The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1882-06-29

elegant residence and barn are completely
gone. Near by once stood the two-story house
in which Miss Abbie Agard was killed. There
is hardly sign left of it. In the vicinity stood
the house of Hy Mcconnell, who was going
around almost demented, carrying q lantern
in which there was no glass or light, shaking
it up and down in search of valuable papers,
which were blown away. The house was a
pile OF lath, splinters and plaster.
Retracing our steps among the acres Of
ruins in the vicinity, we came to a block
which contained nine houses. All but one
swer eleveled to the ground. In one house of
this block four persons were killed-Mr. Ford
and wife, the hired girl and Mr.. Totem. In
this vicinity F. w. Williams house was UNI
rooted. Prof. Herrick's and Mrs. Morris two
houses were punched together. Not far off
stood Lucy Sanders fine residence, and what
of it that is not scattered over the adjoining
country is dumped into the cellar. There
were ten persons in Sanders cellar, and all
escaped. Mr.. Taylor and Mrs. Days houses
are both gone; also the home of the Hon. c. F.
Craver, and also the large new residence Of
Andrew Larrabee. The side and top of B. r.
Clark's house was blown of, also his barn.
The home of Mr.. Merrill, of Kimball s Merrill.
was unroofed. Then followed rows Of houses
as fiat on the ground as the space will allow.
Among them John Carhart's, Rufus Rockers
R. schaf's, editor of the Signal; then Prof.
Bucks residence, and L. C. Phelps, and q
house belonging to Mr.. HAYES.
The hurricane took everything north of
President Magoun's home, leaving that unin-
juerd. At the northwest corner of the city the
storm leveled the house of Wilson Ellis, as also
that of ]. M. Ross; his wife was slightly in
jured, and the house of Henry Spaulding was
leveled. Then the home of Mr.. Kimball, Of
Kimball & Merrill, dry-goo1s dealers A. j.
Preston's house was moved six feet from its
foundation. The dwelling of Attorney Dunn
was leveled; also, G. B. Grinnells, dry-goods
merchant; also, the new house of Graham, the
merchant tailor Near here Mrs. Griswold was
killed and her house demolished. John Merrill
house was blown distance, apparently in the
teeth OF the wind. Nota sign is left of the house
of Madison Howard The house Of George Ham
lin, Cashier Of the First National 3 nix, is in
ruins, George Jennings new 5000 house is in
kindling wood and broken plaster Two
houses belonging to Mr.. Bateham, and rented
by Messrs. Lewis and Dills, were obliterated,
although the houses of James Hanlan, Philip
Clendenning, Henry James, Henry Pitman,
Marcus Wightman, William Cullison, Deacon
Ford's two houses, w. Nealty's, and MIR. Hof-
fer's were but slightly damaged. The house of
A. E. Keinfred was completely demolished,
and himself and his wife taken from the ruins
nearly dead. Mrs. Stewards house was blown
half block, the fragments jamming the cor
ner of the Jones House.
The scenes around the ruins are heartrend-
ing; the families wandering over the ruins
of their homes in dazed sort OF way, replying
willingly TO all questions asked and laughing
in such pathetic manner at some ridiculous
incident, while some near and dear friend is
dead or dying. One young girl was heard to
say, half in tears and half in laughter, that she
believed she had found the fragments of her
room and was looking for some articles by
which to know it. She stopped and picked up
a photograph, and burst into tears. 1t was
the picture of her little sister, who had been
killed.
Many of those who were saved in the de-
molished dwellings had fled to the cellars,
while the houses were carried from over their
heads. A. J. Preston was away from his home
and sa V the funnel fury coming. He tried to
reach his home, but the tornado caught up
with him, and he kept himself from being
blown away by clinging to the roots of a tree.
c. +. Craver, whose wife and three children
were luckily away on visit, saved himself
and hired girl by seeking refuge in the cellar.
He says before they went there he could see
the air filled with flying timbers. When they
began to come through his house, as easily
through the woodwork as the window glass,
he sought underground refuge.
George Christian took his wife and children
in the cellar, and all were saved. His house is
somewhat damaged The engine house, where
seventeen of the dead bodies are laid out, pre-
sents sight that brings back army days. The
other dead are around in the wrecks of their
homes, where enough of them was left for
shelter, or were sent to the houses of friends.
Those who are familiar with the varied To-
aaties of this terribly afflicted little city are
aware that it was Ornamented with cotton
woods and soft naples. Hundreds of them
are leveled, and the beautiful grounds are
thickly imbedded with broken timbcrs.
G. H. Stevens barn and horse were carried
completely over his house, and the animal es-
capped with slight injuries.
The number of injured ranges up among
the hundreds, but the doctors aid has been
pressed in for only about fiftH Nearly all
persons in the track of the tornado complain of
injuries or show the marks in bruised and
battered faces Two horses and one cow were
taken out of E. Grswold's barn and carried
nearly two blocks. The horses were killed,
but the cow is apparently uninjured. Mrs.
Griswold, mother of E. Griswold, and a lady
visiting here, now lie dead in the home OF A.
j. Preston.
The furniture scattered throughout the
stricken district indicates the class of people
whose homes have been levcled. Rich furni-
ture and carpctng are buried in the debris
and mud, while fine pianos are turned upside
down scattered in fragments over the
prairie.
later telegram says:
The surgeons report forty-one dead at Grin
nell, and say five or six more cannot live
through the night. The surgeons have re-
ported tn It the wounded exceed $50, and the
number of houses destroyed Or ruined
is between 14) and $50. The total
loss of property is now estimated at $500, 600.
1t is feared the number of deaths at Grinnell
will yet reach seventy-five. The path of the
tornado is now well defined as having been
about twenty-five miles long and half mile
wide, extending five miles northwest of Grin
nell and twenty miles southeast The news
received here states that MIR. James, wife and
two daughters, and two other persons, living
four miles northwest of Grinnel, are dead.
1t is now thought the loss of life outside of
Grinncl will reach twenty-five, and altogeth
or near 100.