Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-07-15
TERRIFIC TORNADO
CARRYING DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
IN NlTS PATH.
The Little Town OF Fairfield, Minnesota,
Visited and Devastated by One Of the
Most Terrific Cyclones, Carrying
Away Several Houses
and Bridges.
OTHER DAMAGE BY THE HURRICANE
THE ELEM 9N rs.

Terrible Windstorm Near Benson
Minn.-Houses BIown Down. Trees
U,rooted and Bridges Carried Away.
Benson, MINI, July 1.-THE town
ship of Maver, in the immediate vrini-
" of Fairfield pOstoflice, was visited by
terrific wind storm, tornado or cyclone
about o'clock. The storm seemed TO
come from the northwest, veerlng
around Southword till it assumed an
almost easterly direction, and leveled
everything moveable in its course.
From DR.. Marshall, of Appleton, who
was called TO attend wounded man,
the following facts are learned:
The First House in the Track of the
Tempest
was that OF 'esley Havener, who lives
on the west bank Of the Pommede Terre
river, Mercer. 1t tore down over the
hill, leveling the trees around his house
and prostrated il III an instant, throwing
the man and his family out OF doors
and leaving them bruised, drenched
houscless and
Berett OF Everything Except tho Clothing
on their Bodies.
They have suffered some yer" severe
injuries, but none OF them are danger
GUS -Four out OF five horses were killed
outright. Next the storm took the
bridges. A wagon bridge OF a single
span, about forty feet, was lifted from
its foundation. turned over and dropped
about iour rods down the river, where
it now lies. On the north end upper
side OF the bridge stood small black
smith shop, which is utterly demolished.
Passing on to the blacksmith's house, it
Tore 1t to Pieces in It's Fury.
hurting the mans wife and two children
quite Il distance IRON the building. The
boy and glrl, about five and seven years
respectively, were insensible when the
doctor lett and in dangerous condition
from their wounds, while the mother
was scarcely better oil, owing to her
delicate condition.
Next III course oi destruction came
the stone building Of Mrs. Geo. Train,
in which she lived and kept store and
the postollice. She and her children
and I. Z. Boylo, her clerk, stayed in the
house till the windows blew in, when
they ran ont and lay on the grass. They
had scarcely got out when
The Building was Blown TO Pieces
and with all its contents scattered over
the prairie. Mrs Train is widow and
is rendered destitute by this misfortune.
The next house visited was that of Hen
nv Miller, which was unrooled ana the
upper part of it blown away with all
the clothing, leaving the inmates to the
mercy OF the elements. Mrs. Miller
sustained a very severe shock from
fright and prOstration. George kepner,
the Oldest resident, who lives just south
OF the bridge,
Suffered Most Severely from the storm'
The house in which he lived and new
one he was erecting were both blown
down and DESTROYED. The frame OF 4
carpet loom in the old building, which
held up the falling walls, was all that
prevented the death oi some OF It's in
mates, as under this rude but substan-
tial shelter they crOuched Tor safety un.
til the storm was over. Part of the floor
was blown away and a COW was blown
into the cellar. The new church OF the
United Brethren, standing close bv, WAS
no obstacle 20 the wrath oil the tempest,
and it was
Ra2ed to the Ground.
These are all the houses damaged in the
vicinity which the tornado visited, but
one or two houses in north and north.
westerly direction were unrOoied and
further wasted, and not lar from Carroll
a house had totally Disappeared. Two
lives were lost. 1t was reported here IN
Benson that q German named Nrige,
who lives northwest OF Harenoisa mile
or SO, and one child were killed.