Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1916 — TERRIFIC STORM RAGED AT NIGHT [ARTICLE]

TERRIFIC STORM RAGED AT NIGHT

Thousands of Dollars In Damage Occurred When CycUme Swept Through Jasper Co. Damage that will run into many thousands of dollars occurred in Jasper county Tuesday night when a eyclone swept through Jasper county, wrecking barns, windmills, sheds, and damaging a number of houses. Rain and hail accompanied the wind and the roads, which were getting quite smooth and dry, are again in an almost impassable condition. The Republican reporters were unable to gather a well-connected story of the disaster and therefore no reliable estimate of the total loss can be made. Insurance agents are busy today adjusting small losses and viewing the larger ones and they report extensive daihage in the wake of the storm. It county, apparently near Mt. Ayr, to the southeast, how far we have been unable to learn, but at least several miles southeast of Rensselaer.

The reporter visited the Joe Borntrager farm southeast of town about 4 miles. The roof was tom off part of Joe’s large house, also off his bam. His windmill was also tom down. Two of his little girls were sleeping in a room that was unroofed. A brick chimney fell into the room and Hie bricks fell at the side of the bed the children occupied. A plank that was jammed through the plaster ing was suspended only a few inches above the bed and a window sash from the side of the room had blown across the bed, but the children were uninjured. The room adjoining Jb®fhilHren was kept as a spare room and not only the roof but the ceiling as well was blown away. The house and furnishings were damaged by the rain. Mr. Bomtrager made a trip to Rensselaer to secure carpenters to provide * some temporary roofing for nis house to prevent further damage; >ui the continued high Wind, and the chill air will make the work almost impossible. Mr. Bomtrager’s dam:, age will probably be SSOO or S6OO/ On the Joe Adams’ farm, southeast of Bomtrager’s, the place being, oe*oupded by Uly Iliff, one bam and the windmill were blown down. Damage was also reported to buildings on Hie Joe Luers’ place occupied by Elmer Brown. z — zz The Jasper County Telephone-Co. received another jolt, about a mite arge poles south of town being blown down. Messrs. Bott and Myers went out to try to repair them but were driven in this morning by the storm. About thirty poles were broken down and they cost $5 each, jedng the 30-foot poles, 7 inches at the top. The damage there will be about S3OO. - . It was noticed' that the barbed wire was tom from the fence posts along the road and in some cases extended across the road. Com stalks and bits Of flying debris had caught on the wires and broken them from the posts in many places. As far north as the Indian school here was some damage, the machinery shed there having been wrecked. At* the college several window lights were broken out and some slate tom from the roof. To fche west and southwest the damage was extensive. Among those whose losses we have heard from are the following: 3- ‘ Tone Kanne lost a windmill, whish fell on the roof of his house and done considerable damage. Ernest Stibbe’s house near Parr, which is occupied by Menno Chupp, was struck by lightning but did not catch on fire. . T The W. D. Bringle farm m Jordan township, which is occupied by William Todd, suffered some damage. The gamge was twisted about on it 3 foundation, shingles were torn from the roof of the house ami bam and a

door torn off the bam. Two windmills were blown down on the Mrs. William Washbnm farm, also a brick chimney on the house, and damage to «£ ■J* «£ mill was blown down on tne AIVU MeCashen farm. At Jay Lam son’s the house was twisted some and the barn damaged. At Mort Ritchey's a straw stack pitched over on several head of cow» and he procured assistance and worked from 10 o’clock at night until 3 this morning freeing them. Only one head seemed to have received much damage. Philip Paulus suffered some damage at his farni as also did Edward Goetz. > . • The south Hill farm in Jordan township, which is occupied by. Mr. Shoemaker, coffered damage to the barn and outbuildings. 7- John Rush, trustee of Newton township- suffered the loss of his barn and outbuildings, hut the house and lito remain iotaet

C. H. Porter lost a silo and shed. Barney Meinbrook had a mare killed by lightning. Chas. Weiss, of Newton township, had 2 or 3 hams and sheds blown down. J. J. Lawler suffered several Losses, including the damage to the house occupied by Charles Bowers, which was moved 20 feet. David Bare had considerable damage done to his house, bam and sheds. A bam and the house on the old Hartsell place ware badly damaged. Henry Luers lost a windmill. When the storm came up Dr. Gwin was at the home of Roy Stocksick, where a baby was bom shortly before the storm came up. For a time the family thought the storm would carry the house away but the only damage done was the breaking out of a number of windows and the breaking of one door off the hinges. Small buildings were also damaged. Dr. Gwin had a difficult time return- _ ing to town. He had to remove boards and wire fences, limbs from trees, and so forth and finally got stuck in Hie mud and had to get a neighbor to pull him out. W. A. Lake, near Kniman, had his erable damage donaci There were fetfr horse sin the bam but none were injured «iid fortunately the bam did not catch on fire. Rensselaer people aware that there was quite a storm raging. In town there was considerable wind and rain and a lot of hail, white there was a gurgling sound as of distant thunder that lasted for several minutes. The wind blew for some time and in fact has kept up with some severely all day today. This Wednesday morning snow fell for some time and a small blizzard raged. Miss Spaulding* Western Union operator was unable to get any service over her wires, but Agent Beam had one wire working into Chicago and Miss Spaulding went to the depot to send several messages. D. E. Grow’s bam on his farm southeast of town, was blown down. W. W. Sage had a cattle shed Mown down and on another farm Mr. Sage owns a bam wtas moved 4 feet off its foundation. Mr. Grow visited his

farm and reports considerable havoc enroute, trees being uprooted and blown over and .many small buildings blown down. , • John Bomtrager, west of town, suffered some damage, windows being broke*? in the house. Frank Webber had shingles town from his barn and chicken house. - John Bill, of Jordan township, suffered the loss of a barn. W. J. Wright,, who has a furniture store in Morocco, was called there this morning with a report of damage to his building, a sky light having been broken out. He drove oyer there this morning. W. J. Wright reports that roofs were blown off several buildings in Morocco and that houses, windmills, outbuildings, etc., had suffered much between Mt. Ayr and Moroc o. At Mt. Ayr theer was very little ’amage.