People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1895 — THE TWISTER'S VISIT. [ARTICLE]

THE TWISTER'S VISIT.

Rensselaer is Visited Dy tKe Most Serious and I Terrific Storm in Ils History. CORTI XATELY XO NATALITIES. Hmises, Harns and Windmills tire H reeked. Husiness Htueks InRoofed and Contents Injured Hn Water. Sunday at 1:40 this city expert- i enced what is considered by far the most disastrous -wind storm j ever known here, the rain falling! in torrents and one appalling crash of thunder succeeding another. Hailstones at least an inch in diameter were plentiful, there being deposited at least ten bushels on the stairway on the north side of the Pilot office, which were in evidence at 8 o'clock that evening. The disturbance did not last, for more than an hour, but what it lacked in duration it fully made up in force expended. Hundreds of tine shade trees were prostrated along the thoroughfares and windmills in different parts suffered dismemberment. During the OF THE STORM I the tin roof of the Leopold block, on the corner of Van Rensselaer and Washington streets, sailed off and was deposited a complete wreck at the adjacent corner of court house square, where it missed by a few feet a forlorn team hitched to an emigrant wagon. A large branch from a tree in the park fell directly in front of them, but the team never moved, seemingly turned to stone or appalled at the HAVOC BEING CREATED. Pieces of awnings, dry goods boxes, signs and sticks of timber tilled the air, and at times it was impossible to see a distance equal to across the street. The wind was at first from the northwest, but at times appeared to come from the directly opposite point of the compass. No estimate can be given of its velocity, but IT WAS TERRIFIC. The storm appears to have been a “dip" of a higher atmospheric disturbance, as no reports of like distraction have been received. The large double store in the Leopold block was occupied by Ellis & Murray, ard it was here 'THE GREATEST DAMAGE resulted. Saturday night .this firm had unpacked a large invoice of goods which, added to their already immense stock, completely filled their spacious rooms. When the roof went the water descended in cataracts, damaging everything in which it came in contact. Oilcloths and tarpaulins were placed on goods where possible, but being considered insufficient protection it was decided to move the mammoth stock at once to safer quarters. Postmaster Honan stepped forward and generously tendered the use of the foyer of Uncle Sam’s place of business to receive goods. Willing hands were ready, and there was soon organized a salvage corps that a trained department might w T ell be proud of. Continuous lines of sweating humanity had soon cleaned out the endangered goods and deposited the greater portion in the opera house. Here Mr. Ellis and Mr. Murray tried to preserve some kind of order in the disposition of the goods, but the trial was a failure and chaos reigned. The estimated loss here is about $5,000. The rear windows of “The Model" gave way and glass was blown at least fifty feet inside. No one was here to protect the goods, the store oeing apparently uninjured from in front, and water poured in on clothing cloaks, carpets and other goods which were stored there and created sore loss. The damage is estimated at from SI,OOO to 81.500. Telegraph, telephone and electric light wires were inextricably tangled and broken everywhere, but the different companies had

men opt as soon as the storm permitted, and these, like squirrels, were seen on the top of poles and at work everywhere. The plate glass inC. D Nowels show windows were blown in and the stock on exhibition damaged. About thirty feet square of the roof of the Nowels block was ripped up and the water poured in a deluge into Masonic hall, located on the third floor. Here the water was swept on the oilcloth in the center of the hall, scooped up with shovels and carried out in tubs. The damage to the building is estimated at $l5O. The loss to the Masons can not be ascertained, but it is thought it will be trifling. At C. C. Starr's grocery about twenty feet of the roof was wrenched up and the water Hooded the Knights of Pythias hall on the second floor. Here the floor was covered with canvas and the water was swept out as fast as it came in, thus saving great damage to the stock beneath. As it was, Mr. Starr sustained practically no loss on his fine stock.

The skylights of McCoy & Co.'s bank block gave way and the roof doubled right over as if it were hinged. Thompson & Bro.'s law offices, occupying the entire second floor, was flooded and the paper washed from the walls and ceiling. Their loss was slight, a few books being damaged. A grocery on the first floor was inundated and considerable damage done. The loss on the bank building, it is thought, will not exceed a few hundred dollars. When the storm had exhausted its fury prayers of thankfulness were expressed that none had been called from this community by violent death. It seems almost a miracle that there were no fatalities —no sad deaths to weigh down relatives, friends and neighbors.

