Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/159

 confused wreck from the Central Railroad, and three miles away an approaching Rock Island train was caught up and thrown into the ditch, crushing to death two men in the ruins.”

Six miles east of Grinnell the tornado struck the village of Malcom where seven persons were killed, many injured and several business houses and one-third of the residences wrecked. As it passed Malcom three distinct branches of the tornado were visible and many farm houses were destroyed for a distance of thirteen miles. Raising and lowering as it swept eastward its branches spread over a wide scope of country and damage, was done in Iowa, Keokuk, Johnson, Jefferson, Henry, Washington and Des Moines counties. As it spread out wider in its eastward sweep, the whirlwind funnels disappeared and a straight wind took their place. In Keokuk County several houses, barns and orchards were destroyed but no lives lost. In Henry County the destruction of property was great. In Mount Pleasant many residences, business blocks and several churches were wrecked while in the country many farm buildings, orchards and groves were in ruins. Two persons were killed and the loss of animals was large. The number of persons killed was two in Boone County, two in Story, seven in Jasper, fifty-seven in Poweshiek and two in Henry. Of the hundreds crushed, mangled and mutilated many died after intense suffering and others were crippled for life.

The property destroyed was estimated at more than a million of dollars. Governor Sherman promptly issued a proclamation calling upon the people of the State to aid the sufferers. This was generously responded to.

The week following this tornado brought three more terrific storms which wrought great destruction. They came on the 22d, 23d and 24th, and swept over Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. While extending over the entire upper Mississippi valley and destroying property to the amount of more than a million of dollars, the loss of life was