The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-07-27
Saturdays Storm.

sultin" in such terrible loss of life and
destruction "i property, struck Man
kato about ten o'clock, Il. m. While
considerable damage was done we have
rs II people great cause Tor thankful.
ness tina, we escaped 81 i"rtunalely,and
that We contribute Dnt slightly in those
items winch combine To make the story
oi the storm sad and terrible one To So
many in our State.
During the whole of Saturday morn
ing there had been signs of rain, and
about nine o'clock threatening clouds
began Ia rise in the west. An hour lat.
CT the clouds had become So dense aud
81 completely hill the whole heavens
from view that il l,rcamc necessary to
light lamps in order To see Ia work or
transact usiness. Never before in the
memory of the oldest inhabitants had
and we imagine il would have COMPARED
we'll with that historical day IN the col
onics when the continued darkness
struck terror in the hearts of the Puri
tans. All instinctivcly felt that the
heavy clouds were but inre-runncrs Of Il
storm which might produce awful re-
suits, and in a short time hal prepared
themselves the best they could for its
coming.
The storm opened with sharp flashes
of lightning followed 10y terrific thun-
der, dark clonds moving rapidly forward
from the west. and soon heavy rain
commenced falling, tlooding the streets
in remarkably short time. 4 fearful
WIND blew from the west with terrific
roar and with II steadiness that had
never before been cIuallcd here, clouds
from the north swept down and met
those which came from the west, and
the fury of the storm was upon MS, the
heavy roar of the wind, the vivid light
ming and crashing thunder, accompan-
led hy such heavy floods, making a
scene long tn he remembered.
The damage was not 81 severe rs
would have been expected. hut there
was IA sufficient amount dome to cause
our people To profoundly hope that
hereafter We may he spared such vista
tons.
The City Hall was struck early dur
ing the storm, lifting the roof with its
giant strength and throwing it to the
opposite side of the street. The heavy
rain flooded the building considerably.
The entire loss to the city will he proba-
bly, near $500.
| The flying roof in its course encOun
tered the network of telephone wires,
breaking. them as easily as if they had
been threads.
A large plate glass window was brok-
en- in G. r. Prcslcy's b usiness house.
One of the trap doors in front Of Ill"
building was blown up by the force of
the wind, and "a box was hurled against
it with such force as to break piece
from the door which was thrown against
the GLASS, breaking it into hundreds of
pieces.
Geo. A. Clarke's office under the Citi
zcn'a Bank was flooded with water tn
the depth of about four feet, occasion.
ing loss to books and papers Of sever
al hundred dollars.
Willard IL Polchow lost about 300
600 green brick ,entaiing a loss of about
5000.
The southwest portion of the roof OF
A.. N."L-ia T-n., .nI Nnv.ltv Works
was torn on 10y the gale, and it will cost
in the vicinity of 800 to make the in
jury good.
The Wooden mills suffered like fate.
a large part of the roof being torn from
its iastenings.
The Washington House barn came in
for share in the roof raising business.
and MIR. Duane is short about one. fourth
of the covering of his barn.
Three sky-lishts in block fourteen
were knocked in, but residents IN that
vicinity feel that they escaped luckily.
The chimneys in the residences of S.
F. Barney and ID. Ii. Owen were blown
down.
Several window lights were broken
in the house occupied by Frank Merri H.
Several window lights were broken
in the shop of Harry Waters.
Awnings on South Front street were
whipped about numerically by the
wind, and many were totally destroyed
One of the men engaged in putting
telephone wires between Mankato and
st. Peter was knocked from Il pole he
was working ON, but escaped serious
injury.
Many other injuries to buildings are
reported, but are sucl, rs viii entail no
serious loss.
A perfect torrent washed through
North Front street, the cutters and
sewers being entirely Insufficient to car
~ off the immense amount of water
which swept down from the hill and the
higher streets surrounding it. Sidewalks
We're covered with mud, and IN many pla.
ccs the water came near eifccting an en-.
trance into the houses. The low places
and excavations were speedily the beds
Of deep lakes, and the Omniprescn.
small boy had soon alter the storm be-
come enlisted in the navy which had
launched their boats unpon these inland
seas.
The heavy lightning which accom-.
panied the storm was not the cause of
sn much damage as was feared would
he the case, and but few instances are
reported in which it left traces of its
touch. Prof. Bcchdolt's residence in
the South part of the city was struck.
but no particular damage was done
other than the destruction of CHIMNEY.
Mrs. Il. and children had AT the com.
menccment of the storm gone to tile res
idcncc of Il ncighbor, and were spared
the shock which might have been theirs
hal they renamed at home.
n cow belonging to Rev .Biebighauser
was struck by lightning near the Frank