The Dickinson press., 1883-07-28
SCENES AT ELGIN, MINI.

8uu seriously injured.
SCENES AT ELGIN, MINI.
Frigltful Effects of Saturdays Cy.
clone-Pathetic Incident.
The following are additional accounts Of
the cyclone at Elgin, Wabasha county,
MINI:
Ofall the places visited by Saturdays tor.
nadO. none suffered more thar Elgin, where
every house that remains standing, few
though they be, shows some marks of the
storm that destroyed over $4,000 worth Of
property in that village, including dwell
ings, barns, stored grain and horses.
For over an hour before the storm, which
occurred about IL O'Clock merid an, there
was not q breath of wind, and clouds of a
dark. murky green obscured the heavens,
the darkness being so intense, that lamps
were lighted in several houses; then rain
fell for a few minutes very heavily, when
the air seemed suddenly illuminated as if
by electricity, and the hurricane came
rushing down upon the village from both
sides. Many people rushed into cellars as
soon as the storm broke, end remained
there until all passed over; but all tell the
same story, that the air in the
cellars was so oppressive it
" 8 almost impossible to breathe.
The first house struck twas that of Henry
Claussen, on the northwest corner of the vii
lage. Mr.. Claussen was at work a few miles
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 out into the street.
Passing on, the next thing that was met
BY. the destroying element was the Bryant
windmill and q blacksmith shop, owned
and operated by Frederick Meyer. In less
thar fifty seconds all that was lett to indi-
mill stood were a few posts standing like
sentlnels, and a heap of bent iron, horse
shoes and broken beams, from under which
E few moments later the blacksmith and a
young man crawled into light. In Meyers
The first impression I 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 a half minutes dead calm, and
Then again, on the other side of the house,
the buildings falling, and I began to realize
that 8 cyclone or tornado had struck the
town. After feeling around little, 1 found
that the building had fallen on me, but THE
forge supported the ruins, and l was unhurt:
SO that crawled out, and gazing around
what a sight met my eyes-the ground GOV.
cred with broken timber and articles
of furniture; women rushfng mada
~ around with children Fin their
arms, and desolation On all sides. NV
nexS move was to look id the direction of
my " house, that had intended to
move into next week, having Just built it
new. Not q Single or board remained in.
TACT, n q few broken beams and part of
the masonry OF the chimney were all that
was left.
Alter leveling the blacksmith shop, the
next resistance that met the fury ofthe storm
was two grain elevators and a hosting ap-
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 off
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, q milliner occupy
ing the fist floor of a two story frame
aonss, Wso taken from the ruins dead.
AS soon" 81 it became kEoYn that come
one was buried in ruins everybody seemed
to forget their W loss, and fastened to re.
move the debris. But they had hardly
head appeared crawling out from the mass,
her eyes filled with tears and her clothing
Torn t. shreds THIS was Maud
as to her mother, she: said that Just before
the building went down her mother was
trying to hold the door shut. but was
knocked down by The force of the wind.
She said she called hsr mother TO come u1-
der the counter, where sic ran to, but her
mot'.er laughed and was about to make
some reply, but just then the building came
that she crawled out, but not finding her
mother she returned, scrambled over bro
ken glass and piles of bricks and sand,
sb b c a@iiiy fn asr'n her a mo Rlefs T SsnG'
She chung to it and kissed it and pleaded
with Ger parent to speak to her, but finding
it in vain she came out the SECOND time,
just as several people were at work on the
ruins, and her first words. were: 81 can't
make mamma speak to me-" The little
one, with hands all bruised from crawling
oyer 'the debris, refused to be comforted'
fhs dead body oof'hef mother was found
stretched across the counter with 5 heavy
beam almost squeezing her BODY in halves],
across her stomach. .
On the opposite side Of the street another
severe and probably fats. injury was sus.
tanned by Edith Dillon, a young lady who,
with her sister, mother and step. father, oc-
cupied the second story of E. Martins
house. This house wa at the angle where
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 leyelly on
the field, but Just as it
touched terra frma, the sidewalk came crash.
ing down over it, one ofthe pieces OF broken
timber striking Miss Dillon on the top of
the Aeas, penetrating the skull and severing
an artery Fot a moment she .ss stunned.
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 Ms. Chapman, a few doors from
where she lived, and attended by Or. Adams
who is hopeful, but not confident, of the
lady'srecovery. -
Elgin,s the scene of the disaster, is situa-
ted on the lorth bank of the Whitestone,
in WaDasha' county. and before the vista
zion Of the tornado of the 21st, was one of
the most thriving and prosperous farming
communities in the county. 1t was settled
twenty years ago, but until seven years ago
did not develop itself to any extent. The
population this year Is about $40, and the
Gapntry toF miles around is n of
the richest grain Rising tracts
i'll the state. Thousands Of acses of gram
that is in many cases ready to cut now wi ],
perhaps, be q loss from the fact that nearly
tins to the destroyer, and although the will
OF neighbors to aid In saving il may be good