Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-07-23
.rIT STORM IN uINNEsO.
Gh ia.
s DESTROYED BY CYcLoNE-IHlR-
4 10" 1ropIr KILLED AND WOUNDED.

nighI' nmnty seat Of Brown county, ana
!; the I 500 inhabitants. The storm
eon,Siiiitr ~ appearance at p. M, ana IL
paGG ~ distinctly seen approaching In
coaiu '.rote columns. One moved up
two md the other seemed to descend
warn a. clouds and to spend its whole
from =; ~" the neighborhood of New Ulm.
force J" hnndred Buildings ae more
Fve damaged, about 100 being totally
u psr.d including the finest business
~r.i in the city. The new Methodist
pio, ",b costing $4,000, was levelled to the
en"nnJ. Up to the present time thirteen
SoJ hodirs have been found, most Of
ue o, in the ruins of the wrecked build
tn.,' The names of the killed in New
1'In, are: Mr.. Eckert and his I2-year old
= son of Mr.. ReltZ, Laura Wright,
sol IS. who was found on the prairie de-
aassnitstcd, and her head has not yet been
sind. and son of Mr.. Werner, aged Ia.
I, Is thought that there are several othel
bodies vet i'm the ruins, rs many PcIsons
arc missing. In the town OF SeVerahce
tbe killed are: Martin Franks, JOSEPH
Williams. his wife and three chiiureh,
ono child. which is badly wounded, being
Oh. only survivor Of the famiiy, anu
.bIld ofNr. Loomis. In west Newton an
"id mon WIS found dead, his firms firmly
ci.sncd around tree. Not less than lOO
S"r.ns were killed, many bong lifted
holily and carried long distances. The
Torle Mill and elevator, with 10000 bush
- of wheat, was completely demolished.
bugpy was carried completely over the
600 story stone Jail A large brick brewery
,o, lcvclled with the ground, and nearly
s,.rr building in the city was unroofed.
The thunder and lightning were terrific
and tho wind blew a hurricane, while the
,,in descended in binding sheets. There
n,ss a moments lull and then the cyclone
.,rncL the town, almost destroying it, and
then disappeared as suddenly as it came.
L. effects are almost indescribable. Some
houses were struck by lightning, others
wore lifted up bodily by the violence OF
tho wind, and others were demolished by
diving debris from other buildings. Scores
cidwel,ings and stores were entirely de-
s,roved. Very few escaped uninJured,
hur many had the roofs blown off, or were
co hSdlv 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, aud whole blocks of
frame buildings were swept away. 1he
roof of the Merchants Hotel was carried
blocks through the air and hurled against
Jacob Miller's house, which 1t completely
demolished, but fortunately the Miller
family escaped before the crash came.
!. G.. Randolph, mayor of the city, esti-
mates the total loss at $500, 200, and the
lowest estimate is $3.50, 900. Aside from
the loss OF life, tie worst feature OF the
calamity is that none of the property de-
stroyed is insured against accidents of this
kind. Many have lost their all. The cit
j,cns, however, without exception, met
the disaster bravclv and even Cheerfuly,
and are taking prompt and decisive steps
10 repair the damage, though all agree
that. next to the Indian massacre, it was
the most disastrous blow New Tim has
ever received. The streets are filled with
the debris of the shattered buildings, and
on every side evidences of the wreck are
visible. The large two-Story brick meat
market of NJ. Epplc was entirely dem0lish-
~, and ID. Weschekc'S twO-story brick
drug store and residence WAS levelJed To
the ground. The Methodist and Luther
an churches. both substantial brick edl-
fees, have been swept away, and the
stocnlcs of three Roman Catholic churches
we're blown off and the buildings Quilted.
On. side of the brick dry goods store OF
Rcdman & Schram has been blown down,
and the stock is destroyed. The Dakota
House, the leading hotel, was partially
DESTROYED. The root Of the courthouse was
lifted bodily into the air, and has not been
eecn since. The handsome residence of
Win. Roteudcr, ex-State treasurer, which
stands on a bluff somewhat in the rear oil
tho city, was completely Quilted, though
all the inmates escaped unhUrt. l.. Bcv-
cnger's furnitMre store, NJ. Muller'S hard
ware store, PocSer's establishment and
=. Blacks machine shop were all destroy
cd, besides a number of others. a sugar
factory and the public school buildings
are in ruins, and the remaining school
house partly demolished. The lightning
struck the depot three times, but made no
impression on it. Every livery stable in
town has been destroyed. The heaviest
Individual loss falls on j. !Ioncnstein, who
had Just completed a brick brewery at
cost Of $50, 900. The building was entire
" destroyed; no insurance. Lightning
struck the bOiler-room of the Empire flour
ing mill and shattered the building, let
Ting out 90, OsO bushels OF wheat, which is
damaged. The Eagle Touring
mill. which had just been competed, was
also badly damaged by the tornado Van
Dusen & Co.'S elevator escaped, though
il stands near the Empire mill. \ number
ef buildings struck 10y lightning caught
fire. and the town would have been de-
uroyed in this WAY but for the rain, which
descended in torrents. The only lumber
yard in the town, owned by Miller q
Schcrcr. WAS struck simultaneously by
lightning and tornado, and has not been
seon since.
As the victims Of the sad catastrophe
are scattered over Il comparatively larg"
area, it is impossible 10 get an exact list
az the killed and wounded, especially a
the cyclone also visited West Newton and
caused several deaths.
A gentleman who stood on n bluff two
miles north OF New Tim, and witnessed
the cyclone. SAYS that it was the grandest
and most terrible sight Of which he was
ever a witness one cloud came from the
northwest and one from the nor theast.
When they met it appearei 49, contest
IS 10 which should have tic right of way.
The storm struck New Tim 1T As aud
lasted Just twelve minutes, and In that
tima not loss than $500, 900 worth of prop
cry was destroyed and number OF per-
sons killed and many wounded. During
the storm there was perfect blaze at fire
hsllS. 1t would have been almost as dark
as midnight had it not been for the con-
tnu'd flashes of lightning. 1t would
,aSe columns to give full list of the lost
property, but an estimate of twenty men
places the damage at 100000. The three
are completely destroyed, and
Turner Hall was partly demolished. Glass
fronts were completely wrecked. Not less
,haa one hundred horses were killed,
many being lifted bodily and carried
long distance. The farm machinery de-
pot OF Pierson &c Homberg was totally
and the machinery. including
10 sclf-binding reapers, shivered into
iplmtMs.
a special to the Pioneer Press from 1Iec-
sor says: The cyclone which struck New