The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-31
RUIN AND DEATH.
Appalling Work Of a Cyclone In South
ern Minnesota.
0ne-third OF Rochester Devastated and
Twenty-six Citizens Killed.
A Train Overturned and Many of the
Passengers Killed.

county, Mimi on the 2rst OF August, and its
path was strewn with wrecks and the bodies
Of the killed So terrible was the force of
the wind'that trains were blown from the
track, buildings were destroyed, crops an
initiated, and the town Of Rochester, the
county seat of the county was wrecked
The loss of life was great, twenty-six people
being killed outright at Rochester alone,
while many others were injured so badly as
to preclude al hope of recovery. The de-
struction OF life and property Is nearly If
not quite as great as that eccasioned at
details OF the work OF the tornado are
CLEANED from the Geographic reports printed
In the metropolitan press:
Tuesday evening at III o'clock. Rochester
was one OF the most beautiful cities in the
West. Ten minutes later its beauty had
and des olation reigned terrible cj clone
visited the city, leaving death and destruc-
ton in it's track. The day had been beauti
ful-warm-untn evening, when clouds
began TO gather. The atmosphere was OPP
pressively heavy and hot About O'clock
1t seemed as through it had commenced to
clear up. But soon heavy black clouds
came from the northwest and rain fell
heavily. Directly after o'clock the clouds
assumed the greenish appearance that is the
torerunner Of these terrible vfsitations,
accompanied by a rumbling noise, and
IN short time the wind rose, increas-
Ing in violence until the full force
or the cyclone was upon us What was
once weA-populated portion of the city
was the scene or ruin To describe it is i'm
possible. The main course was through the
lower part OF the town, but its force was
felt more or less in all parts of the city, and
Its freaks were wonderful. 1t demolished
well-built structures on Broadway doing
no harm TO ad accent buildings beyond over
burning chimneys and stripping the tin
coverings from roofs. One gle eat beauty OF
the city was its many trees that lined the
streets OF these hundreds were either
torn down or broken of, and many
streets were rendered impossible by
their being filed with trunks or
limbs Some we've stripped perfectly
bare, even the bark being torn of, and it
will be years before Rochester will recover
Its loss. AS before stated, that portion of
the city north of the railroad called Lower
Town" received the most damage. Indeed,
there is not house that is not injured, and
not TO exceed twenty that are left standing
IN some parts 1t looks at a distance as
though there had never been O building
standing in that portion, while in other
sections the ruins of houses show the ter
rfble destructive force of the wind. AS
soon as the cyclone had passed and the
people in the mole favored portion of the
went at once to Lower Town to renuer what
assistance they could, many working all
night
The dead and wounded were conveyed to
Bucks Hotel, the Winona House. DR.. Layers
office and prtva,e residences While all
knew the destruction had been fearful, no
idea Of it could be obtained until next morn
Ing, when its hon were made known.
Commencing mt the j. r. Cook House on the
St Paul road, which was entirely demol-
shed, the cyclone next took Mr.. Leland s
res dence, barn and outbuidings, not leav-
ing q stick standing. Thence IL swept
through Lower Town From the appear
ance OF the ground it appears as if a terrific
hood had swept over this section In many
places where residences stood scarcely q
board is left on the premises The grass is
filed with dirt and sand, as if a muddy
stream had poured over 1T An organized
movement was made to care for the wound
ed and appeals were made to the larger
,ities for aid, which were answered with
liberality
The principal losses in the city. as nearly
rs have been estimated are as follows:
g., 900; High-School building, tower and part
Of roof gone, 5000; Methodist Church. roof
gone, sides hulked, inside wrecked, $1,000;
congregational Church, steeple off, $1,000;
railroad depot unroofed, round-house gone,
bridge ruined, and other losses, $4,000;
vanduzen & Co, elevator $1,000;
II. T. Portion, elevator, $1,000; Har-
vester Works and machinery, $4,000;
J. NJ Coles mill, side and roof Off, mill
wrecked and engine blown into the river,
$1,000 Crescent creamery $1,000; Cascade
mill, $4,000; George Stockburg, store and
stock, $4,000 William Beardsley, building,
s1,UC0; A. d. Vedder, machine depot, 81 0U0;
ten bus ness blocks unroofed, 5000; 80
houses, with contents; SlSs, 600; 200 houses
damaged, $4,000. The total loss is s3J4, COO
The cyclone was first heard of south of
Dodge Centre, thence east, striking Ohm
stead county in Salem township, where
Cyrus Halls barn and part of his house were
destroyed. Baxter Titles buildings on his
farm and Mr.. Donovan's buildings were
swept away and several families injured.
Much damage was done TO farm property
and live stock The storm then entered
Rochester, taking a northwesterly course
through the city Three hundred
houses are destroyed, and fully 200
damaged The Congregational Church
where thirty-tive children had just
blown off. No children were hurt
Mrs. Helen Beck, of Ash! and, Dodge county,
was taken up by the storm while in a field
aud has not been heard from Olson and
his wife and daughter, of Canistee. Dodge
county, were killed. Mr. Berg was killed
and his farm buildings blown away. A
young lady visiting Van Franche was fatally
injured In the town OF ST. Charles the
cyclone struck Job Thorington's farm,
destroying the house, crops, and killing
Job Thorington and injuring all the family.
Farm property was much injured in Utica
and in the southern part OF Wabasha
county.
A terrible accident occurred between
! Rochester and Zumbrota, on the Rochester
and Northern division of the Chicago and
Northwestern road, by which about leo
] people were killed and wounded
On account of the interruption of the tele-
graphic service at Rochester no information
could be obtained till the arrival of train
from the scene of the disaster with thirty
/ five people who had been wounded In the
accident OF this number many seemed to
be seriously hurt, and all were taken to the
| hospital. The train running at a
| great speed was lifted from the rails
and dashed to pieces. A gentleman who
has been to the scene of the disaster de-
scribes it as one of the most horrifying char
| acter. Every car on the train was almost
Immediately shattered TO pieces by the sud-
den stop caused by the train leaving
the rails together with the forces
of the storm, burylng the unfortunate pas
sengers beneath the debris. killing many
and injuring nearly every person aboard the
train. The gentleman stated that nine dead
bodies had been taken from the ruins. and
a large number of those seriously injured
were removed to Rochester and Owatonna