The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-24
The Entire North Half of the City in Ruins.
the Loss Falling Chiefly tho
Poorer Glasses.
Congressman DunneIl's Account of
the Storm and les Effects.
Great Damage to Life and Property Over
Large Tract of CounTry-In-
cidents of the Storm.
TUESDAYS STORM.
An Eyewitness Describes the Scene Among
the Ruins AT Rochestar.

An eyewitness Describes the Scene Among
the Ruins Rochester.
CHICAGO, Aug 23-The Dakota passenger
train on the Chicago & Northwestern rail-
road, due here at P. NJ, yesterday, did not
arrive until 1910 this morning, being de-
layed five hours at Rochester, MINI. A
trestle bridge west of the place and the rail-
road bridge over the river in the city were
both destroyed, and the passengers had to be
transferred to train sent from Winona.
Among the passengers arriving was Mr.. E. A.
Peck, of Plano. 1t was o'clock P, NJ. Tues
day when Mr.. Peck reached Rochester,
few moments after the deadly work of the
cyclone had been accomplished. He de-
scribes the scene as being sickening in its
horror. The entire north part of the place
from the Chicago & Northwestern track was
a confused mass of debris. Scare a house
was standing and the few which were had
been moved from their foundations and
shattered as by an earthquake. The af-
frighted survivors were at work rescuing the
injured and recovering the bodies of the
dead. Before midnight twenty-three corpses
lay in hotel to which they had been re-
moved. They were pitiable igures-scme of
them crushed and mangled out of resem-
blance to the human form. Nearly all were
injured about the head, and the begrimed
faces appeared to have been dragged in the
earth by the whirlwind Forty wounded,
many of them seriously, had been removed
to undestroyed dwellings. 1t was thought at
least twenty bodies yet remained in the
ruins The portion of the city swept by the
cyclone comprised about third of its ex-
tent including several stores and generally
the poorer dwellings
The storm appeared to have formed about
eighteen miles northwest of Rochester, and,
gathering violence as it progressed destroyed
several farm-houses in its course A lower
ing, dun-colored, funnel-cloud was seen ap-
preaching the fated town, and in a few mo-
ments the slaughter had been accomplished
No time was given for any preparation had
it been possible.
The scene in the devastated district
and the place where the dead lay was inde-
scribably sad. Mothers wildly searched for
their children, while little homeless waits
were found whom the tempest had orphaned.
One child was the only survivor of family
of seven.
The passengers ON this train were not
aware that frightful cyclone had passed
near them until their attention was directed
to feather-beds and articles of wearing appar-
ell lodged against the barbed wire fences,
which indicated something of blow The
wheat and other straw which was blown from
the stacks was twisted about the rails in
lo,r
pearance where the death-dealing funnel
crossed the track.
Shortly before the train arrived at Roches-
ter freight train was wrecked at the tres
tie at the western approach of the place
The wind twisted the switch-bar from its
place, throwing open the switch. The engin-
eer saw the peril when close at hand and
jumped, saving his life. The fireman was
carried over the embankment with his ell
gine and killed, his body not being recov-
cred until morning
The path of the storm through Rochester
was strewn with wrecks, but was mostly in
the poorer portions of the suburbs on the
north side. The large elevator near the de-
pot was broken in two portions, and the up
per half, an immense mass was carried
across the railroad and over two trains of
cars standing on the track,
The depot building of the Northwestern
road was destroyed, the roof of the court
house was blown off and a large stone man
sion near by was wrecked in the upper por-
ton. The Cook Hotel was badly damaged,
and the streets filled with debris and rolls of
tin from the roofs of the destroyed build
ings.
The fatal black cloud swept toward St.
Charles, five miles southeast cutting a wide
swath through the timber and farms, wreck
ing buildings in the country and touching
the skirts of the little hamlet with fatal ef-
feet, leaving two corpses and three fatally
manned. One of the dead men was found
in tree-top, his body bearing evidence of
having been torn limb from limb by the
mere force of the wind while being drawn
up and carried along in the terrible funnel.
The Stevens family, consisting of four per-
sons, saw the approaching storm-cloud and
hastily crept into huge tank cistern buried
in the ground. and which fortunately con-
tanned no water. Their house was torn to
pieces and wholly carried away over their
heads. Not vestige of their house re-
mained, but their lives were spared.
T,,f., Il