The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-05-18

geance it seized upon the elaborate center.
piece and ,ore it to fragments. Then on
over the business center it rushed, the
volume OF the storm passing above the
buildings, fortunately, for had it been
otherwise, there is no calculating the de-
struction Of property and the loss Of life
that would nave ensued. 1t swept along
the lake shore on the North Side for q
short distan &c, then rushed toward the
crib. The tower containing the big fog
bell was swept away.
1t was, without exception, the most ter
rible wlnd-storm that has ever visited this
northern section of country. It came
without premonition, and the cloud burst
that accompanied it, and in a moment a
perfect avalanche of water fell from the
black clouds above, drenching to the skin
the unfortunate pedestrians who had not
sought shelter.
While the storm ragged, the scene oil the
principal streets was one of wild and ter
rlble excitement. Frightened horses,
dragging ponderous hitching-weights,
dashed wildly through the streets; terror
stricken men, women and children ran
nlther and thither into any place that Of
tered protection from the pitiless storm;
carriages were overturned, huge boxes
rolled and danced along the sidewalks:
signs sailed through the air, crashing
through the plate glass windows or crush
ing upon the sidewalk; men and women
were rolled over and over in the mud:
hats were whirled away over lofty build.
ings, while umbrellas were simply torn to
shreds, leaving only the skeleton above
the head of the unfortunate owner.
The County Hospital on Eighteenth
street, which was in the path of the tor
nado. was denuded of portion of its
roof, and for an instant the rickety old
structure threatened to fall in upon the
hundreds of sick and helpless pensioners of
Cook County. About 1 200 square feet of
roofing was lifted bodily from the north
west corner of the building, and its frag
ments were borne through the air as far
east as Clark street, four blocks away.
Large sections of the tin sheeting which
covered the remaining portion of the roof
were torn completely away, and hurled
into the street in front of the hospital.
Every strip of sheeting on the roof of the
main building was torn from its fastenings
at one or more corners, and twisted out
of shape. The patients were wild with
fear, the crash Of falling chimneys, the
shrieking and creaking Of the disrupted
roof, the cracking of beams and scant-
lings above, the rocking of the building
as it reeled beneath the terrible force Of
the wind, and over all the savage roar of
the tempest, served to madden the in
mates, and all was forgotten but the in
stinct of self.preservation. Life was
sweet even to those poor wretches, and
from their misery they welcomed not the
release that comes with death. The panic
stricken sufferers sprang from their cots,
where they had lain so long, and rushed
wildly for the doorways and Railways to
escape from the threatened danger. Over
the shrieks OF the terror stricken crowd
rang the wild laughter of boy of fifteen
In ward E, who had suffered amputation
OF the leg, and who in Gelirium of de-
light shouted as he heard the wild noise
OF the storm without and above. A man
In the same ward, who had a brick
hung to his arm to straighten it, picked up
the brick very carefully and rushed away
for safety. Patients who were unable
even to turn in bed, galvanized by fear
sprang up and fed shrieking through the
corridors. Through the gaping, ragged
roof volume of water poured in upon
the struggling crowd, saturating the cots
and wetting to the skin the patients before
escape was possible to the room below.
The most serious catastrophe of the
hurricane occurred at the Michigan South
ern freight depot, which is one of the
largest freight depots in the world. 1t is
sou feet long, running from Polk to Tay.
Tor streets, facing OF one side on the rail-
road track and on the other on Pacific
avenue. 1t seemed as though the storm
stayed for a moment in its passage to
gather full strength, then with giant force
it hurled itself against the building, and
at that instant bolt of lightning crashed
against the tin roof. 1t ran down the
wet root to the corner Of the building,
when, with irresistible fury it rended the
walls, crumbling them literally to pun
ice, and massive door was shivered and
riddled to splinters in an instant. Through
this rent the wind came roaring and rag
ing; the building was lifted from its foun-
dations and dashed upon Pacific avenue,
and the entire 225 feet of the south end
was wrecked completely.
At the time of this catastrophe the
building was occupied by about seventy
five men, but very fortunately nearly all
of them were engaged about the center of
the building. Some ten or twelve were,
however, at work at the south end of the
building, and so rapidly was the work of
destruction done that they were unable to
escape from the falling walls. A despair
ing shrek rang out through the building
over the horrible grinding of the crushing
walls, and then with a dull and heavy
crash the ruin closed over the doomed
men. A few escaped with but slight
bruises. Six of them, however, we're
caught by the falling walls and most hor
ribly mangled.
1he alarm OF fire was at once sounded,
and the firemen aided those present in ex-
Treating the sufferers beneath the ruins.
1t was terrible scene of wild confusion.
From the inextricable mass came the
shrieks of the buried victims calling for
aid, which, for a time, the crowd were
unable to render Both walls of the build
ing had fallen toward the west, while the
roof had slidden clear across the street.
Merchandise of every description was
heaped in every conceivable shape, and
entangled with the debris of the building.
The rain was pouring in torrents, but,
without moments delay, the brave men
began their work of humanity. AS fast as
removed the unfortunate men were placed
in carriages and taken home, where med
lcal attendance was furnished them by the
railroad company.
The same gust of wind that crushed in
the freight-house tore off piece of the
galvanized roofing of the passenger depot,
and hurled it against the buildings on the
opposite side of the street.
The most disastrous accident that hap
pened in the southwest portion of the city
was the destruction of the Reaper Mission,
a three-story frame building, twenty by
sixty feet, situated at 625 West TWENTY
second street. 1t was occupied on the
ground as mission church. The second
was the residence of Michael Burns and