NOTES OF THE STORM. Residents are unanimous in the hope that they may never again experience such a trying hour. Very little damage was done on the other side of the river. Sections of the windmill in court house square went sailing away early in the storm. Some streets were completely blocked by fallen trees. . At Saylor & Collins’ grist mill the smokestack was broken in two and a portion of the roof blowm off. Damage about SSO. Henry Thornton’s barn was scattered, a fine buggy smashed and a horse injured. Wm. Smith’s barn is decidedly out of plumb. Carpenters went to work Monday on the Leopold block, and Ellis & Murray will move back as soon as their former quarters are in condition to receive them. Hyperbolic reports, as usual, were sent the Chicago papers of the disaster. Will Mossier, the energetic manager of the Model being satisfied that their store was safe, hastened to lend his valuable aid to Ellis & Murray in directing the salvage of their goods and worked like a beaver.

The foyer of the postoffice looked, Monday morning, like a general store at the Crossroads. People in different parts of the city saved their residences by padding their arms with bedclothing and thus cushioning windows.

The large hay barn at the railroad track was scattered through the stock yards. A family were in the barn at the time and all escaped injury except one man, who w-as holding the doors on the east side, and he got off with a few scratches on the back. They owed their escape from death to the fact that the structure had no floor and w T as lifted bodily over them. The new residence being erected by Joseph Kight, of which the framework was up, was hurled to the ground, the loss here being sustained by the contractor. Mr. Yeoman. Frank Osborn’s barn was lifteland deposited wrong side up in an adjacent lot. The People's Picture Parlors sustained a loss which, it is though, flO will fully cover. A Leopold estimates his loss on the Leopold block at SI,OOO,

on the Liberal corner at SSO, on the Model store and goods at from SI,OOO to $1,500 and on the Arcade at $75. It is utterly impossible to compute the minor losses in the deterioration of property by the destruction of shade trees and other improvements. There is hardly a residence lot in the city but what is minus some tine trees. The spire of the Catholic church was blown down, leaving a great gap in the gable tn rough which the water poured, destroying the tine frescoeing. It is thought that the damage here will not exceed S2OO. The spire will not be replaced, as it is intended to build a fine and more commodious church on the west portion of their lots and devote the present house of worship to school purposes. They will replace the destroyed steeple with a bellfry something after the pattern of the one on the Christian church. The bell was uninjured. The bellfry of Public School No. 2 was lifted up bodily, inverted and hurled crashing through the roof, crushing the slating and breaking the massive timbers. The damage here is variously estimated at from $250 to SSOO. A large pine tree in John Reynold's front yard fell and crushed in the roof of the residence. The sewer in front of A. Leopold's residence caved in, rendering that corner impassable. The storm playad sad havoc with the few beautiful trees John Eger had left to beautify the grounds of his new residence. Louis Day's barn rolled over into another lot. It was repotted that a cow rolled with it, as the bovine was found quietly grazing around the wrecked structure after the storm had passed. Lightning struck the barn of James Pierce, three miles south, just as he had returned home and was backing in his buggy. The structure took fire, destroyingbarn and contents. Mr. Pierce was quite severely burned on the right side of his neck. He was fully secured except on barn, on which there was only SIOO insurance through H. W. Porter’s agency in the Continental. No live stock injured.

These people lost windmills: A. Leopold, Dr. Loughridge and ’Squire Marion. The one in court house square sailed off early in the blow.

Ellis & Murray's loss, while very heavy, will not foot up the great sum at first expected. While they cannot, as yet, give exact figures, they place the probable depreciation on stock at between $4,000 and $5,000. They have fitted up the opera house for occupancy till thenold quarters are in condition and are now selling goods. Edward Kays' new seven room house, which -was all ready to shingle, was badly wrecked and the east foundation blown down.

This storm, unfortunately for the old-timer,’’ knocks out his previous dating criterion. The proper caper now and hereafter will be to date all occurrences as before or after - 'the big storm of August, ’95,” and commence in this style: “Let’s see. You wasn’t here then, were you? No? Well, I’ll tell you about it—”