Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1923-07-20
HAIL DOES
MUCH DAMAGE
10000 ACRES NEAR CRAIG.
MONT AND NEZPERCE
BEATEN TO GROUND

Mondays storm, which did so
much damage in the Craigmont |
Nezperce and Tamnany sections
and in the Palouse country
touched Camas Prairie and the
Cottonwood section only lightly
and then only in the way of a
rain and wind which did little
if any damage to the growing
grain. Most Of the damage WAS
caused by the wind blowing to
the ground heavy summer faj-
low in this section. A full ac-
count of the storm that visited
Nezperce prairie is reproduced
from the Lewiston Tribune OF
Tuesday morning as follows:
Nezperce, July 16.-One Of
the most terrific hail storms
that ever visited the prairie sec
ton, which completely destroyed
in the neighborhood of 10,00t
acres of 80 bushel grain, swept
across the Nezperce prairie at
$3.50 today from Mason butte,
west of Craigmont, in a north
easterly direction through Craig
mont, the Mohler section, the
Russell and Alphine districts &
miles north of here and into the
canyons of the Clearwater river,
south Of Greer. The strip of total
damage was estimated at two to
three miles wide and Is miles in
length, which the area affected
was three to five miles wide at
some places. Fully 100000
bushels of grain will be lost
from the damage, and only half
of the area affected is believed
to be insured.
The crops in the area affected
were beaten completely down to
the ground and representatives
of the insurance companies visit
ing the. scene of the storm this
evening stated that the damage
would be hundred percent on
about 10000 acres and ranging
down to 25 percent on approx
mately that many more, Fruit
and gardens in the wake of the
storm were completely destroyed
and chickens and other fowls
were killed by the large stones,
some of which measured an inch
in diameter.
Many of the crops, which are
the finest grown on the prairie
in many years, would have gone
40 bushels and better per acre,
but a conservative estimate Of
80 bushels is placed on the af-
fected area, although many
farmers and others believe that
40 bushels would have been
nearer the real estimate.
The storm first struck near
Mason butte, south Of Craigmont
and in this section the hail was
comparatively light, but as it got
nearer the town of Craigmont
the stones were larger, many as
large as hens eggs, and there il
is reported that half the west
windows of the residences were
broken out by the large stones
Gardens there were beaten out
and the crops adjacent to tow
we're damaged, those north Of
the town suffering complete
destruction.
At Craig1nont the hail stones
pounded out the paper and tai
roofs on several of the stort
buildings and warehouses, arc
the wind tore much of then
away, while the water did som'
damage to goods inside.
The path of the storm follow
ed north toward Mohler, beatin,
the fine wheat and barley to tn
ground.
Some Have Insurance.
G. w. Kettman. cashier of tn
Farmers State bank of Nez
perce, visited the devasted are
following the storm and he stat
ed that the wheat had been beat
en- down beyond any hope of re
covery. In checking over farm
lin the Alpine, Russell and pal
of the Mohler sections, which h
knew were insured or not insul
cd, he found 4,600 acres wer
insured. while 1900 acres wer
not. Much other acreage in tn
Craie1nont and Mohler section:
he said, he did not have any II
formation or.