The Fairfield Independent

Friday, June 12, 1908

CYCLONE HITS FAIRFIELD

One Man Injusted and Property Loss of  $100,000

  A strip through the residence section in the northwest part of town mowed down; houses and barns demolished and trees uprooted and broken off.  A heavy rain accompanied the storm.

  On Last Friday evening, June 5, 1908, about 6:40 o’clock two heavy looking black clouds lowered from the sky and came together just west of town forming the usual funnel shapped cyclone cloud and which then started on its path of destruction across the northwest corner of town.  It first struck at the home of J. E. Brodrick, where it did some little damage to out buildings, then struck the home of Ray Briggs, completely destroying it, and kept on its course a little north of east until it reached the Congregational church when it headed more north, directly for the High School Building.

  It traveled very slowly and the terrible roar it made could be heard for a great distance.

  The people saw that there was a terrible storm on and all hurried to their cellars and caves where they remained till it was over, many of them to come from their place of safety to find that they no longer had a home or any thing else left.

  Although there were about fifty houses and buildings destroyed and injured it is remarkable that no one was killed and only one person slightly injured, this being Mr. A. F. McReynolds who was in his barn milking at the time of the storm.  The barn was torn to pieces some of the timbers hitting Mr. McReynolds, knocking him unconscious.

  The storm in its course destroyed houses, barns, windmills, etc., and uprooted and broke off fine shade and fruit trees and left a path of general destruction to mark its course.

  Notwithstanding the cyclone destroyed three churches and many residences the people of this city are cheerful and commenced work early the next morning to repair the damage done and to clear away the debris and dirt which were left as an evidence of the storm.

  Ray Briggs, house, total loss, $5000.

A.     M. Corbin, house, total loss $1500.

  Louis Day, house, total loss, $3000.

  Lon Wilson, barn horses, $1000.

  Mrs. Pielstick, house, sheds, total loss, $4000.

  Ottis Ray, house and bar, $2000.

  Hugh Potter, house, partial loss, $1500.

  T. P. Shively, house, slightly, $300.

  S. C. Thompson, house, barn, slight, $300

  E. H. Burnham, bar damaged, $200.

  Congregational church, value $5000. Partial loss, $2000.

  T. W. Kirkpatrick, barn, total loss; house slight, $500.

  C J. Harris total loss of barn, house damaged, $700

  Henry Hall, house damaged, total loss of outbuildings, $400.

  Mrs. Helen Brown, total loss of barn, house damaged, $300.

  Mrs. Mary Murdock, house total loss, $1000, no insurance.

A.     F. McReynolds (injured) total loss of barn, $500.

Mrs. Howe, house, slight, $200.

Mrs. M. J. Babcock, house, slight; barn total loss, $300.

M. J. Spicer, house slight, $300.

High school, cost $20,000 in 1905 badly damaged on south side and twister leaving a 30-foot hole in the west end of the building.  Loss $5000 covered by insurance.

Warren Sheet, house, total loss $1000, covered by insurance.

Mrs. S. E. Foote, house, total loss $800.

Mrs. M. Palmer, house, slight, $200.

J. E. Dragoo, house, partically wrecked $200.

H. D. Howard, house, slighty damaged, $200.

Kyne brick building and K. P. hall, unroofed and damaged to extent of $1500.

Dr. Stevens, drugs, damaged by water, $500.

McKeon, furniture store, slightly damaged to extent of $50.

G. H. Moore, harness (shop, damaged $50.

North livery barn, partially damaged $50.

Mrs. Ewing, house and sheds, slight, $50.

Baptist church, total loss, $5000.

Mrs. U. G. McReynolds, house, slightly damaged; barn total loss, $400.

Mrs. Heckinlively, damaged to house about $100.

Dr. G. M. Prentice, bar total loss, house off foundation and wrecked $1500.

Broderick, barn damaged, $200.

Geo. Glass, barn, total loss, $300.

Charles L. Lewis, president Citizens’ Bank, house, trees, barn sheds wrecked, $3000.

S. M. Wright, new house, end blown out and a big tree blown clear through the house, Damage $7880.

Mrs. Garver, outbuildings wrecked $480.

J. E. Wilcox, house and barn wrecked, $600.

Senator Charles Epperson, house slightly damaged, $300.

Wilber Stephenson, shingles stripped off house and bar completely blown away; damage $500.

L. F. Kavalec, barn and outbuildings, total loss, $400.

Rev. Z. Cole, barn total loss, house slightly damaged; $450.

Coleson house, unroofed, $300.

Brick house at north edge of town total loss, $400.

It has been estimated by many that the loss on building and property will reach $100,000.00 not counting the fine trees and shrubbery which will make another large item in the loss column.

  We have a number of cuts of the devastated district ordered and expected them here for this week’s issue but they have failed to appear so we will go ahead and get out our paper and the first of the week, after we get the cuts will get out a special edition containing these picture and give a more extended account of the storm, its destruction and the queer things it did.  We will have plenty of extra copies and any one wishing any can call at this office and get them.

 (NOTE – No special edition was shown on microfilm)