South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-07-22
A Great Storm in Minnesota

III.
Friday night, killing many of its in.
habitants. 1t is the county seat OF
Brown county, and contained $500
inhabitants. The storm made its ap.
pearance ut 4 Z. NJ, and it could be
distinctly seen approaching in two
separate columns. One moved up.
ward and tie other seemed to descend
from the clouds and to spend its whole
force In the neighborhood of New
Ulm. Five hundred buildings are
more or less damaged, about 100 be-
Ing totally wrecked. including the
finest business blocks in the city
The new Methodist church, costing
$4,000, was ieveled TO the ground
Up to the present time thirteen dead
bodies have been found, most of them
in the ruins of the wrecked buildings.
The names of the Killed in New Ulm
are: Mr. Eckert and his 12-year old
son, son of Mr.. Reitz, Laura Wright,
aged Is, who was found on the prai-
RE decapitated, and her head has not
yet been found, and son of Mr..
Werner, aged ii. 1t is thought that
there are several other bodies vet in
the ruins, as many persons are miss.
ing. In the town of Severance the
killed are: Martin Franks, Joseph
Williams, his wife and three children,
one child, which is badly wounded,
being the only survivor of the family,
and child of Mr.. LOOMS. In West
Newton an old man was found dead,
his arms firmly clasped around n tree.
Not less than one hundred horses
were killed. many being lifted bodily
and carried long distances. The Ea-
gle Mill and elevator, with 10000
bushels of wheat, was completely de-.
molished. A buggy was carried com
pletely over the two story stone Jail.
A large brick brewery was levelcl with
the ground, and nearly every building
in the city was unroofed.
The thunder and lightning were
terrific and the wind blew hurricane.
while the rain descended in binding
sheets. There was moments lull
and then the cyclone struck the town,
almost destroying it, and then disap-
peared as suddenly as it came. Its
effects are almost indescribable. Some
houses were struck by lightning, 9th
ers were lifted mp bodily by the VIZ
olcnce OF the wind, and others were
demolished by flying debris from otll-
or buildings. Scores of dwellings
and stores were entirely de. troyed. -
Very few escaped uniniurcd, but
many had the roofs blown off, or were
so badly unjointed by the wind that
they will have to be pulled down and
rebuilt. The storm WAS most de-
structive i'll the north end of the city,
and whole blocks Of frame buildings
were swept away. The roof of the
Merchants Hotel was carried blocks
through the air and hurled against
Jacob Millcr's house, which it com.
pIetcly demolished, but fortunately
the Miller family escaped before the
crash came.
j. q. Randolph, mayor of the city,
estimates the total loss Mt 100000,
and the lowest estimate is S350,OOO.
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.
A gentleman who stood on a bluff
two miles north of New Ulm, and
witnessed the cyclone, says that it was
the grandest an d most terrible sight
of which he was never a witness: one
cloud came from the northwest and
one from the northeast. When they
met it appeared to be a contest "a to
which should have the right of way.
The storm struck New UIm at 4.48.
and lasted just twelve minutes, and
in that time not less than 100000
worth Of property was destroyed and
a number of persons killed and many
wounded. During the storm there
was a perfect blaze of fire balls. 1t
would have been almost rs dark as
midnight had it not been for the con.
tinued flashes oflightning. 1t would
take columns to give full list of the
lost property, but an estimate of TWEEN
ty men place the damage at $780,
600. The three churches are com.
pleteIy destroyed, and Turner Hall
was partly demolished Glass fronts
were completely wrecked. Not less
than one hundred horses were killed
many being lifted bodily and carried
long distance. The farm machin-
cry depot of Pierson g. Homberg was
totally wrecked, and the machinery.
including 50 seli-binding reapcrs, shiv.
cred into splinters.
A special to the Pioneer Press from
Hector says: The cyclone which
struck New Ulm devastated stretch
of country q mile wide and forty miles
long. 1t travelled in a southcasterly
direction, passing through the town.
ships Of Palmyra, Wellington and
Cairo The extent Of the DAMAGE
cannot yet be asceItaincd, but a gen
tleman from Cairo says the storm was