A SIOUX TORNADO.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 145, 19 June 1895, Page 2

A SIOUX TORNADO.

TWENTY-SIX PEOPLE RILLED AND MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED INJURED.

MISS HAGGIE BLOWN INTO A

TREE.

A tlil-GRAm from Sioux City, Indiana, of May (3rd, says :—" A violent tornado came along this way this evening and passed three miles north west of Sioux Centre, a small town 45 miles from here. It killed a large number of people and distributed houses and cattle over tho neighbouring country, in a way that tornados usually do. Ton towns were damaged. The loss of life and injuries ia placed at more than one hundred. The towns in bho path of the wind were Perkins, Dobri,' Hull, Orange City, Sioux -Centre, Ireton, Lemars, Sheldon, and Alton. The storm passed from north-east to south wee.. The deatrucbion of property waß enormous. At midnight word waa received here that four Bchoolhousea near Sioux Centre wero destroyed while lessons wore in progress. In each achoolhouse from three to ten children were either killed or injured. . Many of the children were carried a quarter of a mile or more through tbe air before they dropped. Two little daughters of John Roster, v farmer, living near Sioux Centre, were picked up as they were leaving the schoolhouae, and dashed into a wire fence. Later telegrams say :—The loes of life and destruction of property from the tornado near Sioux Centre last night wi.B not exaggerated in the first telegrams sent out.

Searching parties have been covering the scene of the storm all day, and they cume across dead bodies ab almost every turn.

The storm started three and one-half miles north-east, of Ireton. The first signs of its approach wero noticed at that point, where it tore down a section of the fence of tho Chicago and North-western Railroad. It moved first in a north-westerly direction, crossiog tho tracks of the Sioux City and Northern road one and one-half miles north of Sioux Centre, Aquarter of a mile further along it turned back to tho northeast, and moved again in that direction for several miles. Thon ib swung bo bhe northwesb once more. Half a mile south-easb of Perkins it again swerved bo tho north-east, and passed almost directly through Perkins. The path of the tornado was, about one-third of a milo wide, and its total length was aboub fifteen miles. After ib passed Perkins nothing further was heard of it.

Tho doatruction of tbe achoolhouae where George Marsden was teaching furnishes v pathetic story. Not a vestige of tho building remained. Mr Marsden was found .omo distance away, in a field. Two of hia scholars were clone beside him. Two little daughters of John Koater, pupils in the same achool, were found clinging bo each other, covered wibh mud, tangled in a wire fence. The residence of Mr Haggie, close to the schoolhouse, waa swept away like a straw, and his eldest daughter, who was indoors when thoatorm struck it, was found in tlie branches- of a tree near by ao badly injured that it is feared she cannot live. All hie other children were killed.