The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-08-02


death rendered the affair financially fail
ure. The river has been searched for ten
miles below the whirlpool, but no trace of
Webb has been found. It is generally be-
ieved that he was engulfed in the Whirl.
pool.
SCENES AT ELGIN, MINI.
Frig],tful Effects of Saturdays o.
clone-Pathetic Incident.
The following are additional accounts of
the cyclone at Elgin, Wabashs county,
Mimi:
Ofall the places visited by Saturdays tor
nado. none suffered more than Elgin, where
every house that remains standing, few
though they be, shows some marks Of the
storm that destroyed over $50, 900 worth of
property in that village, including dwell
ings, barns, stored grain and horses.
For over an hour before the storm, which
was not . breath of wind, and clouds of q
dark, murky green obscured the heavens,
the darkness being 30 intense, that lamps
were lighted In several houses; then rain
fell for . few minutes very heavily, when
the air seemed suddenly illuminated ~ If
BY electricity, and the hurricane came
rushing down upon the village from both
sides. Many people rushed into cellars as
soon ~ the storm broke, end remained
there until all passed over; but all tell the
esisp, story "a, that the op air IN '1s
VS. almost impossible to breathe.
The first house struck.was that of Henry
ClausseD, on the northwest corner Of the vii
]age. Mr.. Claussen was at work few miles
from home, and his wife and little daughter
were at home. Mrs. Claussen tried vainly
to hold the door closed. but was hurled
back in the room. and looking out she saw
the trees swapping assunder and breaking
like twigs. Under the excitement of the
moment she grasped her little daughter in
her hands and rushed ont into the street.
Passing on, the next thing that was met
by the destroying element was the Bryant
windmill and . blacksmith shop, owned
and operated by Frederick Meyer. In less
than fifty seconds all that was lett to indi-
cate where the blacksmith shop and wind
mill stood were few posts standing like
sentinels, and a heap Of bent iron, horse
shoes and broken beams, from under which
few moments later the blacksmith and q
young man crawled into light. In Meyers
own words
The first impression had was that light
ming struck the building, and then every
thing was dark; but could hear a terrible
noise, like crashing OF timbers, and appar-
emily children or women wailing-this was,
no doubt, the noise of the wind. Then
came about half minutes dead calm, and
then again, on the other side of the house,
the buildings falling, and began to realize
that cyclone or tornado had struck the
town: After feeling around q little, found
that the building had fallen on me- but THE
fho
So that crawled out, and gazing around
what sight met my eyes-the ground GOV.
cred with broken timber and articles
of furniture; women rushing mad.
ly around with children Fin their
arms, and desolation on all sides. Nv
next move was to look in the direction of
my own house, that had intended to
move into next week, having just built it
new. Not . shingle or board remained in.
tact, and few broken beams and part OF
the masonry of the chimney were all that
was left.
After leveling the blacksmith shop, the
next resistance that met the fury of the storm
was two grain elevators and hoisting an
paratus, owned by Byrant Bros and John
son. These buildings were built of oak
timbers and filled with grain, but the force
was so great that it whirled one around of
the foundation, and took the roof and hoist.
ing apparatus and landed them in sections
on the railroad track.
A few yards further the only tragedy oc-
CURED. Mrs. Thayer, milliner occupy.
ing the FIST floor of tive story frame
house, was taken from the ruins dead.
As soon as it became known that some
one was buried in ruins everybody seemed
to forget their own loss, and hastened to 70.
move the debris. But they had hardly
commenced when little child's hands and
head appeared crawling out from the mass.
her eyes filled with tears and her clothing
Thayer, and when questioned
as to her mother, she said that Just before
the building went down her mother va.
trying to hold the door shut. but wa,
knocked down by the force of the wind
She said she called her mother to come uu
der the counter, where sic ran to, but hel
mother laughed and was about to max,
some reply, but just then the building can't
| down with crash. The little one explained
that she Graf led out, but not finding he
mother she returned, scrambled over bro
ken glass and piles of bricks and sand
and finally reached a place wher.
she could find her mothers hand
She chung to it and kissed it and pleaded
with her parent to speak to her, but 1indin,
1t in vain she came out the second time
just as several people were at work on tn.
ruins, and her first words were: II cam
make mamma speak to me-" The littl,
over the debris, refused to be comforted
The dead body of her mother was fount
stretched across the counter with q HEAVY
beam (almOst squeezing her body in halvesl
across her stomach.
On the opposite side OF the street another
severe and probably fatal injury was eus
famed ov Edith Dillon. = voung-ladv who
with her sister. mother and step.father, &C
cupled the second story of E; Martini
the current changed to sout The
roof was taken off first and carried about
thirty yards, one portion of it slightly in
juring Frank Roessler, who resided in the
rear. The second story was carried about
fifteen yards, with its load of human freight
and the floor deposited levelly on
the field, but Just as it
touched terra frma, the sidewalk came crash
ing down over it, one of the pieces OF broken
timber striking Miss Dillon on the top of
the head, penetrating the skull and severing
an artery. For moment she was stunned.
but suddenly recovering herself, she has
tened to aid her friend, and it was not for
several minutes that it was noticed she
was severely injured. She was taken to the
residence of Mrs. Chapman, . few doors from
where she lived, and attended by DIR. Adams
who Is hopeful, but not confident, of the
lady's recovery.
E)gin, the scene Of the disaster, is situa-
ted on the north bank of the Whitestone,
in Wabasha county, and before the vista
ton of the tornado OF the 21st, was one of
the most thriving and prosperous farming
communities in the county. It was settled
twenty! years ago, but until seven years ago
did not develop itself to any extent. The
population this year 1s about 500, and the
country for miles around is one of
the richest grain raising tracts
in the state. Thousands of acres of gram
that is in many cases ready to cut now vii,
perhaps, be loss from the fact that nearly
oil of the agricultural implements fell vic
Tins to the destroyer, and although the will
of neighbors to aid In saving 1t may be good
extent of the need.