The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1917-06-21
.CYClON NEAR MERCER.
Two Children Killed, Several InIur-
ed, Many Buildings Destroyed
BY the Cyclone last Week.

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ed, Many Buildings Destroyed
by the Cyclone last Week.
(The following account of the de-
structive tornado in Mercer county,
Missouri, on TUESDAY evening OF last
week, is taken from an extra issued
by the Princeton Post
THE DEAL:
Edith Lang, IA year old daughter
of Clarence Lang, eight miles north
: of Princeton.
Little Child of Lula Lang.
Among the injnred-clkaredaee a d. lar nee
John Smalley, north of Ravanna.
Others were also injured, but oW-
ing to telephone lines being down,
complete reports can not be secured
at this time.
Two people are known to have
been killed and several injured Dy a
tornado which swept path possibly
long through the north section OF
Mercer county Tuesday evening:
Two tornadoes passed through the
north part of Mercer county between
seven and eight o'clock that evening,
but only one caused any trouble, SO
far as can be learned. Both were
plainly seen in Princeton and scores
whirlng, boiling mass OF black
clouds travelling northeast their long
tails trailing down to the earth, and
the watchers trembled for the safety
of those who might be in the storm $
path. The first one appeared about
seven O'Clock. The other was some
thirty minutes later, and was much
neighborhood, but at this time no re-
port of it has been heard.
The first tornado seemed to form
near the home of Roy Moore, few
miles north of Princeton. From there
it swept northeast. passing just north
of Alvoru. south OF Mercer and north
OF Ravanna, missing Che towns but
country. It's path was probably q
hundred yards wide and it travelled
over strip probably ten miles long.
According to reports OF damage re-
ceived at this time, it bounded, up
and down, skipping some country as
it went, and swOoping down in other
sections to twist up the houses, harms,
fences and trees in its path. IN many
places huge trees were twisted on
at their base or uprooted. Other places
it merely twisted the tops out OF the
trees and took tops off OF buildings.
In some places it even skinned grass
from the ground, it is said, and one
man tells Of sod rolled up as if skin
ned by spade.
The small loss of life is probably
due to the fact that the tornado came
at time when people were nearly
Lin their homes, gathere. at SUP
per after the days farm work was
done The great roar OF the tWlsterr
gave warning Of its approach and
gave them time to seek shelter. Many
Of the people had caves, into which
they hurri edly went.
The tornado started near the nome
of 10y Moore, six miles north OF
Princeton, reports indicate. Howey-
er, at that point it seemed to be sail
ing little hign and did not do as
much damage as it did further along.
Some outbuildings there were torn
up and many trees in his orchard
blown down.
Next it swept through the farm of
Addie Mercer His house was lifted
from it's foundation and carried prob
ably fifty feet near the road. 1t was
badly damaged A cook stove in the
house was turned bottom side up and
his furniture and household goods
were a jumbled mass. The top OF
his barn was taken off as ii sliced
with Hnife, and some :, OF his ,sI stock oa
Gently. beene built probably saved the
lives of Mr. MERGERS family. He saw
the storm coming and quickly got his
family into the cave. Mr.. Mercer
stood in the cave door ana watched
the big black cloud approach, roar
ing and boiling and licking up things
in it's path. 1t was not more than a
into the cave and pulled the door,
shut. In a few moments all was over
and he peered out to see his home
wreck. Boards, stnmps. and other
debris gathered Ov the storm were
deposited against wire fence, re-
sembling a drift. and curious part
of it was, that the fence posts held
At the w. T.. Cox home his barn
was wrecked and stock killed.
Carl Ranks house was damaged
and some of his outbuildings demol-
ished. The top was taken off of his
barn and quantity of corn in the
building was sucked out by the
whirling wind and scattered over the
country.
Many other houses and farm
buildings in that vicinity were dam
aged and wrecked, and some stock
killed, but no people there were in
jured, SO far as can be learned at
this time.
Then the tornado seemed to bound
upward, and skipped several miles of
territory as it progressed northeast.
1t passed just north of Alvord, doing
a little damage in that vicinity. Over
south of Mercer the tornado swept
down with great fierceness, and took
its first toll of human life at the
home of Clarence Lang HIS fourteen
year old daughter, Edith. and lit
tie child of Lulu Lang were killed.
Mr. Lang was badly injured, it is
said. His house was demolished and
they were struck by the wreckage.
The home of Marion Wells, on the
Mercer road, was picked up by the
twister and deposited in the road,
mashed flat. Mr.. Wells was driving
a team of horses to a buggy along
the road when he saw the storm COM
ing. He whipped the horses into a
run and reached the house before the
storm struck. He got his family into
a cellar under the smoke house. The
building over them was demolished,
oll I>v,s1 n