Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1899 — WEST HAS SIX TORNADOES. [ARTICLE]

WEST HAS SIX TORNADOES.

I*wa, Nebraska and Bonth Dakota Are Great Fafferers. Sioux City waa in the center of six tornadoes Tuesday night which did mnch damage in lowa, South Dakota and Nebraska. One storm struck near Kingsley, lowa, a second near Jefferson, S. D n and three across the Missouri river in northeastern Nebraska. One life is reported lost and several were injured. A tornado swept over the northwest part of Mills County, lowa, doing considerable damage to farm property and ruining crops. The house and barn and outbuildings of John Rohrburg, a prominent farmer living two miles north of Mlneola, were totally destroyed, hisdittle girl, aged 11 years, was killed, one of his boys had a leg broken and the balance of the family were more or less seriously injured. Barns and corn cribs were destroyed and farm implements scattered. A cyclone formed about three miles southwest of Kingsley, lowa, and moved north about one mile, where it struck and demolished the large barn and outbuildings on the William Adams farm west of town. From this place it moved! north to the farm owned by W. A. Stevens, where it demolished every building on the place. A family by the name of Johnson, who lived at this place, was saved by going into the cave. In South Dakota the damage was all eonfined to the farms. No loss of life ia believed to- have occurred. The tornado, which swept through a thickly settled country, did not hit many farm houses, although it passed very close to- many of them, their escape from destruction seeming almost miraculous. There were three twisters in northeastern Nebraska. The storm that passed between Ponca and Newcastle followed along the ground for several miles before it broke up. John Wilber lost everything but his house. Charles Murfin’s house and bairn were wrecked. Samuel Green’s barn was destroyed and Jacob Dennis lost both his house and barn. James Cone’s house was totally destroyed, George Walbeck’s barn was blown away. A second storm destroyed a great deal of property near Martinsburg and killed considerable live stock. A third wrecked a school house at Plainview and did other damage. North, of Dixon, Neb., the tornado completely leveled' all the buildings on several! farms and badly injured! others. Considerable live stock was killed andi crops destroyed. The funnel-shaped' clouds were seen by many persons, whohastily betook themselves to cellars.