruins.

Emil FRUIT, prominent FARMER
from Whitewater bottoms, near Allen
vile, was in this city yesterday con-
sulting with John Klosterman on
whose farm he makes his home.
Mr.. Pruitt said that one of the most
destructive storms ever known in
Southeast Missouri swept the south
ern section of the county Wednesday
night, causing great loss in livestock
and crops, He said that the hail
storm which followed the tornado
wrought great havoc in the localities
through which it passed and that hu"
dreds of acres of fine growing crops
were completely devastated and laid to
waste. 4
In describing his experience with the
storm, Mr.. Pruitt said:
"Mr Klosterman's farm on which !
live is located about one mile up the
creek from Allenville, and Wednesday
evening after supper, l drove into
town with a carpenter who had been
making some repairs on the premises,
and wished to return that evening aft
er completing his contract.
Shortly after reaching town heavy
clouds rolled up and it became so dark
that it was impossible to see any
thing, except when the lightning
flashed.
"The wind came up suddenly and
blew at terrific rate. | felt sure that
the restaurant in which had taken
shelter would be be blown away. It
fairly weaved from the force of the
gale and at one time, / am sure it was
actually on a balance, in the act OF
turning over.
"The Roof of the Allenville bridge
across Whitewater was blown away,
and a number of sheds and frame
houses were also destroyed. Trees
were uprooted and lay in matted mass
es along the banks of the stream. A
number Of large shade trees around
my house and in the fields were blown
down, and one big black walnut tree
which is still standing had its trunk
splintered and split from the power
ful rotary motion of the wind.
Immediately following the hurri-
cane came the heaviest hail storm that
| ever experienced. HailstOnes larger
than hen eggs fell in such volume that
they covered the surface of the ground
with a thickness of several inches.
"My entire crop was destroyed by
the hail. The field of lou acres of
corn, which had been plowed twice and
was as fine prospect as | ever saw,
the EeXt morning after the storm pre-
sented as barren an appearance as if
the ground had been freshly broken.
every hili of corn will have to be
replanted, and at this time the water
is pouring over the banks of the
stream in such great quantities that
ali the bottom lands are in a state of
inundation, and all farming activities
are suspended.
81 had 10 acres of wheat which
feel sure would have yielded more than
Is bushels to tke-acre, and of this
splendid prospect, there was not a
straw left standing, and I do not ex-
pect to take my binder from the shed
this summer l also suffered the total
loss of 60 acres of oats.
"My entire crop for this year is a
total loss, and up until was visited
by the hailstorm the outlook was never
more promising for me.
"Where the hail passed through the
forests, the leaves were almost COM
pletely stripped from the trees, CIV
ing large sections the appearance pre-
scented in the fall of the year when
most of the leaves have dropped.
"My neighbors above and below me
in the creek bottom suffered losses as
complete as my own, and the path of
the hailstorm was more than mile
wide
"No person could have survived ex-
posure to the storm when it was at its
highest After the worst had passed,
John Plum attempted to hold coat
over his head and run to the barn lot
to look after some milk cows, when a
large hailstone struck one of his hands
with such force that his knuckles were
broken.
"The water still runs over the banks
of the stream and is spread out across
the bottom lands, and is SO deep that
the only way can get away from my
home is by skiff.
when l came to Allenville prepara-
tory to coming to the Cape, was ac-
companied by seven neighbors who