Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1904 — It Was a Big Storm. [ARTICLE]

It Was a Big Storm.

I A tremendous big rain, wind and thunder storm came up Monday night-, just before midnight. Whether it came to celebrate the advent of spring, supposed to have been ueheied in by the sun crossingthe liae Monday; or as many seem to think was canted by the ruction up north, when the news ofthecouaty convention got out, we are unable to say. Anyhow we had the storm, and it was a big one.

Here in Rensselaer tliere was a heavy wind, which caused many people to fear their houses would blow down; also a big electric display, with much thunder. The rainfall here was .88 of an inch. The night train south, due here about midnight, had a terrifying experience. Just as it came out from the long cut at Coen’s hill, a few miles from town, and out up on the long high fill on this side, the storm struck the train in full force. The wind was so strong that it actually nearly blew soma of the cars over, and tilted them so that the passengers on the side towards the wind fell out of their seats, and over to the other side of the car. The train stopped until .the first carious blast had passed then came on slowly to town.

Out about 2| miles east of town, on one of the Halligan farms, a barn was blown down, and pieces of it oarried 80 rods or more. At Charley Moody’s in Barklev Tp., a wind pump was blown down and 80 rods of rail fence scattered about. Heavy feed racks were torn to pieces and massive stock feed boxes were blown long distances. It was feared that the residence would blow down but it stood the storm all right. The house shook so, however, that it shook the hired girl out of her own room, clear through another and landed her in a third.