Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1911 — TORNADO SWEEPS THROUGH INDIANA [ARTICLE]

TORNADO SWEEPS THROUGH INDIANA

Doing Incalculable Damage in Jasper County S2,OOO,OOODAMAG£ IN STATE Most Destructive Storm in Recent Years—Bams and Outbuildings Completely Demolished—Mercury Drops 65 Degrees.

Jasper county was visited Saturday evening by the most destructive w r ind storm in its history. The path of the storm, running from the southwest to the northeast, about half a'mile wide, was over the old cyclone route through Newton and Barkley townships in this county, although this storm extended farther north than former storms here of a similar nature. The storm was general throughout several neighboring states and much damage was done in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, several people being killed in Wisconsin. Saturday was a very warm day for this season of the year, and, while a strong wind prevailed most of the day, the mercury stood at 75. In the evening the wind increased and there was considerable lightning in the north. About S o’clock s he wind reached its greatest velocity. Although Rensselaer escaped damage, as did most of this county, a strip through Newton and Barkley townships was almost completely devastated, causing a damage of thousands of dollars. Barns and outbuildings were wrecked, orchards, shade trees, and timber, uprooted or twisted off. Fences leveled to the ground, hay and straw stacks blown away, and corn fields leveled as completely as though a heavy roller had passed over the stalks. Scores of windmills were blown down and wrecked, some almost beyond repair. Chickens and turkeys were killed by the flying debris. Houses and barns unroofed, or moved off their foundations, and in some cases completely demolished. Chimneys were blown from the houses, and practically all of the outbuildings in the path of the storm were completely wrecked or carried away. The storm was accompanied by a heavy rain, which later turned to snow, and Sunday morning the mercury was down to within 10 degrees of zero, and about two inches of snow covered the ground. Much damage to the telephone and telegraph lines was done and it was not until Sunday evening that the Western Union connections were re-established with the outside world from Rensselaer.

The first damage reported from the west was on the Henry Harris farm occupied by Elias Coons, where the barn and windmill were torn down, and on the Ben Harris farm in Newton tp., (the old Strong farm) occupied by Isaac Parker, the barn and a large hog house were blown down, the wopdhouse moved off iis foundation, window panes, broken in the residence, the or'chard uprooted and much other damage done. H. T. Feldhaus, on the Bi§loski farm, had a valuable horse killed, the barn and other outbuildings blown down, buggies and wagons damaged and the loss on this farm alone is estimated at SI,OOO. The farms ci the Makeever estate also suffered considerably in barns and outbuildings damaged, hay and straw stacks carried away. On the Mrs. Rebecca Porter and Chas. Porter farms damage was done to buildings and ' outbuildings, windmills and trees. At Henry (Rowland’s, all the shingles were blown off the south side of the barn, leaving the sheeting, while on the north side rafters and all were taken.

Practically every outbuilding blown away, the windmill wrecked, the chimney blown off the house and the damage will reach several hundred dollars.— On the W, P. Baker farm, occupied by Samuel Lowry, a large straw stack was blown entirely away, large pine trees in the yard, together with a number of trees in the orchard were uprooted, the smokehouse and two windmills blown down. At W erner Miller’s, a little farther northeast, a large new barn completed a few weeks ago, was moved four feet off its foundation, and so badly damaged that it may necessitate rebuilding same. A buggy shed attached to the barn was completely destroyed and a top buggy badly damaged. A good cow barn, recently moved and put on a new fundation, was entirely blown away, scarcely a piece of it could be found. There were nine head of cattle in the stanchions facing west and they were turned around facing the south. Two of the cattle broke loose, while the others were held tightly in stanchions. A new double corn crib was totally wrecked, and only the weight of the corn kept it from being blown off the foundation. The tool shed was destroyed, the chicken house turned around, and one side unroofed, the summer kitchen unroofed, the windmill blown down, the wheel striking the house and damaging it considerably. The* shingles were torn from the west side of the house, all the bearing fruit trees were uprooted; straw stack blown away, six acres of corn stalks that were husked and tied in bundles ready for stacking, were blown against the wire fences. Quite a lot of poultry was crippled or killed and five turkeys have completely disappeared. , At Emmet Pullins’, a strip of timber was blown down, and the house; barn,;-milk house pud granary on the unoccupied farm of George McElfresh, north of Pullins’ was torn down, the barn being entirely swept away. At the Charlie Pullins farm tjie elk fence was torn to pieces and the three elk escaped, but were recaptured Monday, they not getting far away. A sill was blown out of the cow barn and the gable end of the horse barn torn out.

Zillhart’s new blacksmith shop on the old Schreiner farm was torn down, moved barn 4 feet off foundation, tore off roof, caved in side of barn and let his oats out and blown about; blew down windmill and did damage altogether estimated at a thousand dollars. At A. Eib’s blew down windmill and turned apple trees over. Bud Lewis’ corn crib blew into side of his barn and tore both pretty well to pieces. Mike Burns’ barn blowed to pieces and other damage done. On Fred Waymire’s farm west iof Newland roof taken off a new barn just being erected. On Tom Callahan’s farm 44 mile west of Newland, moved barn 28x40 six feet off foundation and broke timbers badly. Double crib 30 feet long up-end-ed and broken. Chimenys torn off house and chicken house carried half a mile and torn to pieces. Chas. Anderson, north of Newland, roof taken off big barn.

At Newland every outbuilding wrecked and torn to pieces, the coal shed at the new school building wrecked, John Dexter’s new chicken house torn to pieces, chimneys blown from houses and wreck and confusion everywhere. . The damage done in Indiana alone will probabiy reach $2,000.000 or 83,000,000. At Bedford several large stone mills were demolished, and the damage there is estimated at half a million dollars. At Lafayette, almost a panic resulted at the Dreyfus theatre where, a performance was in progress. Lights were extinguished in the theatre and several persons were injured in the rush for the doors. Mrs. Harry Myers, wife of a Monon engineer, was seized with heart failure while attempting to escape from the treatre and died

in a fe^v,minutes. A cross was blown from the steeple of St. Boniface church." The smokestacks of the Merchants electric light plant were toppled through the roofs damaging the machinery considerably. Purdue University farm buildings were damaged many thousand dollars.