Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-08-29

'TORNAD(
FIVE FARM ri i: PLACES
VISITED BY 1WISTER
Roster Family Save Lives in
Cellar, But wife Is Ser
iousIy Injured.
{ A tornado passed thru the township |
of Holland and into the township of
Roseland last Wednesday afternoon,
seriously injuring Mrs. Eta Roster,
Gripping her husband, Rhinder Kos
ter, killing some stock, and wrecking
buildings on five different farm places.
The storm clouds gathered at about
four O'Clock, and the funnsl.shaped
cloud with it's terribly destructive en-
ergy was seen by hundreds of people
throughout the southwestern part Of
the county. 1t is described as having
resembled gigantic rope and where
the end touched the earth it swept
everything clean. People who were
two or three miles away saw the cloud
pick up the big barns and scatter them
over the prairie as kindling wood.
Where Storm Started.
The force OF the tornado began to
exert itself at point in Rheiderland
township in Chippewa County. At the
Huff place it lightly touched a thresh-
ing outfit in operation. The man in
the stRawstack is said to have been
lifted fifty feet and deposited on the
ground again without any serious in
jury. The separator was overturned.
No serious damage was done here,
however, and the tornado continued
over the fields into the township Of
Holland.
Ruin at Henry Gort Place.
Near the center of that town, the
Widow Gort home lay in the path Of
the storm. Henry Gort, j., the son,
and family live here with his mother.
At this particular time, the elder Mrs.
Gort was visiting at her other sons,
Isaac Gort's place, and MIR. Henry
Gort was assistingf in threshing
crew north of Prinsburg. Mrs. Simon
Dykema, mother of Mrs. Henry Gort,
Jr, was visiting with her daughter.
They were seated at the table with
two little children, Sadie and Harold,
the latter in high chair. They did
. not notice the approach of the storm
until it swept by, lifting the house and
throwing them all off their feet. Hap
PLY none were seriously injured. The
house was lifted about eight feet of
it's foundation, and while it was dam
aged, 1t can be righted and repaired.
The other buildings on the place Jared
worse. The barn. a structure z4x30
feet, was entirely shattered and the
pieces and splinters of wood scattered
over the fields. A new auto shed, 16x16,
which was apparently less exposed to
the storm than the house, was carried
away and totally demolished. A val
liable stallion which was in the lot es-
capped with bruise over one eye. A
fine Jersey cow, recently purchased,
sustained a broken leg and it was
found necessary to kill her. A large
number of chickens and two ducks
were killed. Implements and carpen-
ter tools were scattered and destroyed.
Mr.. Gort fortunately had his auto with
him at the place where he was thresh-
ing and arrived at the home few min
utes after the storm. He carried no
storm insurance and his loss is a SER
ious one. 1t will no doubt exceed
$4,000. Some of his neighbors came
over to assist in picking up the wreck
age. The household goods were taken
out and moved to Prinsburg, where the
family will live until the house ia re-
stored. While the loss of property
is keenly felt, the family is joyfully
thankful that the members who were
in the wrecked house were spared and
escaped injury.
Schoolhouse Was Wrenched.
The sch0olhouse in Dist. No. 103, a
short distance from the Gortplace, was
near the path Of the storm. 1t was
moved slightly from its foundation.
The belfry was blown of, and the bell
wheel was broken. The building was