Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-07-20

A dispatch from New Ulm, Minnesota,
under date OF the 18th inst, tells of d-erd-
ful tornado that swept over that Pisce on
Friday, the 18th inst. The city is situated
on the right bank of the Minnesota river,
and on the Winsha and St. Peter railroad
1t is the county seat of Brown county, and
contained $500 inhabitants. 1t possessed a
large number of fine buildings, among them
two mills, FIVE public schools, two acade
mics, three churches, costing from $1,000
to $4,000, and the finest public hall in the
Northwest.
Shortly before 3 o'clock on Friday after
noon a cyclone of most terrific violence
struck the town, demolishing over 100
baildings and killing or woundlng upward
of thirty persons. Though other towns in
.he v,cini.y were visited by the storm to a
greater or less degree of violence, the fill
force of the cyclone vented itself here.
Two tornadoes met right over the place,
and the work of destruction was accom-
plished in less than fifteen minutes. The
cyclone struck the town, almost destroying
it, and then disappeared as suddenly as i,
came. Its effects are almost iadescribabie
Some houses were struck BY lightning,
others were lifted up bodily by the violence
of the wind, and others were demolished by
flying debris from other buildings. The
storm was most destructive in the north end
of the city, and whole blocks of frame
buildings were swept away. Hardly barn
or stable escaped, and it is estimated that
over one hundred horses and cattle have
been killed. j. &. Randolph, Mayor of the
city, estimates the total loss at $500, 600,
and the lowest estimate is $3.50, 900. Aside
from the loss of life the worst feature of
the calamity is that none of the property
destroyed is insured against accidents of
this kind. The large two-story brick meat
market of n. Epplc was entirely demolsh-
ed, and d. Weschecke's two-story brick
drug store and residence was leyeled to the
ground. The Methodist and Lutheran
churches, both substantial brick edifices,
have been swept away, and the steeples of
three Roman Catholic churches were blown
of and the buildings Quilted. One side of
the brick dry goods store of Redman &
Schram was blown down and the stock ;s
destroyed. The Dakota House, the lead
ing hotel, was partially destroyed. The
roof of the Court House was lifted bodily
into the ar and has not been seen since.
The handsome residence of William Retch-
der, ex-State Treasurer, which stands on a
bluff somewhat in the rear OF the city, was
completely gstted, though all the inmates
escaped unhlrt. l.. Beringer's furniture
store, NJ. Muller's hardware store, Poeser's
establishment and Z. Backs machine shop
were all destroyed, besides a number of
others. A sugar factory and two public
school buildings are in ruins and the re-
naming school muse partly demolished.
The lightning struck the depo, three times,
but made no impression on it, Every liv-
cry stable in town has been DESTROYED. A
number of Buildings strack by lightning
caught fire, and the town would have been
destroyed il this way but for the rain, which
descended il torrents. The scene during
and Immediately after the storm was fearful
to contemplate and beyond the descriptive
powers of the most graphic pen. As the
victims of the sad cataSirophy are scatter.