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| Find a Grave photo by Doris Christensen |
One must never tempt the Iowa storm gods by announcing that a place never has been struck by a tornado, but Chariton had a very close call indeed just before midnight on May 30-31, 1899.
The principal witness today is Gifford Williby's small tombstone, located in Brownlee Cemetery, northwest of Williamson. The inscription reads, "Gifford, Son of J.W. & S.L. Williby, Mar. 31, 1896, Killed in a Cyclone May 30, 1899."
The 3-year-old was sound asleep in bed in the family home 120 years ago approximately a mile west of the current location of the Chariton Airport and three quarters of a mile south when the storm struck. Flung into the air as the house disintegrated around him, he apparently was tossed against a plow point and killed instantly. Six others survived.
The storm then continued on an easterly path about three quarters of a mile south of U.S. 34, cutting through a mile or so of prairie before descending into the Chariton River bottoms, passing over the south end of the Chariton Cemetery and wooded land to the east, then exiting the vicinity after crossing the C.B.&Q. railroad tracks paralleling the Blue Grass Road as it heads southeast out of town.
Here's a detailed report of the storm and its aftermath from The Chariton Patriot of June 1, 1899:
SWEPT BY CYCLONE
This County Visited by a Destructive Storm Tuesday Night.
WILLIBY FAMILY SUFFERERS
All Their Property Swept Away and One Child Killed --- Narrow Escape of the Family
Lucas county has at last been visited by a genuine cyclone. A small but destructive storm of this kind, accompanied by a heavy rain, swept over the county Tuesday night about 12 o'clock. The course of the cyclone was from west to east. It passed north of Derby, south of Chariton and north of Russell, fortunately missing all three of these towns. The path of the cyclone was from 50 to 150 yards in width, although the force of the wind which accompanied it did considerable damage elsewhere.
The first evidence of the terrible destructiveness of the storm was the home of J.W. Williby, one mile west of W.C. Brown's in Whitebreast township. Here the cyclone did awful work. Mr. Williby's house stood on the side of a hill near the base on the bank of a creek, with hills all around. The cyclone swept over a hill which stands to the west and struck the house with all its fury, completely demolishing it, and killing Mr. Williby's three-year-old boy, Gifford.
A NIGHT OF TERROR
The awful experience of these unfortunate people, as told by Mrs. Williby, is substantially as follows:
The family were all asleep and the first they knew of the storm the house was rocking and then they felt themselves being carried in the air with the rain pouring on them. Mrs. Williby says all she thought of was the children. It was all over in a few seconds. There were seven persons in the house, Mr. and Mrs. Williby and three children, Gifford, 3years, 3 months old, Merl, aged 1 year, 6 months, and a baby boy aged 7 weeks. Miss Maggie Tibbles, a sister of Mrs. Williby, and Melvin Smith, a hired hand.
Mr. and Mrs. Williby and the baby were blown a short distance from the house. Mrs. Williby was unhurt. The baby received a few bruises about the head, and Mr. Williby's head was seriously cut and bruised in six or eight places. Mr. Smith was somewhat bruised and was blown a short distance beyond Mr. and Mrs. Williby but was not even awakened. Mrs. Williby awoke him and gave him the baby and told him to take him to the cave, which he did. She and her sister started to look for the other children and found Merl about 20 feet south of where the house had been, unhurt and asleep. She took her to the cave and found that the baby was almost drowned. After working with it a few moments she again started out to help search for Gifford. They found him about 100 yards east of where the house had been, dead. It is supposed he was hurled against a plow point. He was otherwise bruised and a great hole was gouged in the thigh of his left leg. His death must have been instantaneous, for Mrs. Williby says it was not more than five minutes from the time of the storm until they were all in the cave. Miss Tibbles was only slightly bruised. Mrs. Williby's feet were full of thorns and splinters from running about barefoot after the storm.
By this time Mr. Williby was growing weak from loss of blood, so Mrs. Williby thought of her bread bucket in the cave, and going to it took the cloth around the bread and bound up Mr. Williby's wounds as best she could, and he went to Fred Bingaman's about one mile distant, to call assistance. he had to cross a stream, and upon reaching the bridge found that the abutments were washed away. he sprang from the bank to the bridge to the opposite bank. Being so near exhausted, he fell in the water several times, but finally succeeded in reaching Mr. Bingaman's. He is in a serious condition.
