Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-23
WORK. OF CLEMENS.
A Portion Of the City of Racine Laid
Waste by Terrific Cyclone---
twenty-five People Killed.
WRECK AND RUIN AT THE BELLE CITY

A frightful tornado at 7 o'clock on the
evening Of the 18th inst. brought death
end destruction to many homes in the
city OF Racine. 1t came from the south
west and was heralded by terrific thun-
der-storm. The dense black clo1d that
marked the center Of the cyclone first
struck the city at VOLTS gardens, in
the extreme northwestern portion, where
it leveled q farm house and crippled SIX
OF the inmates. Here it seemed TO rise
from the earth, which was again
struck about half a mile to the
northeast and at the corner of
St. Clair and High Streets, where
Lutz' gardens were situated. From here
II proceeded due east almost to the lake
shore, covering path nearly quarter
OF mile IN width. In the path Of the
storm scarcely building remains intact.
The locality devastated consisted fortbe
most part of class Of poor bouses
but here and there was q brick bouse Of
substantial structure. Nothing es ,aped
the power of the cyclone. The honseg
lie Ill heaps OF stone, boards, and bricks.
La some places, where the houses were
unusually close together, they have been
blown III heap so large as to effect al
ly blockade the streets. EVERYWHERE
throughout the portion of the city with
IN the path Of the storm are heaps Of
rubbish.
All the houses on the west side of
North Main north of EDoIish
Street are demolished; most of them
are of wood, but one was a large hrick
house b. owned by Mr.. Fisher. Fred
Falks house on English Street was
comPletetely wrecked. Many houses on
North Wisconsin Steet were more or
less damaged. One house on High Street
faclT g east, was picked up and appeared
to toat IN the ar twenty feet above
the earth, and when it alighted it was in
a toIerable state of preservation. and
faced south. A barn on Milwaukee
Street was lifted into the air and it
came down underside up, presenting a
strange appearance. Sidewalks in the
track of the cyclone were drawn into
the air, trees torn up by the roots. and
etc., were no more than
feathers waited by breeze.
Fourteen persons were in Petura's
saloon, on Douglas Avenue, and, though
the two-story brick building in which
1t was located was reduced to mere
pile OF bricks and mortar, no one was
injured. Beach's barn was
taken up into the sir, and after whirling
like top, alighted in good order on it's
side, like ship on her beams. The fax
mill, the vinegar mandatory, and the
brlck-yards OF William Baumans shared
the common fate CT destruction. The
roof of Bettroy's bakery was lifted off.
and on the same street, st. Claire. the
cupola of Father Matthew Hall was
damaged. The 7:lO train from Chicago
was delayed mile north of the CITY bv
a house which had been picked up by
the cyclone and deposited squarely on
the rails.
The scene among the dead, wounded
and dying at the northern part of the
city was one painful beyond description.
In many instances surviving relatives
had lost all semblance of reason. Pnysi-
clans we're not numerous enough to give
prompt assistance and numerous bleed
ing victims were rolled up in blankets
while anxious relatives ran III every di-
rection to secure medical aid.
Z feature of the results Of the storm is
That the houses IN general appear to
nave exploded. Those within the storm
center were III vacuum, and the pres
sure of the air from the inside acted as
IN explosive. Some few houses were
fitted and carried bodily for short dis
5ance, and here the occupants Jared
better than those in the storm center.
All the physicians in the city were
called into service, and responded nobIy
o the call for help. AS fast as they
we're extricated from the debris the
wounded were examined, and when their
condition permitted were conveyed to
st. Luke's and st. Mary's Hospitals.
Fully twenty-five people were kiIlep
nd as many as one hundred injured.
)ne hundred and fifty houses We're de-
and had the cyclone struck
lear the business center the dam
ge would have been incalcuIable. At
Western Union Junction, seven miles
vest of Racine, many houses were ruined.