Edgerton, IN Tornado, Mar 1920

Edgerton, Ind., Wiped Out.

Fort Wayne, Ind. (AP)-It is reported here that the town of Edgerton, Ind., 18 miles east of here, has been completely wiped out by the storm. It is also reported that two men were killed at Zulu, 10 miles east of here, and that the town has been destroyed.

The Idaho Daily Statesman, Boise, ID 29 Mar 1920

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Edgerton is Wiped Out

Three-Fourths of the Houses in the Town Were Completely Destroyed.

Many Seriously Hurt

Presenting a picture of destruction as complete as that wrought by the gigantic German guns in the villages of northern France the town of Edgerton on the Allen County state line today lies in ruins. Three-fourths of the houses in the town were completely destroyed by the tornado which swept in from the southwest last evening, and not one of the few that are standing escaped damage. Those that are left are haven of refuge for the victims of the storm, but with chimneys blown down the starting of fires is impossible and the people gathered in the houses are cold and shivering in the raw March winds. That there were no deaths in the town is considered a miracle, for it is impossible to conceive how people could escape alive from the inferno of falling walls and crashing timbers. The property damage in Edgerton and vicinity will reach fully a million dollars, it is believed.

Came Without Warning.

The hurricane came with warning. There had been a high wind all day and a few minutes after 6 o’clock dark clouds suddenly lowered and the storm struck. The houses and the few stores in the path of the storm were leveled, the people with in fleeing into the open ads the walls crashed about them. A number were injured and after the storm had passed these were card for by those more fortunate.

Ambulances brought the more seriously injured to Fort Wayne last night and this morning two more ambulances were sent to Edgerton and brought to the local hospitals others who were in need of medical attention.

Storm Was Freakish.

The storm played queer pranks in the vicinity of Edgerton. Coming from the southwest it struck several farm houses near Edgerton and moved them from their foundations, the Ferry home being the most seriously damaged. Here scarcely one timber was left fastened to another and all that remains of the house and out buildings is piles of debris through which furniture, dished and bedding it scattered. The family escaped by fleeing into the open when the storm broke. The GIRARDOT home and other in the vicinity were moved from their foundations and roofs and porches were blown away. Barns suffered most and in some cases were clown many feet, one in the Morgan road being laid on its side directly in the center of the road.

The storm seemed to lift about a mile southwest of Edgerton, for there is a space of nearly a mile in which no buildings were damaged. Then it apparently lowered again and with terrific velocity swept down upon Edgerton, leveling all before it. A few homes that seemed to escape the direct sweep of the wind were damaged by flying timbers from other homes, in a number of instances the timbers crashing through the walls and narrowly missing the occupants of the houses.

Houses that seemed frail were left standing and those that apparently were built to resist the most severe storm were blown from their foundations. A condemned schoolhouse that has for some time been considered unsafe weathered the storm, while a church standing nearby was completely wrecked.

Saw Storm Coming.

CLARENCE PATEE, a section hand, was one of those who saw the storm coming. He was in his home and was running to the Edgerton bank to escape the storm which he saw coming when it struck him. He was lifted into the air and crashed to the ground, sustaining a fractured skill and fractures to one leg. Had he remained at home he probably would not have been injured for his home was one of the few to escape with only slight damage.

Held to Trees.

At the BLAKE home north of Edgerton the house was lifted from its foundation and in the rush to escape the three-year-old daughter sustained a fractured leg. The other children ran to the orchard and held to trees while the wind whipped them about tearing their clothing and grinding sand and dirt into their faces and hands. They were cared for at the home of a neighbor, but so great was their terror that they held tightly to the hands of their friends and refused to go to bed until early this morning when sleep overcame them.

Blown Across Track.

ALVIN CARTER was another man who saw the storm coming. He was standing in front of the Hyman store which was completely demolished and was blown across the Nickel Plate tracks where the wind hurled him to the ground, severely cutting and bruising him. Huge timbers were blown along with him and so terrific was the force of the wind that a heavy freight car was blown from the track close to where CARTER landed. CARTER was unconscious when picked up, but his injuries are not severe. He says he saw the storm coming and saw barns and houses blown over but could not get to a place of safety before he was blown away.

