The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-07-30
THE SlORM.KlNG.

Also Devastated by the storm.
ST. Paul, MIMI, July l8.
The Town Of New Uim was wrecked by .
cyclone late yesterday afternoon. 1t seems
that two currents Of air swept the valley
simultaneously, coming from different d.
rcctions. The scene was appalling. Stone
and brick buildings were RACED to their
foundations, and the air was full Of debris.
The town and its suburbs are now Il mass Of
ruins. West Newton, in the neighboring |
County Of Nicollet, was also visited by the
storm.
July II.
Eye-witnesses give many strange and
graphic accounts.
A child Of Fritz Dickmyer was carried
over half mile and is still alive. Martin
Frank, Of West Newton, was found dead q |
mile from his house, but not 4 piece of his
house or its contents has been found since
the storm. OF the family Of seven OF Mat.
thew Finley, Of West Newton, but one re.
mains alive, an infant, which was badly
injured.
A family OF five was buried in the ruins Of
. house near Fort Eidgley. Miss Anna
Leach was carried out OF the house. Her
mother ran out after her, and she said.
"Oh, mother, ! must die," and immediate.
~ expired. Mrs. Leach was badly injured.
One horse had scantling driven clear
through him. One man was standing talk.
ing to his wife, and the first thing he knew
his wife was gone anu he was in the air him.
self. His house was carried away. He
found his wife several blocks distant when
the storm was over.
All the trees, shrubbery and fences in the
city were ruined, and fully one hundred
buildings are completely demolished, spin.
tered to kindling, or entirely disappeared.
One man who came from the country
bought five collins. Six lives were lost at West
Newton and six at Wellington. Much
damage was done to property at both places,
the exact amount Of which has not been
learned. The damage to crops has neces-
sariy been great, but cannot be estimated
at this writing. The duration Of the storm
was less than half an hour. The loss in New
Ulm and vicinity cannot be less than half
million dollars, to be borne largely by the
poorer classes, who lost not only their
houses, but clothing, furniture and every.
thing. Their little gardens were rooted up
and ruined.
A gentleman who was in New Ulm gives
the following graphic description Of the ter.
rible scene: "About 4:45 yesterday AFTER
noon black cloud was seen approaching
this city from the north-a cloud Of such in.
tense blackness a. to shut out. the light Of
day, and create the impression that the pail
Of night was falling upon the town before
its due time. Men, women and children
were affrighted, and, experimenting a severe
storm, al set about securing their portable
property out Of doors. Shortly after five
o'clock the storm. cloud burst, and, with
the noise Of raging torrent, it ursl upon
the town in the form Of terrible hurricane
from the west. Darkness enveIoped every.
thing In ito sable mantle, and it was impossi.
bic for one to distinguish his most intimate
friends at distance Of ten feet. while the
large brick buildings on the opposite side
Of the street upon which your correspondent
was located could scarcely be outlined
against the inkv sky. The first effects OF the
tornado were felt 10 the northern part Of
the town, among the modest residences Of
the laboring portion Of the community.
These wera somewhat scattered. but in less
than two minutes were oil carried of bodily
or leveled to the ground. Over hundred
dwellings were absolutely swept away On
the wings Of the wind, and several hundred
persons rendered homeless In the twinklina
Of IN eye. But the work Of destruction wa,
not to be confined to the outskift!
of the town. On the ridge x
the westward were situated the Ger.
: man Methodist and the German Lutheran
Churches, both Of which were hurled to tn
ground In an instant Of time. Scarcely ,
1estige Of the first mentioned building IT,
NAMED to mark its site. The latter was s,
: badly wrecked as to be absolutely worthless
After desnolfshing the structures on til,
ridge, the tornado struck the business cen
ter Of the town, and in few moments tn
air was full Of flying timbers and debris Q
every description. Fence.boards, fragment
Of roofing, wagons, window.sash, doors, an,
. oil conceivable articles were flying thropy]
the air, while above the roar Of the ten
pest could be heard the frantic shout
); Of men, the piercing shrjeks Of women
and the agonizing wall Of children. tn
" darkness was intense, and, though som
rushed hither and thither in blind frep ~
the more collected awaited their fate Wit
calmness or sought refuge In the cellar q
their buildings. The noise was deafenivg
Roof after roof was torn from its fastening
and was carried away BY the wind with
deafening crash against the wall Of som
building on the opposite side Of the street
:. The crash Of falling walls was heard o.
= every side, while ever and anon til
y scene, one Of terrible picturesquencs,
y = was lit up by lurid flashes Of lightning Il
! several minutes-it seemed almost an ",
>, The play of'the lightning was almost incel
= can't, and nearly score Of buildings We,
:" struck and more or less injured by Il
: electric fluid. The terror Of the scene cou)
= not be heightened BY any appliances co,
= ceived by the most vivid Imagination.
VAS hsdes Of darkness and lurid lightnir
:. 1aAhea . babel Df eosf,lsion Of sounds. II
y tornado roared with terrible fury for ii
=, space Qt fifteen minutes, when lull cam
Z and the people Of the doomed city drew
= sigh Of relief. The cessation was Of We
= brief duration, however, for almost instant
=, counter storm broke out. coming fromjt]
4 east, and ragged with undated fury for Il
!. o. fifteen minutes, nearly completing ii
'as| work Of ruin that had already progressed
far. Walls that had withstood The first O
!. slaught Of the wind succumbed to the latt
- blast Huge timben were carried hith
=. and thither, now crushing through 4
" fronts Of stores, and anon breakil
4 The roofs of houses or barns. Cattl
B. released from their. corrals by Z
:. action Of tho wind, ran believing throu,
~ tia atvnota and hneon~ \o.,,~n Il.