STORM NEAR DES MOINES

Des Moines, Ia., May 26 - Three tornados in Iowa, two last night and one tonight, resulted in the loss of six lives, the fatal injury to a score of people, beside a great property loss. The dead

At South Des Moines: RUSSELL A. KNAUF and infant son.

The storm struck South Des Moines at 6 o'clock tonight, causing a loss of $50,000. Forty buildings were more or less damaged. Besides two killed, four persons were injured. No estimate is made of the loss in the packing house section where the elevator, malt house ad the Armour Packing company plants were damaged. There is more or less damage all over the city.

Decatur Herald, Decatur, IL 27 May 1903

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RUSSELL A. KNAUF aged 30 years.
FLOYD KNAUF, his eight-moths old son.

Injured at South Des Moines - Mrs. KNAUF, bruised ad cut; Mrs. Margaret Boston, skull injured by falling brick: Charles McNutt, hurt by falling tree: Mrs. John McCoy, breast and head cut by flying glass,

The tornado struck South Des Moines at 6 o'clock tonight. It came from the south but after the greater part of the destruction was wrought, veered to the northwest as it approached the junction of the Des Moines ad Raccoon rivers. The property damage in South Des Moines and vicinity will reach $60,000. The Knauf home ad Christian church were wrecked ad about 40 other building were badly crippled.

About the same time what was apparently another storm struck the packing house section of town a mile to the northeast of the scene of the South Des Moines disaster. In this locality the Armour Packing company, the Des Moines elevator ad the Des Moines malt house plants suffered the greatest damage. The loss in that section cannot be estimated.

Colorado Spring Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO 27 May 1903
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Transcribed by Sherry McClellan. Thank you, Sherry!