The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-08-25
A Fearful Storm.

at times subjected. On the 10Th of July
one of these gales or cyclones swept
over the city of New Elm, in Minnesota,
destroying hundreds of houses and kill
ing some thirty persons outright. The
telegraph informed us of the fact, at the
time, hut the particulars, now just at
hand, are of such singular interest to the
residents of this coast, where such occur
rences are unknown, that we herewith
devote considerable space thereto. The
account, written upon the spot, bears
date of July 10th.
About 4:45 yesterday afternoon black
cloud was seen approaching this city
from the north-a cloud of such intense
blackness as to shut out the light of day
and create the impression that the pail
of night was falling upon the town be-
fore its due time. Men women and child
rem were affrighted, and experimenting q
severe storm all set about securing their
portable property out of doors. For half
an hour the people were kept between
hope and fear. Shortly after five o'clock
the storm cloud burst. Its violence did
not seem to proceed from the direction
from which it was first seen approach
ing, but with the noise of O raging tor
rent it burst upon the town in the form
of a terrible hurricane from the west.
Darkness enveloped everything in it's sa-
BILE MANTLE. and it was impossible for one
to distinguish his most intimate friends
at distance of ten feet.
The first effects of the tornado were
felt in the northern part OF the town,
among the modest residences of the Ia
boring portion of the community. These
were somewhat scattered, but within
less than two minutes were all either
carried off bodily or leveled to the
ground. Over hundred dwellings, all
of modest pretentions, were absolutely
swept away on the wings of the wind,
and several hundred persons rendered
homeless in the twinkling of an eye. But
the work of destruction was not to be
confined to the outskirts of the town.
On the ridge to the westward are stu
ated the German Methodist and the Ger
man Lutheran churches. Both Of these
were hurled to the ground in an instant
of time, lnficting loss upon each con-
gregation OF about $4,000. Scarcely u
vestige of the aforementioned building
remained to mark its site; the latter was
so badly wrecked as to be absolutely
worthless. The Catholic church and the
school building adjoining are both al
most irretrievably damaged.
After demolishing the structures on
the ridge the tornado struck the bust
ness ceuter of the town, and in few
moments the air was full of flying tim
bers and debris of every description.
Fence boards, fragments of roofing,
wagons, window sash, doors, and all con-
ceivable articles were flying through the
air, while above the roar OF the tempest
could be heard the frantic shouts of men,
the piercing shrieks of women, and the
agonized wailings of children. The dark
ness was intense, and though some
rushed hither and thither in blind frenzy
the more collected awaited their fate
with calmness or sought refuge in the
cellars of their buildings. The noise
was deafening, Roof after roof was torn
from its fastenings, and was carried
away by the wind or dashed with a deaf
ening crash against the walls of some
building on the opposite side of the
street. The crash of falling walls was
heard on every side, while ever and anon
the scene. one of terrible picturesque
ness, was Lit up by lurid flashes of light
ming. 1t was hades of darkness and
lurid lightning flashes; a babel of confu-
sion of sounds.
The tornado reared with terrible fury
for the space of fifteen minutes, when q
lull came, and the people of the doomed
city drew sigh of relief. The cessation
was of very brief duration, however. for
almost instantly counter storm broke
out, coming from the east, and ragged
with undated fury for ten or fifteen
minutes, nearly completing the work of
ruin that had already progressed SO far.
Walls that had withstood the first on
slaught of the winds succumbed to the
later blasts. Huge timbers were carried
hither and thither, now crushing through
the front of stores, and anon breaking in
the roofs of houses or barns. Cattle, re-
leased from their corrals by 'the action of
the wind, ran believing through the
streets, and horses, tearing themselves
from their fastenings, rushed wildly
hither and thither. Men seemed to have
lost their reason, and madly stamped for
places of refuge. Women, with their
children clinging to them, vainly i'm
plored and prayed for aid, while about
all was the crash of falling timber and
tho bowling Of the hurricane. 1t was an
occasion never to be forgotten by any
that were present. Some of the more
superstitious believed that the end of the
world had come of surety, and their
wailings were pitiful in the extreme.
Others had coucern only for the material