Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1907 — A TWISTER! [ARTICLE]

A TWISTER!

Cyclone Visits Section of Jasper County. _ CONSIDERABLE DAM AGE WAS DOSE In Storm’s Path, Barns and Out" buildings Suffering Most.—Tim. % ber and Orchards Also Suffer.

One of the worst - windstorms tljat ever visited Jasper county came last Sunday afternoon at about 5 o’clock, and left destruction in its wake. In Rensselaer there was scarcely no Wind at all, but for a few minutes the rain fell in torrents and a few small pieces of hail accompanied the rain. North and west of town a few miles, however, the wind assumed the form of a cyclone in its force, and barns, windmills, outbuildings and orchards and timber suffered a great deal in the storm’s path, which was in a rather zig-zag course gradually bearing north, and from 10 to 30 rgds in width.

Through the courtesy of liveryman Knapp the writer made a per* sonal trip over the route of the storm to a point southwest of Mt. Ayr, and the damage done will run into several thousand dollars. The precise starting point of the windstorm has not been definitely located, but is said to have been somewhere in the Swede settlemet across the line in Illinois, south and west of Morocco, where considerable damage was done to buildings, generally barns and outbuildings, and orchards and timber. f The first damage, reported in Indiana was at John Cox's, southwest of Morocco, where the farm buildings were Wrecked. At George Schanlaub’s, 3 miles southwest of Mt. Ayr, the farm house was partly orchard torn up. by the roots and other damage done. 4 At Elbert' Kessler’s, one-half mile south of Morocco, the funnelshaped whirlwind demolished the henhouse, uprooted trees, blew in windows, tore down fences, etc. Orrin Elijah had an unoccupied house destroyed, a machinery shed and orchard on Riley Harwood’s farm suffered a like fate. In that locality several rods of wire fence was picked up, posts and all, and twisted about. At Sam Kennedy's some 5 miles southwest of Mt. Ayr, a barn was wrecked and the house quite badly used up. Mr. Kennedy’s wife lay sick in bed from confinement two days before, and his brother Kinder and family, were there visiting. They saw the storm coming and ran out to let the horses out of the

barn, getting most of them out, and started for the house. The wind picked them np and threw them against obstructions and they were hit by flying timbers, and Kinder Kennedy had several ribs broken and is reported in a serious condition. The horses were blown into a wire fence and badly hurt. The barn, 30x40, was completely demolished, not a timber being left standing, and most of it was carried over the bouse about 150 feet away. The house was turned partly cross-wise on its foundation and most of the windows stoye in. By covering the bed on which lay the sick woman with pillows she was saved from ihjury, but the shock was very severe on her. At the Brunton farm, southwest of Mt. Ayr, a good large destroyed. This stood only a short distance from a stable in which Mr. Brunton and daughter were milking. They never felt a breath of the .wind, but the barn was completely demolished and every tree but ope in his fine large orchard was destroyed. # On the Bourklin farm, south of Mt. Ayr about a half mile, which is occupied by Marion Corbin, the barn, milk house and cribs were destroyed, and 3 horses and a steer imprisoned under the fallen timbers of the "barn. A blind horse that was in the pasture near the barn where the storm struck was found 50 to 80 rods west of the place, and was apparently picked up and carried over three high wire fences and one hedge fence, over into Henry Harris’ field. Continued on Fifth Pane.

rDREDGE TEMPORARILY IDLE. j-The big dredge is now right at the Kellner ice house, and has been idle since Tuesday noon, waiting for Mr. Moore, the rock contractor, to do some more drilling and blasting west of the Padgett bridge in the channel already out. A big flat-boat 20x30 will be«built and the drilling done from i£VA-delay in getting lumber to oonsfruct .the boat has made it necessary for the dredge to stop work until this drilling and blasting is done, when it wi!V‘kick” back and take out the loosened rock to the required depth. If the dredge proceeded* any further down stream now it would be impossible to get back up stream. It is expected to get to work again next week.