Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-18

Minutes Death and Destruction
for Forty Miles-MIdnIght Dark
ness Lit Up by Binding Lightning
-ViIlsges, Farm Houses and Crops
Laid Waste-NumbeTs of Cattle
KiIIed-SeriOus Loss OF Life.
CHICAGO, July 1.-THE town of New
Ulm, Minnesota, situated on the Minnesota
river, sixty-fve miles from st. Paul. con-
tanning about $500 persons, was wrecked by
cyclone yesterday afternoon. The tele-
graph wires went down the river and only
meagre details can be given. Stone and
brick buildings were razed to their founda-
tiops, and the air was filed with the debris.
The town and its suburbs are now mass Of
ruins. West Newton, in the neighboriug
county of Nicollett, was visited. num-
Der Of persons were killed and wounded.
A dispatch from Minneapolis, Mir
nesota, says that the following tele-
grsphic account Of the disaster at New
Ulm, Minn., has been received there;
''Shortly before five O'Clock Friday after
noon a cyclone OF most terrific violence
struck this town, demolishing over
one hundred buildings and killing and
Wounding upwards of thirty persons.
Though other towns in the vicinity were
visited by the storm to a greater or less de-
gree of violence, the full force of the cyclone
vented itself here. According to the evi-
dence of eye witnesses, two tornadoes met
right over this place, and the work Of de-
struction was accomplished in less than
fifteen minutes.
"The course of the cyclone could be dis
tinctly discerned, and 1t seemed to be NOV
ing in separate volumes from north and
south. At 4;30 o'clock black clouds gath
cred with great rapidity. The thunder and
lightning were terrific, and the wind blew a
hurricane, while rain descended IN binding
sheets. There was a moments lull and
then the cyclone struck the town, almost
destroying it, and then disappeared as
suddenly as it came. Its effects are
almost indescribable. Some houses were
struck by lightning, others were lifted up
| bodily by the violence of the winds, and
others were demolished by flying debris
from other buildings. Some of the dwell
ings and stores were entirely destroyed.
Very. few escaped uninjured, but many
had their roofs blown off, or were
so badly uniointed by the wind that they
will have to be pulled down and rebuilt.
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 1t is estimated that
OtCf OuG uOTStS anu ChlJl6 nave
been destroyed. The roof of the Merchants
Hotel was carried for blocks through the air
and hurled against Jacob Miller's house,
which IT completely demolished, but fortu-
nately the Miller family had escaped before
the crash came.
81. G. Randolph, Mayor of the city, esti-
mates the total loss at $500, 900, and the
lowest estimate at $350,000 Aside from
the loss of life, the worst feature of'the ca
lamity Is that none of the property de-
strOyed is insured against accidents of this
kind. Many have lost their all. The citi-
zens, however, without exception, have met
the disaster bravely and even cheerfully,
and are taking prompt and decisive
steps to repair the damage, though
massacre, it was the most disastrous
blow New Ulm has ever received. The
streets are filed with the debris Of the shat
tered buildings, and on every side evidences
OF the wreck are visible. The large two
story brick meat market of NJ. Epple was
entirely demolished, and Dwiscaale's two
story brick drug store and residence were
levelled to the ground. The Methodist
aud Lutheran churches, both substan-
tial brick edfces, have been
swept away, and the steeples of
three Roman Catholic cl urches were blown
off and buildings Quilted. One side of the
brick dry goods store of Redman q Schram
has been blown down and the sock is
destroyed. The Daksto House, the leading |
hotel, was partially destroyed. Some of the
court house was lifted bodily into the air,
and has not been seen since The hand !
some residence of William Roffider ex-
State Treasurer, which stands on a bluff |
somewhat In the rear of the city, |
was completely Quilted, though all the |
Inmates escaped unhurt. l.. Bevenger's |
furniture store, NJ. Mullis' hardware store,
Poose's establishment and T. B. Eckson's !
machine shop were all destroyed, besides !
several others. The sugar factory and two
public school buildings are in ruins, and
the remaining school room partly de- |
molished. The lightning struck the depot
three times, but made no impression on it.
Every livery stable in the town has been
destroyed.
'The heaviest individual loss falls on j
Honenstein, who had just completed a
brick brewery at cost of $4,000. The |
building was entirely destroyed. No insur-
ance. The lightning struck the boiler room
of the Empire FIGURING Mill and shattered
the building, blowing out 10000 bushels of
wheat, which is irreparably damaged. The
Eagle FIGURING Mill, which had just
been completed, was also badly dam
aged by the tornado. Van Dusen
it stands near the Empire Mill. A number
of buildings, which were struck by light
ming, caught fire, and the town would have
been destroyed in this way but for the rain,
which descended in torrents. The only
lumber yard In town, owned by Miller d
Sherrer, was struck simultaneously by the
lightning, and the tornado has not been
seen since.
"Eye witnesses statethat the scene during
and Immediately after the storm was fearful
to contemplate, and beyond the descriptive
powers Of the most graphic pen. People
who were out on the streets at the time
were literally blown away, and number
were wounded by the flying debris. Whole
sections OF tin roofing were sent sailing
through the air by the fury of the storm,
and twisted and crumpled up like paper.
AS the victims OF the sad catastrophe are
scattered over a comparatively large
area it is impossible to get the
exact list Of the killed and wounded,
especially as the cyclone also visited West
Newton, and caused several deaths. Four
teen were known to have been killed and
twenty five wounded. Besides these there
are doubtless many others who have been
overlooked in the general confusion. In
addition to the damage done in this place
large quantity of grain has been DESTROYED |
in the neighborhOOd. As soon as the first |
shock was over the citizens rallied grandly, |
and We'd with each other in attending to |
the wounded, the Sisters of Charity espe-
cially doing work which will long be re-
membered by all with gratitude. Subscrip- |
tions have already commenced to pour In"
Members Of the Lacrosse Board of Trade, |
who left here Friday morning, raised col |
lection of $l15 in the cars as soon as they |
heard of the disaster. Yesterday eve |
ming a meeting was held in Union Hall, |
Mayor Randolph presiding, and a relief |
committee OF ten was appointed to device |
ways and means for successfully meeting |
the needs Of the disaster.
A st. Paul dispatch says that the |
Pioneer Press correspondent, who visited |
tie scene of the disaster at New Ulm,
gives the following description of |
the terrible ruin wrought: The first place
where any of the effects of the storm were |
seen was about three miles west of New
Ulm. Here It tore down house and killed |
a number of cattle and horses. The men,
bers of one family saved themselves by
going to the cellar before the storm reached |
them. Where the storm struck the railroad
track the ground is lined with bedding,
furniture, wagon wheels. farm machinery,
etc. West of New Ulm the wind tore up
the telegraph poles and completely ruined
the crops. Heads of wheat were cut off as
clean ani smooth as though done by head
ing machine. From the place where the
storm first struck into New Ulm everything
was swept away for width Of about one
mile. The sight is sickening. Trees were
torn up by the roots ami neither house nor
barn is left standing ia the line of the storm
A gentleman, who stood on the bluff, two
miles north of New Ulm, and witnessed the
cyclone, says that it was the erAndest and
most terrible sight of which he was ever