Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 269, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1911 — WELL DESCRIBED THE TORNADO WRECKAGE. [ARTICLE]

WELL DESCRIBED THE TORNADO WRECKAGE.

Member et Wenrnr* Milled Family Jylvfivwllj JL"IIp “1 HIN»IM“r Caused by Storm. The Republican briefly told of the damage in various sections visited by SaturdaF evening’s tornado. A friend has written as follows describing the damage at Werner Miller’s farm, 4 miles north of this city.

"The large new barn, just completed about six weeks ago, was moved nearly four feet off the foundation, and the stalls inside were twisted in such shape that it will be hard to rebuild it back in good condition. The stalls were all filled with horses and had the barn been pitched over a little farther all the animals would have been killed. The damage to the barn is hard to estimate. The buggy shed that was attached to the barn was completely destroyed, breaking a wheel off the buggy and damaging the carriage considerably.

"A good cow barn which had been moved and put on a new foundation, was torn completely away and hardly any kindling to be found from it There were nine head of cattle in the barn, all in stanchions, facing to the west They were swung around and faced to the south. Two broke loose, while the other seven were held tightly in their stanchions, in a very dangerous position, but fortunately none hurt The roof, all four sides and everything of which the barn consisted except the stanchions to which the cows were fastened, were blown away. The barn struck the big double corn crib id its flight, almost totally wrecking the crib, which would have been blown away also if it had not been tor the fact that it was filled with corn. The tool shed and chicken house turned around, one side unroofed, the outbuilding blown some ten rods away and jammed into another building. The summer kitchen was unroofed and the machinery shed was wrecked. The windmill was blown down and the frame wrecked, and the wheel swung around and struck the roof and corner of the house, damaging it Considerably. Shingles were also blown off the west side of the roof. All bearing fruit trees were uprooted. The straw stack was scattered as were six acres of husked corn stocks that had been tied in bundles ready for stacking. All outside feed seems to be totally destroyed. Lots of poultry was crippled and five turkeys disappeared with the storm. The fences around the buildings are down and many blown away.

"It surely looks bad, but might have been worse." The editor of The. Republican, Monday afternoon accompanied G. H. McLain, the insurance agent, to several farm houses where the storm had struck, including the Miller home. The description above, which was prepared by a member of the family, certainly describes very accurately the devastation on the Miller farm. But words can hardly convey a full realisation of the distress that a hurricane leaves in its wake. Mr. Miller's farm was becoming one of the best improved in the county and his well arranged and well constructed buildings represented the thrift and planning of years. He had no windstorm Insurance and his loss can hardly be estimated in figures, for the buildings can never be restored as good as new. From Mr. Miller’s farm the tornado went directly northeast, cutting a swath through the forest north of Emmet Pullins' farm bouse and wrecking a small unoccupied house and some outbuildings on a place owned by George McElfresh, across the road and a little north of Pullins* house. It next hit Mike Burns, totally wrecking his barn and hardly leaving a timber that can be used in rebuilding it His windmill was also wrecked and his damage will be large and his loss total as he had no windstorm insurance. The entire strip of country visited Is similarly devastated, the total loss running into thousands of dollars.