Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-05-29
WIND DEM0LISHES
MANY BUILDINGS
Girl Also Is Injured In Severe
Storm OF Saturday Night.

Damage that in many cases will |
seriously hamper the war efforts of
a number of farmers was done by a
severe wind storm that swept over
a path some Is miles long through
the southeastern part of the county
last Saturday night. A large number
Of barns were blown down and several
sheds demolished, but only one person,
Myrtle Paulson, daughter of c.. P.
Paulson was seriously injured She
was blown about the yard of her home
and in some way which even she is
unable to explain both her legs were
broken.
The wind appeared to follow in a
general way the course of the Pomme
de Terre river until just east of Nor
ris the storm swung sharply to the
east and went into Pope county at
a point near Cyrus. The storm came
into Stevens county on the east side
of Synnes township and swung to the
east into Horton township about three
miles north of the county line Making
wide curve toward the center of
Horton, it turned north into Darnen
near the river. 1t then went north
east in wide curve cutting into the
northwestern part of Hodges and
sweeping across the north side of this
township to the east.
The course Of the storm was about
a mile wide in most places, but this
varied. There was also a variety in
the height of the wind from the ground
because it tumbled over buildings on
one farm only to skip over the next
along it's path and drop down onto
the next.
The storm passed within about
two and half miles of Morris. There
were buildings much nearer that were
} blown down, but the center of the
path seemed to be about that distance
at it's nearest point.
In all wind storms there are always
many freaks, but this storm had com
paratively few. The wind seemed to
drive steadily in one direction with
tremendous force. No stress twisted
off as in a cyclone and it is believed
there was not single house blown
down in the county. The damage was
5 mostly to barns which, with their big
lofts empty of hay, were easy victims
, of the wind. Small sheds were de-
: molished in great number. Buggies
wagons and similar equipment about
farm yards were blown about in
: great confusion.
The great damage on nearly every
farm was to the barns which seemed
to be tipped with their heavily tim
bered roofs and then tumbled apart OF
= their own weight. In nearly all cases
u the buildings were insured, but there
: are many cases of hard luck of pol
: icies just expired and of others where
: the owners discovered too late they
h had figured on the wrong dates O.
the expiration of their policies.
j. Myrtle Paulson, who is about II
e years old, does not know just wha
y happened when she was injured. She
Z was alone in the house, her mother
/ and sister being on their way home
=. from Cyrus and her father and broth
n er getting to the. barn just before the
n storm broke. She thought she hearG
= her father call and believing he was
trying to get into the house she wen
:. to the door. The wind caught the
:. screen door and she tried to hold it
: Just then terrific gust of wind came
o tearing the screen door from it's hing
o es and taking the girl along with il
= as if she were riding on huge kite
t She does not know what happened
- after that except that she was being
"A blown about the yard and finally
crawled to the edge of a cellar into
: which the wind suddenly dumped hel
> in a heap. She belives that she was
l. injured before the fall and seems tt
y retain the impression of being lifted
u into the air and suddenly dashed tt
: the ground with great violence. He1
v father had shoe shop in the Muller
Z block in Norris few years ago.
J. Several places some distance from
the direct path of the storm suffered
losses to buildings and in Pope cOun
i ty few houses were rolled over.
Stories of individual losses and in
y conveniences have been pouring into
!. town without end since the storm
5. The Moser family south of Morris los
). four large barns, one of them JUS
completed. On one farm nothing was
l. damaged except the removal of {
- large patch from the roof Of barn
|, At the Lang farm the stock had JUS
=. been driven into the barn when i
>. blew down. Neighbors came to hell
as soon as the storm passed an(
IL frantically dug among the timbers tt
e rescue cattle and horses. only Z o.
8 head were killed. Lars Hanse, Cap
" tain Olson, Hans Heglund, Julius Hal
X version lost buildings in Framnas
l. township although some distance on
e of the direct path of the wind.-Morri