The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-31
A CYCLONE HORROR.
Great Destruction Of Life and Prop
erty in Minnesota.
A Train Lifted From the Rails and
Msny PASSENGERS Killed.

Early details of the terrible cyclone which
devastated Rochester, Mimi. and vicinity,
were given as follows in a dispatch from
Winona: A cyclone struck Rochester about
7o'clock last evening, and one-third of the
city is i'm ruins. All north of the track is de-
vastated, including the Methodist church,
Horizons elevator and many other buildings.
The railroad bridge was swept completely
away. A freight train ran into building
which was blown on the track at Xumbrota
Junction, and the fireman is missing. Mayor
Written, of Rochester teleg1aphs that there
are twenty-four killed and forty wounded
in his town. John M. Cole, a well-known
miller was struck by timber and killed. st.
Charles reports one man killed in the county.
Lewiston reports a house blown down. In
Rochester itself twenty-five dead bodies have
been taken from the debris and 100 are miss
ing. Mr.. Cook, proprietor of the Cook house,
John Cole, and other prominent people were
killed. Charles M. Zierath's mother and
blown from the asylum and the
Cook house. The storm came from
the west. and was cyclonic. The list VI
wounded and killed is hourly increasing The
prostration of the telegraph wires has cut off
all communication The storm swept through
Utica and st. Charles In Winona county,
job bloomington was killed. Reports from
Dodge county indicate great damage there
The course of the storm is almost identical
with that of last month, in which the village
of Elgin was destroyed, and is also in the
same belt across the State in which the severe
tornado of two years ago passed by which
New-Ulm was destroyed Owatonna seems
to be the most westerly point to suffer.
An Owatonna (Minn) dispatch says: Tele
graphic advices received here early this morn
ing give meager details of railroad acct
dent between Rochester and Zumbrota Mimi
which "a
wounded. Owing to interruption of the
Geographic service at Rochester no informa-
ton could be obtained until the arrival of a
train from the scene of the disaster ON which
were thirty-tive persons who had been in
jured by the accident OF this number
many appeared to be seriously hurt,
and all were taken to the hospital
The train that was wrecked was
that which leaves Rochester at about o'clock
p. NJ, arriving at Zumbrota at + o'clock 1t
was caught in a severe wind and haistorm
that prevailed in that vicinity between and
5 o'clock, and while running at high rate of
speed was lifted from the rails and converted
into mass of ruins Gentlemen who have
been to the scene of the disaster describe it as
one of the most hori1fying railroad accidents
they ever witnessed. Every car in the train
was complete wreck, and was almost liter
ally shattered to pieces by the sudden stop
caused by the trains leaving the rails, burying
the unfortunate passengers beneath the de-
brs, killing many and injuring nearly every
person on the train. A gentleman stated that
nine dead bodies had been taken from the
ruins, and that a large number of those
previously injured had been removed to Ro-
chester and Owatonna. AT the time he left
the scene the work of eXtricating the unfortu-
nate victims was still going on, and it was be
ieved that the number killed would reach
score when the final summing up was made.
st. Paul Mimi dispatch says so far as
can be learned in the almost total rupture of
telegraphic communications, the storm of
last night followed the usual cyclone
path from the bed of the Minnesota river
eastward to the Mississippi. The most serious
damage was at Rochester, where one-third of
the city is laid in ruins and from sixty to 100
persons killed or injured. Houses were
also blown down and lives destroyed in Steele
and Dodge counties. Seven persons are re-
ported killed in one Norwegian settlement
south of Kasson The money loss at
Rochester is estimated at $4,000 APP
peals for aid were received at St
Paul about noon, and 5000 was at once
raised by subscriptions and placed in the
hands of Governor Hubbard, who notified the
mayor of Rochester to draw. The governor
has been receiving dispatches all day from
mayors of cities placing funds at his disposal
for relief. A mass meeting has been held in
Winona to take measures for the relief of
Winona county, which also suffers by the
cyclone, several lives being lost and property
on farms destroyed
Mayor Ludwig, of Winona, with a corps of
surgeons and large delegation of citizens
went out this morning. ST. Charles reports
one man killed in the county. Lewiston re
ports Stillwagin's house blown down and
Stillwagin injured. Seven persons were killed
five miles south of KaSSon in a Norwegian
settlement Physicians will he sent from
neighboring towns Superintendent Sanborn,
of the Winona and st. Peter road tele-
graphs that the list of wounded and
killed is hourly increasing The prostration
of the telegraph wires had rendered it diff
cult TO obtain information. The storm swept
through Utica and st. Charles and Winona
counties Reports from Dodge county indi-
cate great damage there the long railroad
bridge was demolished, as well as the engine
house, residences, elevators, etc.
Rochester is the county seat of Omstead
county, and has about 5000 inhabitants. 1t
was one of the handsomest cities of the many
of which Minnesota can boast. 1t is laid out
regularly with broad streets shaded by
outrageous trees, with the Zumbrota river
vending its way through the city from north
to south, with fine public park in the
center of the city. 1t contains many hand
some buildings, among which were the
State hospital for the insane the Ohm
stead county courthouse, the High school,
the Clark house, and other hotels The city
has been noted for its many beautiful resi-
dences with large and well-kept grounds, be
tokening the wealth and taste of the owners.
Rochester has been visited by severe storms
in former years. lying within the now APP
parently well-defined track of atmospherical
disturbance which crosses the southern por-
ton of Minnesota from west to east, but the
present is the first occasion when serious
damage was done
A Graphic Recital.