Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1898 — DEATH IN THE STORM [ARTICLE]

DEATH IN THE STORM

: Ontario and new york towns • t WRECKED. Fierce Wind Sweeps a Wide Path of Deatrnctlon Four Persons Killed Outright—Mills, Dwellings and PnfoWc Buildings Demolished. Many parts of the province of Ontario were visited by a tornado which in destructiveness! to property and life has not been equaled in the Dominion of Canada for many years. The full force of the unwelcome visitor seemed to be reserved for the twin towns of Merritton and St. Catherines, and Merritton particularly is marked by long lanes of debris. The tornado struck St. Catherines about 3:46 in the afternoon, passing over the town rapidly and demolishing the roofs of a number of public and private buildings. Gathering in force and speed, it struck Merrittuu five minutes later, with appalling results. The armory, collegiate institute, First Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s Church, Lower End school and the acetylene power house were completely destroyed. The roof of the Lincoln Paper Company mills was swept away, with part of the walls. Four persons were killed and four employes of the paper company wore fatally injured. Mrs. John Biekley was killed by the falling of a house. Miss Ida Smith, a teacher in the Lower End school, with great bravery stuck to her post and did her utmost to get the scholars out of dan-: ger, but Frank Moffatt, a 7-year-old pupil, was killed and forty of the youngsters besides Miss Smith were injured. After passing through the town the tornado traveled southeast with much diminished velocity. Damage was done in smaller towns, but no further fatalities have been reported. A terrible windstorm struck Tonawandu, N. Y., between 4 and 5 o’clock the same afternoon. Houses and barns were smashed to kindling wood, trees uprooted and many persons injured/ Samuel Monnett, a milk wagon driver, was caught in the storm and is believed to be fatally injured. Mrs. Charles Peters and Mrs. Henry Peters, the latter carrying an infant, wctc picked up and hurled violently against a building. Both women were found unconscious. It is estimated that the damage to property will reach SIOO,000.