|
photo caption: Realto Hansel farm after
tornado in 1918. It was up Wayman out of Garber. Took everything.
(photo contributed by Helen Jennings from her personal
collection)
Lyman Hansel farm after the May 21, 1918 tornado
| The three men
looking over the total destruction of all the buildings
on the Lyman Hansel farm are Elmer Morley, Albert
Hageman, and John Bals. Blanche Hansel Morley told us
that a pile of recently acquired lumber was left
untouched. She almost didn't make it to the cave, as she
was trying desperately to round up her little chicks and
ducks, none of which were ever seen again. She had fiance
Elmer Morley's sweater with her and enough yarn to finish
it. A trousseau pillow, stored in a big wooden cracker
box, was found in a tree, badly stained with molasses
from a crock that had stood next to it. The case was
washed and the feathers replaced with new. It was
absolutely dark in the cave. May 23, 1918 "Tuesday evening (May 21) excitement reigned when a tornado did much damage on the farms in the vicinity. Alto Hansel had everything swept completely away; Lyman Hansel, every building demolished; William Dryer, the outbuildings destroyed, the house left standing but moved from its foundation and slightly damaged; Mrs. Alice Feidt, everything destroyed except the house; and App Lovett, outbuildings and a part of the house destroyed. Mr. George Ruegnitz, Sr., had his head cut, requiring several stitches; George Portwine had three ribs fractured. It is estimated that the loss to livestock and property will be nearly $100,000." source: text & photo on page 327 of the Garber history book by Mirian Vorwald, 1994 |
| I know somewhere
in Wisconsin they found something that belonged to
Leo Hansel (Realto's son). Jeanette Purman got a note from
someone in Fennimore, Wisconsin that they had found a
piece of wallpaper with her name on it. source: Helen Jennings |
| Wisconsin -- A
tornado crossed the Mississippi River from Iowa into
Wisconsin about a mile south of Glen Haven, Wis., shortly
before 6:30 p.m. May 21, 1918, passed about 6 miles north
of Lancaster, Grant County, at 7 p.m. and over Lone Rock,
Richland County, at 7:30 p.m., Plain, Sauk County, at 8
p.m., and was last reported at Baraboo, in eastern Sauk
County. Its path was from 100 feet to a quarter of
a mile wide and about 85 miles long. Eight persons were
killed, about 100 injured, and property loss, principally
in houses and farm buildings, was estimated at $650,000. source: Monthly Weather Review, Volume 46, Issue 5 (May 1918), Section VII, THE WEATHER OF MAY, 1918, by P.C. Day, pg 256 |
| date: May 21,
1918 time: 6:15 p.m. location: Elkport [Clayton co. IA] to Baraboo [WI] counties affected: Clayton co. IA, Grant co. WI, Iowa co. WI, Richland co. WI and Sauk co. WI length: 80 mi width: 400 yd deaths: 8 injuries: 100 F-Scale: F4 One of the largest tornadoes during this outbreak of 19 in Iowa, this tornado touched down in Clayton County and didn't lift until it hit Sauk County, Wisconsin, some 80 miles east-northeast. After causing extensive damage in Guttenberg, IA, the tornado crossed the Mississippi River 1 mile south of Glen Haven. Damage in Clayton County was estimated at $30,000 and 8 people were injured. Three of the injuries and most of the damage was done in the southern part of Guttenberg. Farms were lightly damaged in Grant County [WI] as the tornado probably lifted and re-formed. The tornado then hit Lone Rock destroying much of the town and killing 4 people there. Four more people were killed on three separate farms before the even dissipated to a downburst in the Baraboo area. Total damage was estimated at $650,000. source: NOAA"s National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, LaCrosse, WI http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/ |