The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on June 24, 1892.
Death and Disaster
One Death in the County and Serious Injuries to Buildings and Crops Occasioned by the Storm Monday Evening
Between four and five o’clock last Monday afternoon one of the severest storms of wind and hail ever known in this section swept over a narrow strip of country in the southern part of the county and did great damage to buildings and the growing crops. The loss to individuals in the destruction of property in many cases is very serious but everything fades into insignificance beside the sad calamity which befell the family of Ole Nelson Toppol, in Martin township, and resulted in the instant death of his wife and serious injuries to one of her twin daughters, two years of age. The family lived about six miles northwest of Hills. When the storm came on, they felt the house giving way and attempted to escape to the barn, the father taking the two other children and the mother and the twins. Just as they got outside, the wind carried the woman against the side of the house and a moment later the building went over, burying the victim in the ruins. When the body was rescued it was found that the head had been crushed and that death must have been instantaneous.
The first reports of the storm were received from Manley, on the west line of this county. As nearly as its course can be traced, it appears that the storm passed from that point in a southeasterly direction, over portions of Martin, Clinton, and Kanaranzi townships. After leaving Manley the storm seems to have divided, and a distance of about half a mile can be traced between the two tracks in which but little damage was done. One section of the storm swept diagonally across the center of Martin township, but this branch seems to have been accompanied by less hail and did less damage to the crops. The other section extended as far north as Mr. A. Engels’s farm in the northeast corner of Martin township but missed the German church in the adjoining corner of Luverne township. No damage of importance is reported beyond a mile west of Mr. Engel’s farm. From that point southeastward, through a strip from two to three miles wide, extending as far north as T. Johnson’s place on section 7 in Kanaranzi, and as far south as Ash Creek, great damage was done by the hail. As the storms passed southeastward, it appears to have increased in severity.
Considerable damage was done at Manley and in the surrounding country. J. L. Helm, of this place, was a passenger on the belated Omaha train Monday evening, and is quoted by the Sioux Falls Press as follows:
“The open prairie between Valley Springs and Beaver Creek was in one place a perfect lake of water, horses in the pastures being knee-deep in the water. At Valley Springs numberless chimneys were laid low. We were able to get a view of Manley from the train as we passed by. The roof of the Great Northern depot was blown off and the north end knocked out. The leading mercantile house was swung around and the store front was completely ruined. Every house in the town seemed wrecked except Lasche’s bottling works and that seemed to have escaped uninjured.”
At Valley Springs many windows were broken. T. B. Riley’s lumber office was blown to pieces and piles of lumber more or less disturbed. The creamery, the ice house and outhouses generally were tumbled about greatly to their damage. One outhouse was picked up and blown against a dwelling, knocking in a side of the residence.
All along the entire course of the storm most of the window lights exposed to the storm were broken. In some cases the sash was broken, wire window screens were cut and curtains were torn. At Ash Creek a wagon was blown against Mr. Baker’s house and the wagon tongue was driven its entire length through the wall. E. A. Brown’s wind mill was blown down, and windows in all the buildings were broken. Wm. Spracher’s windmill on section 6 in Clinton was blown down and his crops were badly damaged.
It is impossible to give anything like an approximate estimate of the losses sustained by reason of injury to the crops. On some farms it is claimed that the crops are totally destroyed, while on others the injury is confined to portions of the crop. It is hoped, however, that the injured crops will recover to a large extent and that the loss will not be so large as at first seemed to be certain. Among those who have suffered loss are A. Engel, John Lynch, Ed. Maloney, James Fitzgerald, James McCeon, C. Webster, Linnel Brothers, George Griffith, L. B. McCollum, J. W. Johnson of the Eau Claire farm, L. Appleby, T. Johnson, N. P. Jensen, Sid Johnson, Ed Morgan and S. H. Griffin. It is reported that the crops on the Sunnyside farm in Kanaranzi were totally destroyed. The list above given is by no means complete and it is probable that full reports would add many names to it.
A letter received by R. E. Moreland from his son at Ocheyedan states that half the buildings in town were racked and that 12 or 13 were blown down. Three men were badly hurt.
The funeral of Mrs. Ole Nelson Toppol took place at Hills Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was a sister of Nels, Gullick, and Andrew Sunden, and Mrs. Andrew Rogeness.
Later reports state that one of the twin daughters of Mr. Toppol above referred to is not expected to live. All the other members of the family are considerably injured.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.