Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1916 — HEAVIEST RAIN OP SEASON [ARTICLE]

HEAVIEST RAIN OP SEASON

Came Saturday and Sunday, Accompanied by Severe Lightning. Saturday night or Sunday morning, rather, Sunday afternoon and night we got the most severe electrical storms that have visited this section of the country for some time, while the rainfall was very heavy, that of Saturday night being 2.9 inches and Sunday afternoon and night being 1.2 inches. The river was out its banks Monday and yesterday, the water being almost as high as at any time last season. The northeast part of town was flooded quite badly again, while many fields in the country were covered with water. Many of the country telephone lines were put out of business by the lightning and the extent of the damage done is not fully known at this time. .

A tree was struck out at St. Joseph’s college grounds Sunday night and at the Indian school the turret or belfry on the old school building, doing perhaps SSO to-SIOO damage. Clarence Maxwell, residing on the Welsh Bros, farm in Jordan tp., had five two-year-old steers killed while out in the pasture alongside a wire fence. Insured in R. B. Harris’ agency. Judd Adams’ barn in Barkley tp. was struck by lightning Saturday night, but not greatly damaged. George Cover of Union tp. had three cows killed by lightning. Both the above losses were covered by insurance in the R. D. Thompson agency.

Amil Johnson, residing on the former Elizurr Sage farm in Newton tp., had a colt killed by lightning. Insured in the G. H. McLain agency. In Rensselaer the dwelling house of Mrs. James Payne in the east part of town was struck and torn up somewhat. Mrs. Payne was just going upstairs with a lighted lamp in her hand, but the shock extinguished the lamp and the house w r as not set on fire by the lightning. The former Washburn and Day pastures near Weston cemetery were almost completely covered with water from the overflow of the river. Water covered the grade at both the Burk and Pullins bridges north of town; scores of fields were almost completely covered with water, even to fields on both the east and west side of the Range Line road just south of St. Joseph’s college. Corn planting, which had progressed nicely last week, is tied up for a few days at least, and in some fields for a week or more.