Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-12
Over Five Weeks of HirhI
Temperatures Gives IN
to Big Downp0ur
SOME DAMAGE is I.
DONE BY LIGHTNING
Bolts Strike in Different
Places and One Large
Barn Is Burned
NUMBER n

vicinity were visited by thOrOu8ns
drenching rain Thursday afternoon
and evening, Ever since July I this
locality has waited for the cleansing
downfall and when 1t came 1.42 inches
of water fell. High winds accom-
panied portion of 1t and considers.
able damage from lighting was felt In
different parts of the county.
While heavy threatening clouds
brought several squirting showers DUR
ing the afternoon It was not until DARK.
ness had fallen that the real down
pours OF the day came. Beginning
about 1880 O'Clock the rains continued
jntermittently until shortly after mid
night The hardest of them began
about $50 o'clock and continued al
most increasingly for an hour.
viii Mean Millions.
TT means millions to u.s." said one
farmer today. Wapello county and
especially the portion nearest Ottum-
wa has suffered for rain during the
past five weeks and the plentiful pour
ings of Thursday evening have given
every growing thing new lease on
life.
City people are especially thankful
to have the air clean and pure once
again. Although allowed the use Of
the water, during the greater part of
the dry spell for sprinkling lawns.
shrubs, flowers and the streets, vt
hours OF that kind OF work will not
do the work that good, old fashioned
Iowa rain will accomplish
Some High Winds.
During the afternoon rains an ex-4
tremely high wind accompanied by
sharp lightning was noticed In som0s
parts Of the county. In the vicinity o.
Bakers grove the wind was especially
strong. A party Of campers there had
trouble in keeping their tents In pogl-'
ton and two or three did blow into
the river and parts Of some OF tho
larger trees we're snapped OF.
In the residence districts consider
able trouble with the light wires waos
experienced during the carly part o3s
the evening The trouble shootersss
for the railway and light company had
a nights work ahead of them. None
Of the damage amounted to any ftguro
all being confined to small wire
trouble in the residence parts Of thAsI
city.
Destroys Property.
Lightning damage In the country out
side of Ottumwa was costly In tho
destruction of farm property during
Thursday nights storm. The reflection
Of fires were visible to Ottumwans III
different parts Of the country. The
chief loss OF this kind reported wass
that of the barn Of G.. D. Wycofk,
southwest OF the city. The barn
erected last fall, was struck by light
ming about O'Clock during the frst2
big storm after supper and practically
all of it's contents were destroyed BY
the flames.
The barn was a large one, being
38x5O feet In dimensions with q large
basement. The structure was full 81
corn and grain including sixty-hve tons
Of hay all of which was burned. Farm
implements consisting OF a binder, cul.;
tivator, hay loader and buggy which
were in the barn were also destroyed
by the blaze. None Of the stock Waa|
lost although number OF hogs had
been in the basement OF the barn when
the lightning struck in the doorway s0f
the building causing the Are. The
hogs were saved. Efforts to save the
structure were In vain and for three
hours the blaze and later the rehec-s
ton of the fire on the southwestern
horizon were visible in Ottumwa. Mr.
Wycon places his loss at $4,000, partly
insured. 4