Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1885 — That Dakota Cyclone. [ARTICLE]

That Dakota Cyclone.

As Seen find Described by fin Eye Witness. , tv d • .JjU 4—,., . i ,i. ■The Highmore, Dakota, Vox P<>in<li, Price editor,) for last week lias <come to hand. It contains a full and vivid account of the cyclone, which wrought such destruction in Highmore, on Wednesday, July loth. The total loss of property is given by the Vox at $40,000, half of which was in HighSinore. The loss of Price & Price, on law books and valuable papers, was SBOO. That of Mr. Price in the Vox Papuli office is .stated at ,S6OO. Two other former residents ot this county, Messrs, Hud. son & Irwin, suffered loss by the cynlone, a warehouse to them having been wrecked. The Vox Pipu{Vs description of the cyclone, written as it was, by an eye witness, and a former well known citizen of our county, will be of interest to the readers of The Republican, and we give it herewith: All day last Wednesday the weather had been sultry, and a heavy wind from the southeast, tilling buildings with dust and making things generally uncomfortable.); Toward evening a heavy cloud formed in the northwest, where two forces seemed to meet, and which were watched by many with fear and trembling. A little before 7 o’clock the cry was ‘•Look at the cyclone,” and there was a general rush out of doors to see the much talked of phenomenon. Away in the northwest could be seen a dense heavy black cloud into which the clouds were rolling from thejsouth and north, whirling and tumbling in a truly grand but terrible manner and from the centre of which reached down a long black funnel, reminding one of an elephant’s trunk in shape. It was estimated to be by some as five or six miles away and by others all the way from twenty to sixty miles, but which proyed to be about fifteen miles of!'. The first funnel must have stayed to the ground fifteen or twenty minutes, the clouds going down the north side and; up on the south, marking its course on the ground by what appeared like huge clouds of smoke. The first then ■slowly drew back into the cloud, but forming again in about fifteen or twenty minutes, but closer than before. In this way seven different funnels formed, the last forming about eight o’clock, and was still in sight fit dusk. All this time a hard wind was blowing from the southeast, directly opposite the course ot the cyclone, and it was remarked by some who had witnesses the Grinnell cyclone, that the action was the same. During the formation of the different funnels which occupied about one and i a quarter hours some were coolly watching its eourse, others were running wildly around with clothing and valuables in their arms, looking for cellars and places of safety. There was -so«ietiung so grandly terribly as it slowly and surely marched toward fefois place, which seemed -doomed, that it tacinatod the gaze. The approach was watched by many until just before it struck the town and by some even at the time. From the most reliable sources that can be found the storm struck this place about fifteen minutes after eight o'clock. There was a sudden 101 l in the storm, -during Which the wind from the southeast stopped and then the town was struct, from two directions. The one from the southwest struck the town first demolishing the M. E. Church, blowing in fronts of stores, tilled them with mud and water, and when twothirds the way through the town irom the south turned east. 1 From the north came the other, striking the Hudson & Irwin’s warehouse, throwing it from its foundation and turning over two box cars, tlie two forces meeting in the east edge of town picking u;> J. A. Patterson’s, Mrs. Cook’s and F. T Ollin’s houses, grinding them into small fragments, which, ftogether with other pieces from town were scattered for a mile to the E. NE., sowing the ground thick. After the storm peiple were out ’• looking for friends and relatives, and the glad cry went up, ‘-no one kille J or hurt.” The time till twelve o'clock was spent in finding a dry place to rest, a< in about two-thirds of the houses tilings were scattered hithe. and thither, and wet by the rain which accompanied, the cyclone into the living and sleeping rooms. ■' -w - Morning broke »n the roenes o! the disaster, aud the citl/.eas e<>al-l well appreciate the say'ug, “It looks a 3 though a cyclone had struck it”, lor everywhere could be seen the deb:is of building*, vehicles and household goods It wm indeed % pitiable eight, people T , ■ ' f * ''

looking for articles of clothing, furniture and trinkets. The day was spent in mourning oyer losses, but on Friday at an early hoiff the hammer and saw were at work and repairing was commenced. A short time after the storm when all were rejoicing that none were hurt. William, the youngest son of E. 11. Thompson, two miles north of town, came into town bareheaded and barefooted, saying that their buildings weSi blown away and that-all-tMe family had been in the .cellar the father! abd that he could not be found. Vehicle weie soon prepared and twenty or thirty citizens on their way to the farm. Arriving there search at once commenced and in half an hour he was found forty rods northeast of the house, with his neck broken and face driven three dr four inches into the ground.