Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 116, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1915 — TERRIFIC STORM VISITS REMINGTON [ARTICLE]

TERRIFIC STORM VISITS REMINGTON

Store Buildings Damaged, Houses Unroofed, Catholic Church Cupola Torn Off and Other Buildings Damaged. '. - »

MANY SILOS. WRECKED Country North of Rensselaer Visited •And Many Farmers Lost Silos —Dr. J. Hansson Lost One and Suffered Other Damage at His Farm .West of Town—Some Damage Resulted At Morocco and Considerable Between Mt. Ayr and Brook—Storms Reported in Other Parts of the State.

When Rensselaer was getting a heavy rain and experiencing a thunder and electrical storm Saturday evening at about 7 o’clock, Remington was having a tornado that resulted in extensive damage to many buildings. Morocco also had quite a storm and various parts, of the country suffered. Silos especially were the victims of the wind and many* are reported down in Barkley township. Remington was frightfully devastated. The business part of the town was hit and considerable damage resulted. C. H. Peck’s big department store had the north front caved in and the -plate glass windows broken out. Also part of the roof torn off. The Durant block, better known as the Austin block and now the property of Jake Hensler, had the roof tom off and carried over to the railroad. Mr. Hensler’s butcher shop and grocery store occupy the building. About 20 feet on the side of the building was broken in by the wind. William Townsend, the druggist, went to the second floor of his store building and climbed a ladder to investigate the damage to his building and was either blown down or fell to the floor below. He was rendered unconscious and remained sd for several hours. Today he is reported better. John Zimmerman’s butcher shop was damaged, as also was Miss Kate Besse’s millinery store, east of Peck’s store. Burdette Porter’s cattle bam in town was blown down and the building carried across three lots, knock-, ing in the rear of Gum Pefley’s residence. John Harris’s bam in the northeast part of town was blown down. The smokestack and a large crib belonging to the Farmers Elevator were blown down. All the building on the old Durant farm were blown down and one horse was killed. The cupola on the Catholic church was blown off and partially wrecked the roof. The M. E. church cupola was also damaged. Trees were blown down all over town and many chimneys were wrecked. A horse belong-ing-to John Bartholomew was killed. Quite a number of persons from Rensselaer visited the scene of the disaster Sunday and reported the town very badly used up. Dr. J. Hansson’s farm west of town was in the wake of the storm and his silo was blown over and his barn damaged. Trees were uprooted and telephone poles broken off. Considerable damage is reported from the neighborhood of Morocco. Wild stories were afloat Sunday to the effect that 25 or more had lost their lives there. The damage, however, proved to be much less than at Remington. A buggy in which Mr. and Mrs. Ben McClaitchey were riding, was blown over and Mrs. McGaltchey suffered a fractured armVernon Hagen was injured but not seriously. One house was unroofed and the old C. & E. I. depot struck by lightning. There was some damage in the country and windmills and silos north of Brook are reported to have been blown down. At the Thompson ranch in Union township a silo was blown down and in the neighborhood of Gifford and Newland John Eger last two, Mrs. S. L. Jordan one, Ed Oliver two, E. L. Hollingsworth one, Dr. Myer one and several others. Frank Hill lost three steers and one hog at his Jordan township farm by lightning Saturday evening. He had no insurance on them. It is said that Remington is well worth visiting' to see the extent of the wind’s devastation.

The Junior Aid Society of the Christian church will meet Wednesday afternoon, May 19th, at 2:30 at the church. All are asked to remember that this is the Junior Aid exchange. - ■- ■ \"