River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-07-05
A DESTRUCTIVE STORM.
Graphic Description of the Terrible Tor
nado which Visited Minnehaha Falls
and Other parts of Minnesota and also
OF Wisc0nsfn

Graphic Description of the Terrible Tor
nado which Visited MiBnehnha Falls
and Other parts of Minnesota and also
or Wiseonsfs.
Late on the afternoon of the 29th ult
an unusually heavy rainstorn visited st.
Paul, Minneapolis and the adjacent coun-
try, but beyond the damage incident to
unusually severe rainfalls, no loss of life
or wholesale destruction of property is
reported in the localities named, save in
Cold Springs, in the town of Richfeld,
Hennepin county, three miles above Fort
Smelling. In this place two separate
clouds, one moving rapidly TO the north
east and the other to the northwest, were
observed to meet and in a moment had
formed in funnel shape and began NOV
ing in a northerly course along the banks
of the Minnesota river, four miles from
Minnehaha Folls. Trees and fences lying
in its path were torn up, and after being
carried various distances were plunged
with indescribable fury into some shell
tering ravine, and then partially covered
by sand, earth and vegetation licked up
from the crowns of the Intervening hills
the point of contact with the earth not
exceeding twenty rods in width.
The first buildings encountered were
| the residence, outbuildings and large new
barn of Mr.. Garry Van Ness, both sub
stantial structures. These structures
were lifted up bodily, carried a distance
of about fifteen rods, and then thrown to
the ground again, broken and wrecked
beyond recognition, the debris, or a por-
ton of il, landing in ravine east of the
I II I'll
cloud followed its course up this ravine
for some distance, lifting great trees from
the ground (roots and alb and plunging
them through the air as if they did not
possess a feathers weight of resisting
power Sections of wire fencing, to-
! gether with the stout posts holding them
in place, were lifted up, and after being
| carried some distance in the arms of the
cyclone, were dropped downward with
| the separate wires twisted into the form
of rope. At the time, Mr.. Van Ness
his two daughters and hired man, John
| Coleman, were in the house. The two
| daughters sought refuge in the cellar and
escaped without injury, but Van Ness
! and Coleman, who remained IN the
building, were both severely injured
though it is believed both will recover.
After leaving the scene of obstruction
on the Van Ness place, the cyclone moved
in a northerly course and next struck the
house of Mr. Frank c. Hallenbach on the
town line of Richfield and Bloomington
| At the time Mr.. III. was absent and his
wife, the only occupant of the Inflated
building, when it was lifted into the air
to height of 80 or 100 feet, and thrown
to the ground mass of splintered tim
bers and broken boards. Mrs. Hallen
bach was picked up from the wreck after
the deadly cloud had passed. with hel
face mangled and disfigurcd in sicken
ing manner, and the abdomen perforated
! by some object either in the fall, OF while
being carried with the mad dance of the
flying debris in the air. The poor lady,
wounds which she bore with remarkable
1 fortitude were 50 severe that she dieC
during the night.
From Mr. Hallenbach's the cloud
moved with terrific velocity in a direc
northerlv course, but without tapping the
earth with its thdealing tongue. 1t!
path however, is very distinctly marked
/ by line of broken boards, pieces of fur
niture, etc,-fragments of the Hallen-
bach house and its contents being found
at point two and half miles from it:
former site, and almost due north. The
cyclone again touched or crossed tn,
roadway one mile north of Mr.. Hallen
bach's and again exhibited its furious
characteristics. Here the earth was tori
and quilted, as if torrents of water hat
swept across its surface with tremendous
force AT exposed points within the vor
tex of the cyclone, the wheat has beer
swept clean, and crowns of sandy hillock:
were literally blown away to the depth
of three feet in some reported instances
A number of sheep, pigs and chickens
were carried from the Hallenbach farm
and no trace of them has yet been dis
covered, while pieces of sewing ma
chine, stove, and fragments of house
hold furniture have been found at dis
lance of four and six miles from the prin
cipal scene of devastation.
Later reports show that the tornado
visited Elk River, Sherburne county,
it demolished two houses, four barns
unroofed the Court House, broke down
| part of saw-mill uprooted shade trees
and damaged other buildings. The
storm came from the southwest and in
/ tic lONH vi DUTIES tilItc lllltS lIbIll Elm
River, it also demolished the house of a
Mr.. Nelson injuring him fatally. 1t also
swept over Wright county south of Mon
ticello, demolishing every barn IT Its
course and unroofing several houses. The
Catholic Church at Maple Lake, and sew
eral houses and buildings in that vicinity
were also blown down.
AT New Richmond, Wis, the storm
was protracted and severe, and accom-
panied with terrific lightning. Clay
MINER, of the village of Huntington, five
miles from New Richmond, while riding
along the road, was struck by lightning
and with his horse instantly killed. The
house of Michael Early, of Erin Prairie,
was also struck and with its contents
burned The wind and hail also did
much damage to growing crops and
fences in fine towns of Star Prairie and