To add to the horror of the situation the rain poured down in torrents; the lightning flashed; the thunder pealed, and the only light they had was that made by the lightning.
The destitute and sorrowful condition of this family should stir the people of Chariton and Lucas county to immediate action in supplying their needs and assisting them in every way possible. Any one desiring to contribute anything, money, clothing, bedding or household supplies for this destitute family, can leave it at the Patriot office and it will be promptly delivered to them.
The neighbors were exceedingly kind and extended all possible aid to the bereaved family.
The funeral services of little Gifford Williby were held from the home of Mr. Williby's father, George Williby, on east Linden Avenue this morning at 9:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Ormond, and the little form was laid to rest in the Foulks (Brownlee) cemetery in English township. Gifford was an exceptionally bright and loving child and his untimely death is a sad blow to the grief-stricken parents.
THE STORM'S WORK
The picture which presented itself to the eyes of the Patriot reporter who visited the scene yesterday morning was awful. Nothing remained of Mr. Williby's house on its original site except the foundation. The floor was found intact a few feet away. The remainder of the building had been caught up and scattered in every directions. Portions of it were found as far as five miles away, the the country around was literally strewn with pieces of boards, shingles, lath, wall paper and broken portions of furniture. Every bit of household furniture was entirely destroyed. Not a table or chair was left whole; even the stove being broken to bits. All around were evidences of the eccentric destructiveness of a cyclone. Farm wagons and machinery were twisted out of shape; wheels were broken off; spokes ripped out and tires torn off the wheels. Household utensils were found lying around battered beyond recognition. Clothing and bed clothing were tossed into tree tops and scattered around everywhere. A number of chickens were dead, others were running around wit their fathers gone.
After doing all possible damage in this spot the storm swept over a hill through W.C. Brown's farm, destroying nearly a half mile of fence and uprooting an apple orchard south of his house. It continued across the road demolishing fences, tearing down the telepone line and passed a few rods south of A.W. Mauk's place, filling his yard with debris. It descended again just back of J.W. Mauk's house, played havoc with a number of large trees around his pond, continued its destructive career through his timber, that of W.B. Barger's and across the Chariton river bottom and up over the hill through the south of the cemetery. Here it dropped across the road into W.C. Penick's timber, tearing up large trees by the roots, twisting off and shattering others like pipestems. Leaving here it swept over the hill across the railroad south of J.S. Braden's and through the farms of J. Chas. Carr, J.B. Bryan and Noble Douglass, leaving its path of destruction.
MR. BRADEN SAID
that at 11:30 o'clock Tuesday night he was awakened by the breaking of glass in the windows, the chimney falling and a general commotion outside. Upon looking out he discovered that a cyclone was passing just south of them. A sixteen foot ladder he used about the premises was standing on end and being whirled through the yard. The continuous flashing of the ligthing made it light enough to see a considerable distance most of the time. The next thing that attracted his attention was a pile of railroad ties, tree tops, telegraph wires, etc., heaped in confusion on the railroad track which passes close to his house. Not waiting to dress, he rushed out and worked heroically to clear the track before No. 11, the passenger train from the east, due at 1:15, should arrive --- and succeeded. Returning to the house he dressed himself and rushed down to the telegraph office and notified the operator of the storm.
Mr. Braden says he does not think that the storm was more than 10 seconds in passing, but the rain continued to pour. As near as he could tell the cyclone was about 200 yards wide at the bottom.
Mr. Braden is surely to be commended for his heroic action, for had it not been for him and his untiring efforts there would in all probability have been a wreck, for the oeprator knew nothing of it until informed by Mr. Braden.
We can congratulate ourselves that the storm was no worse. Had it struck any of the towns which it passed so near, destruction and death would be with us today. Although this cyclone was not a large one, anyone who witnessed its work can realize what terrible evil it could do.
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After burying their eldest at Brownlee, James W. and Susan (Tibbles) Williby continued to live in the Chariton vicinity until she died at age 45 of complications from the flu on Feb. 11, 1920. James then moved into Des Moines, where he died on Nov. 5, 1936, age 69, after being struck by a car while walking. They had four children after Gifford's death and were survived by all six children. They are buried with Gifford in the Brownlee Cemetery.
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