Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-09
Severe Tornado and Destruction Of
Property.

severe tornado accompanied by heavy
rain, thunder and lightning. swept over
this city and vicinity Friday forenoon last,
the 4th inst, leaving considerable destrut.
ton in its path. The storm came up quite
suddenly from the northwest, and gave but
little warning ofits approach before breaking
in upon US with all its fury. The morning
opened up clear and pleasant, with bright
promise Of fine day throughout. About
nine o'clock, however, dark looking clouds
were visible in the heavens, although their
appearance dld not seem more than usually
thres ening' About 10 o clock the cir grew
suddenly oppressive and with rumbling
! noise like distant thunder the tornado
| struck the city. Just at this time large
number OF men, women and children were
on the streets witnessing the Firemen's
parade, which only few minutes before
had started out. 1t may well be imagined
there was some hurryng done to obtain
shelter from the angry elements, and
soon every place affording safety from the
storm was occupied by the terrified CROWD.
The storm remained at its height for nearly
half an hour, blowing constant hurricane,
and filing the air with branches of trees,
boards, shingles, pieces of timber and debris
of all kinds, which, together with the heavy
rain and darkness, made it impossible for
one to see the distance OF across the street.
The inc OF the whirlwind was marked
| with fallen trees, broken branches Ieveled
grain, prostrate fences, in many cases the
posts being twisted out of the ground, and
unroofed buildings. The most serious eff
feet of the tornado in the city was the de-
| strueton of the sheet iron roof of Messrs
| Smith Benefits Machine shop, whct was
| torn to fragments by the force of the wind
and scattered in all directions. The great
strength OF the tornado may be best under
stood when it is known that large pieces of
+ the iron roofing were doubled up and car
ried like chaf distance of more than We
| hundred feet. chimney was blown down
from their Foundry building, and the storm
did them some other damage. 1t will take
several hundred dollars to make good Smith
Il Benefits loss, but with the accustomed
energy of this firm, they have already gone
to work to repair the damage to their build
ings. The smoke stack of Mr. T.. Doering's
Grist Mill, situated within few feet Of
Smith Il Benefits Machine Shop, was blown
over, but the building received no damage.
The two story brick house Of Mr. NJ. Kra-
kow, in the 7th Ward, was unroofed, and the
roof carried bodily across the road and landed
in rye field. In the same vicinity, Mr.
P. Lswton had barn blown down, and
large hog killed by the scattering timbers
The flag staff on Turner Hall was snapped
in two, and the star spangled banner which
was unfurled from it went down in the
storm. Considerable havoc was made
among the trees in Richards Grove, MANY
good sized ones being blown down. When
the storm came on German Methodist pic
mic was assembling in this grove, and several
narrow escapes are related of those who
sought shelter under the trees The roof of
the Milwaukee and st. Paul Depot was
shifted by the wind, knocking out several
bricks Immediately under the rafters
West OF US in the towns of Watertown
and Shields the storm was equally severe
aud we hear of much injury being done. In
tie town of Watertown the roof of Mr.. L..
Gronat's barn, on the old Branagan farm
| was destroyed. In the town of Shields
we learn that the barn of Mr.. NJ. O'Connell
was blown over; horse of Mr.. E. Ryan
killed by tree falling upon it, and thr ee
cows belonging to MIR. VIM. Dolan killed in
the same manner.
East of'here the force of the storm does
not seem to have been so great, and with
the exception of prostration of trees and
crops we learn of no damage having been
done. For storm of such severity, with
so many persons on the streets at the
time, it is almost miraculous that no
lives were lost, nor even person injured,
! so far as We can learn.
1t was feared that the growing crops had
sustained serious injury in the sections
through which the storm passed, but we
are glad to learn that such is not the case:
Corn, perhaps, has suffered most, some of it
being broken, but wheat, although leveled
to the ground, is coming up again, and will
come out of the ordeal with little if any
injury. Had the storm occurred two
weeks later. when the heads were more
matured, the damage to the wheat crop
would probably, have been very extensive
/ IN this vicinity.