Surviving the Storm of 1893 - Personal Experiences from People Living in Pomeroy

The information below was taken from the pages of the Pomeroy Centennial 1870 - 1970, A Brief History of Pomeroy and Its People

The family of Arthur C. Geroge lived a few blocks from where he now lives. The family had planned to move to this new home that afternoon, but because the temperature soared into the high 90's and the air was heavy with sticky, muggy sultriness they waited for the next day. When the storm struck 7 year old Arthur, along with other members of the family found themselves shooting into space, and finally dropped down a block from where their house once stood. Arthur's mother and two other members of the family were hurled from the living room and thrown a half block in the other direction. Arthur's mother was killed outright and a cousin died of injuries. Arthur himself was severly wounded, the worst being a hip dislocation, which left him permanently crippled. The new home was not damaged. Arthur was among those taken to Sioux City for medical care.

Mrs. Kate Hanssen Gehrt, who was eight years old at the time of the storm, lived where Chris Hanssen now lives, relates that the clouds had a green cast and were whirling in the northwest. Her father saw the Catholic Church destroyed. Their home was slightly damaged. She related that the horses killed in the storm were brought to the lot where the school house now stands and burned. Tents were used for the care of the injured and she said the towns people didn't like to walk by because of the cries of surffering. Her oldest sister worked for the Mullen family who lived where Lydia Nieting and Martha Roegge now live. They went into the cave and the house was destroyed. Mrs. Buenting, now 91 years old, and living with her daughter on the farm, worked for McKeen's, Mrs. McKeen being a milliner at the time. Their home was the late Fred Muse home, north of Heide Service Station, recently dismantled, and was not damaged.

Mrs. Della Plummer Bischoff, two years old at the time of the storm, lived north of the Methodist church. They and the Methodist minister, Rev. MacDonald, and family talked on the porches as the storm approached. The Minister said, "If we are going to die, we might as well die together," so they took refuge in the parsonage. Della went to sleep and they put her on the table. This house went up and came down a little off of the foundation. Della's home was turned up side down. Every little cloud that came up after that was viewed with alarm. she further related that the pump was pulled out of the ground. A cousin, four years old, was killed after being blown two or three blocks. Another child was blow north of the railroad tracks and the six week old baby was found at he edge of an open well. They had been pulled out by the force of the storm. All the child had on was his diaper and the neck band of his shirt. He had to be carried around on a pillow for some time because of the bruises.

John Geick who was a year and a half old, lived with his parents and one brother, Henry, on an eleven acre tract of land southwest of Immanuel Lutheran School. Mrs.

Geick, with John in her arms, went to the cave. When the father and Henry didn't come she went to the house to find them. As she stepped into the house, the house went up and flew into pieces. Henry was 9 years old, received a broken leg and his father had a 2x4 driven through his body and died. His mother was crushed to death by a stove falling on her. John was blown away about a block and a half, and was lying in a puddle of water. He was picked up by Solomon Johnson, a resident of Pomeroy, who later often patted John on the back and said, "You sure were a lucky boy when I found you and picked you up from that puddle."

Mary Hudson Smith was one year old and lived with her parents on the same lot where the home is now located. The old home had been moved south and was propped up on stilts, while the new home was being constructed. When the storm struck, this house began to rock and they went into the basement of the new home which received only the loss of the chimney. Many people came from the hotel, situated just back of the Pomeroy State Bank, for protection in the basement.

Clara Ries remembers they were at the supper table when the storm struck. Her mother and Grandma Nieting cleaned the Immanuel Church in the afternoon. Several neighbors came in. Her mother "herded" the children into the living room, then into the bedroom. It got very dark and things became hazy and next thing they knew, the floor of the bedroom was tilted over them. Resting on some rain barrels, as the side of the house blew away. The carpet blew off the floor and landed about a block away. When the floor tilted they were dumped on the ground under the house and didn't get wet from the rain that followed the storm. When Grandma Ries was found, she was covered with mud and splinters and unconscisous, and picked up for dead. When they cleaned the mud off and she became conscious, she was not badly hurt. She lived many years afterwards.

Chris Hanssen, who is still a resident of Pomeroy, occupying the same house in which he weathered the storm, recalls the following incidents of the Pomeroy Cyclone of July 6, 1893.

He saw the church (Catholic) just across the street demolished and blown away by the storm.

The big barn, just east of their home was blown over a cow. Which was tied to a railroad tie in the back yard. The doghouse was blown from the home with the animal in it two blocks south of the Hanssen home. The dog returned home the following morning.