A Terrific Cyclone

Carries Death and Destruction

Over a Portion of Clark and Marathon Counties

Contributed by Ellen Olson

Source: Colby Phonograph, Thursday, May 26, 1898.

About six o'clock last Wednesday evening, just after THE PHONOGRAPH forms had been put on the press, a wind and rain storm came sweeping along from the west bearing a little north.  As it struck the city it did not seem such a terrible storm, in fact not worse than many others that have swept over this country.  But those who were out or had a view from north windows saw, just north of the city, a black cloud similar to the roll of black smoke from a heavily loaded freight train working up-grade, only that it tossed about more and traveled faster, though few who saw it realized its strength and velocity or the destruction to be left in its wake.

Where it started or how far it came before it struck here we are unable to state, tough the first damage we learn of was the unroofing of a barn on the Knebel farm, then the buggy house of Willis Collins and barn of John Wiedenhoeft were blown down, boards for the later being scattered all over the next eighty acres.  Mrs. Wiedenhoeft was milking when the storm struck her and carried her ten or twelve rods.  She was not seriously injured but has not been able to find her milk pail since.

The only damage inside the city limits was to the barn of Robert Foote, just inside the north line of the city, which was completely torn to pieces.  The storm moved in an easterly direction with a slight northern tendency.  It tore down the barn on the Frank Salter farm, removed the plank decking of the bridge at the coal kilns, leveled thirteen telegraph poles and entered Marathon county.  The barn of Joseph Demmer, in the town of Hull, was blown down.  The M. J. Hinkes place caught it next, his barn was blown down, the house unroofed and some of the clothing, bedding and furniture in the chamber was carried half a mile away.  Mrs. Hinkes was injured somewhat though not seriously.

From there until the storm entered the town of Johnson, the principal damage was done to barns.  The barns of Niles Parkhill and Allie Cramer were unroofed, while the barn of Robert Parkhill were blown down.

At Benjamin Merwin's place the barn was blown down and a water barrel carried away.  The house lifted but settled back on the foundation not seriously damaged.  It is claimed that a man over near Buschman saw Ben's barrel dancing on the cloud, two or three hundred feet above the earth, but recognized it by the peculiar bung plug.

The most serious damage in the town of Johnson was at the mill of the Hartford Lumber Co.  There the devastation was complete; the mill was blown down and the machinery so twisted and injured as to be nearly worthless, the lumber scattered for half a mile, and the house of Albert Hannan torn to pieces.  It was a miracle that none of the family were injured as the house was literally torn from around them, furniture and clothing scattered, even taking up dishes from the table.

The path of the storm is easily traceable from here the entire length of Marathon county to and beyond Antigo in Langlade county.  Antigo was squarely in the track of the storm and was badly wrecked and several lives lost.

The first fatalities that we have learned of was at the home of Fred Hanke on the line between the towns of Rib Falls and Stettin.  Every building on the farm was wrecked, Mr. and Mrs. Hanke and one son killed and another son seriously if not fatally injured.  Another son, recently married residing about a mile northeast was killed, his wife seriously injured, barn destroyed and house unroofed.

It is impossible to place an estimate, with any degree of accuracy, upon the damage don in Marathon county.