Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1903 — GREAT HAVOC IN IOWA [ARTICLE]

GREAT HAVOC IN IOWA

Additional Reports of Death and Darn* a*»J»T Tornado. When wire communication with interior lowa was opened It became apparent that the” tomado caused far greater lore than at first reported, says a Den Moines dispatch, A telegram from Botna, Hbelby County, sent by way of Audubon, says the village of Botna was demolished anil many farm house* near that pluce were wrecked. At Botna a large church anil tiie Great Western depot are among the buildings ruined. At Creston ten dwellings were blown from their foundations. Mrs. 8. X. Troop and daughter were injured in the wreckage Ot their home. Ten miles north of Gray, in Audubon County, two children are reported to have been killed in the wreckage of a farm house and five others were injured seriously. Another-death was reported ns a result of tiie tornado at South Des Moines. The home of Richard Wallace, a carpenter, was destroyed, and in a fire that reralted when the kitchen stove was overturned n 3-year-old daughter was burned to death. The Des Moines river is rising with every prospect of exceeding the high-water mark of a yenr ago. Many persons are leaving their homes in the bottoms and stocks are being removed from factories with nil possible speed. At Marshalltown a severe storm damaged the hospital of the lowa Soldiers’ Hume. A large brick smokestack was blown down), crashing through the roof, and tiie inmates narrowly escaped injury. Trees in all parts of the city were blown down ami many telegraph and telephone wires were broken. Heavy rains caused the lowa river to leave its banks and great damage is threatened iu the lowlands.