The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-07-06
FARMER DIES
WHEN TORNADO
WRECKS BARN
Northern Pacific and 500 Line
Transcontinental Trains
Tied Up
MOTT IS ISOLATED
Cyclone Sweeps Five.Mile Area
Near Wilton; Boy Scout
Camp Wrecked

midsummer storms following the
hottest July day in two years, when
a temperature of 90 was recorded in
Bismarck, swept the Missouri Slope
country and the greater part Of
North Dakota early today.
High wind gave the storm the
proportions of q tornado in some
localities. Heavy precipitation oc-
Cured.
Toll of the storm was counted to-
day in one death, disrupted telephone
and telegraph service, damage to
crops, the wreck of farm buildings
in many portions of the state, and
delayed transcontinental train serv-
Ice on all the states railroads.
The volume of property loss re-
ported increased steadily as tele-
phone and telegraph service was
restored. At noon today the entire
district around Mott was still iso-
lated from communication by tele-
phone and telegraph. Only meager
reports OF the storm damage in that
section were available.
Farmer Killed
Charles Gossard. A.. bachelor
farmer living in Morton county Is
milees south of Mandan. was killed
in a barn, where he was sleeping.
when the building was picked up by
the wind, carried a distance Of
nearly 40 yards, and reduced to q
splintered mass Of wreckage.
Herman Branneske, who makes his
home with Gossard as a tenant
farmer, took his family to the base
ment Of the home when the storm
broke. Twenty minutes later, when
the storm subsided, thev secured
lanterns and searched the wreckape
Of the barn for Gossard.
He was found dead. pinned to the
ground with q heavy rafter across
his throat. Branneske was forced
to saw the timber to lift him from,
the wreckage.
Nearly every building on the
farm, including a large barn, two
granaries, chicke" and hog houses,
and two garages, was flattened.
The house alone escaped serious
damage.
Two sisters Of Gossard, who ar
rived from Corning, Iowa, yesterday
to visit him. slept in the house.
They escaped injury.
At Sanger, rs miles northwest Of
Mandan, six farms reported damage.
Barns were blown down on the Bert
Gregory, George McCone, Horace
Beardsley, Tony Kewberry. Martin
Myers, and the Bagil Brothers
farms. Nest of the buildings on
buildings were also demolished,
while dozens Of windmills were
crumbled.
The storm stretched to the south
Of Stanton. so miles north Of Man.
dan, where large barn on the Rit-
terach dairy farm was demolished.
In Bismarck the storm broke with
a 40-mile gale which whipped up
clouds of dust and whirled them
through the streets, dis' ,dgtL signs,
and reused hundred from sleep. It
was followed by IA Of an inch Of
rain, which fell in cloudburst sheets.
West Of this city in the Medora
district Of the Bad Lands flood
waters were reported to have
washed out large SC ms Of the
Northern Pacific railroad grade. The
transcontinental train which left
here shortly hefor II o'clock last
night was tlrned back and rerouted
over the branch line from jamestown
and the Milwaukee.
Railroad officials said early to.
day that it will be "a hours before
the track can be repaired and normal
traffic resr-n d on the western Da-
kota division of the Northern Pa
|cific.
In Bismarck the wind uprooted
scores Of shade trees and did other
minor damage.
From all the slope district came
reports Of wrecked farm buildings.
Grain fields were reported lodged in
some sections, but damage will not
be great to grain in the country
about this city.
Cloudburst at Pembina
At Pembina. N. D., according to
reports Of the Bismarck weather bu-
rea, there was q storm Of cloudburst
proportions, when $50 inches Of
rain fell during the night. Three
other points in the state reported
precipitation Of more than an inch.
Starkweather, N. D., reported
heavy windstorms late yesterday
which wrecked many farm buildings
near that town and Olmstead.
Lightning struck the Lutheran
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