Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1916-08-10
HAIL STORMS WORK
GREAT DESTRUCTION
CROPS IN MCKENZIE, DIVIDE AND
BOTTINEAU COUNTIES LAID
WASTE

full snare OF losses from nall IN past
years, it has this season so far es-
capped. Several other sections of the
state have been less fortunate. The
accounts, received through our eX-
changes, Of the storms that hit
Divide, Bottineau and Mckenzie coun-
ties Tuesday and Wednesday nights
of last week tell of much greater
destruction than the first information
indicated. Many other parts Of the
state have suffered from recent hail
storms.
The storms followed a northwest by
southeast course and laid waste wide
strips of country. In Divide county
the hailed district is described as from
six to twelve miles wide extending
from the Westby country nearly or
quite across the county, cutting wide
swath through the splendid country
south Of Ambrose and Crosby.
The same storm appears to have
struck again in northern Bottineau
county. The Souris Messenger says:
Hail Wednesday night at Antler,
Kuroki, Westhope, south of Landa
and north of Kramer, completely
wiped out the crop. North and north
east of Souris the crop is half gone.
Tremendous wind accompanied the
hail."
Mckenzie County Hit
Late Tuesday evening Northwest
ern Mckenzie county suffered heavy
loss from what is perhaps the worst
the coming of the homesteaders. Of
this storm the Mckenzie County
Journal of Charlson gives the follow
ing account:
BY far the worst hail storm that
has ever visited this section of the
county laid waste the grain on at
least a hundred square miles of terri
tory south of here Tuesday evening.
The path Of the storm in this coun-
ty was from Seneschal southeast and
east to the reservation, distance of
about twenty. miles, and the zone in
which total losses are reported ap-
pears to be about six miles wide. The
north line Of total destruction is ap-
proximately from mile ~ two north
of Elidah to about mile south Of
Keene and thence about east, and the
heavy damagea eytsrds st a!,sl,t far n
south as Berg.
This is, of course, a serious set
back for the hundreds Of settlers in
the afflicted zone, and therefore to
the community at large. And the
loss was not confined to the fields OF
grain. The storm overturned build
ings and horses and cattle were in
jured by being driven into barb-wire
fences. There were also losses due
to lightning.
In the Charlson locality there was
a heavy shower of rain with little
wind and no hail worth mentioning.
OF the same storm the Schafer Rec
ord says:
Mckenzie county was visited by it's
first destructive hail strom on Tues
day evening about 10 o'clock. The
storm entered the county from the
north and taking southeasternly
course passed out through the Ber-
thold Indian reservation on the east.
It's course was some thirty miles long
and about six miles wide, beginning
at Senechal on the Missouri river on
the north passing through Elidah and
between Berg and Keene. one Of the
best farming sections in the county,
Between 40 and so farmers suffered a
total loss and more than twice this |
number suffered a partial loss. Only |
very small per cent of the farmers
whose crops we're totally or partially |
deSCrOyeQ carried INSURANCE sSalHSI
loss by hail. "
Fields of heavy grain were cut off
short to the ground by the hail and
have the appearance of having been |
cut with mower. Scarcely a straw |
was left lying on the ground in the
path of the storm. The standing |
grain seems to have been ground to
bits and carried away by the heavy !
wind. The prairie grass was also cut
close to the ground.
Among the number of farmers in
the path of the storm who suffered
total loss are, S. G. Fadden, H. H.
Swenson, Buhel Bros. Mcclure Bros.
Otto Tank. Hugh Mcguire, Torkel
Walland, Pete Edwardson, Halvor
Carlson, Henry .Halverson, K, E.
Westerlund, L. Larson, ". Richard
son, Henry Olson, Berget Bros, Bee
lev Bros, Rice & Sons. Bert and Tom
Moe, Nels Rolfsrud. J: F.. Lockrem,
Earl Steadman, Nels Jorgenson, Al
vim Long, Jim Robinson, Geo. Stone,
Louis Ceynar, Oscar Lunl, Joe boyle,
and John Skaar.