Store Ruined.

The Hyman general store in the center of the little town is a complete loss. The building was blown down and the stock of groceries and dry goods were scattered far and wide. Today some of the townspeople are digging in the ruins for provisions and clothing. JOHN LADD was one of the men who saw the store destroyed. He was coming from the barn, which he had just locked, when the storm struck. A heavy piece of machinery struck him in the abdomen and rendered him unconscious and when he awoke he was in a neighbor’s yard. The last he remembers of the storm is seeing the general store blown down. LADD lost about $6,000 in the storm. Hyman carried about $5,000 tornado insurance on a policy only recently taken out.

Fled to Bank.

A number of people undoubtedly owe their lives to the fact that they found shelter in the town bank. The bank and cellar were crowded with terror stricken people, who huddled together with their homes and all their belongings were scattered by the storm.

Half Mile Wide.

The path of the storm was about half a mile wide and it centered in Edgerton, taking in practically the whole town in its sweep. Telephone poles and wires were blown across the roads, making travel nearly impossible for the physicians and ambulances hurriedly called from Fort Wayne and Payne. The roads leading to Edgerton today are littered with timbers, parts of roofs, poles, wires, bricks and debris of all kinds, in some places out buildings have been moved onto the road and everywhere there are horses and cattle that escaped during the storm and are seeking shelter. The owners of some of them will never locate their tock and the loss from this one source will run into many thousands.

Houses Burn

Many houses and barns were burned last night, the houses ignited from the stove and lamps and the fire communicating from the dying embers to other buildings.

Elevator in Ruins.

The bug Edgerton grain elevator, owned by the Union Grain & Coal company, is completely ruined. The elevator, which could be seen for miles, was sent crashing to the ground, while the storm was at its height, and its contents were scattered so that much will be a complete loss.

Dept Blows Away.

The Nickel Plate depot was blown down, but, fortunately, did not blow across the track. C.A. WARNER, Nickel Plate operator at Edgerton, was sitting in his home near the depot with his wife and daughter when they saw the storm coming. They ran from the house and scarcely had gotten away when the house was torn from its foundations and wrecked. BENJAMIN OYER, living near Edgerton, was a heavy loser in the storm. His house and barn were blown away and his stock and machinery is a total loss. AARON OYER, likewise, lost all of his stock and buildings.

On the WARREN SMOLT farm a barn was blown down and on the MERTZ farm the house was blown away. A little girl in the house was blown with it and sustained serious injuries about the head.

Sightseers Plentiful.

Today the roads through Edgerton are choked with automobiles sightseers coming for miles to witness the destruction. Some of them are helping clear away the debris and repair the few houses left standing so they can be used for refuge, but the great majority come simply to gaze at the ruins and get in the way of those who have work to do and are attempting to do it. Deputy Sheriff AL ABBOTT was on duty at Edgerton all day and was kept busy seeing that automobiles did not completely block the road and prevent necessary traffic going through the place.

Rail Traffic Blocked.

Rail traffic was completely blocked at Edgerton until this morning. The wires were blown down shortly after the Nickel Plate operator sent word to Fort Wayne that Edgerton was being leveled by the storm, and the track was piled high with debris. This morning a force of linemen repaired the wires and maintenance-of-way men cleared the track sufficiently to permit slow traffic through the town.

The Fort Wayne News And Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN 29 Mar 1920

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Injured In Sunday Evening’s Tornado.

Edgerton.
HAZEL BLAKE, 12.
DOROTHY BLAKE, 3.
ELGIN CARTER, 18, cuts and bruises on head.
JOHN LADD.
Twelve-year-old child of Mr. MERTZ, fractured skull.
CLARENCE PATTEE, leg broken, skull fractured.
MRS. CLARENCE PATTEE.
MRS. S.E. CARRICK.
MRS. S.E. CARRICK.
WAYNE CARRICK.
JOHN CARRICK.
MRS. LLOYD DEERWESTER.

The Fort Wayne News And Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN 29 Mar 1920
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!