Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-08-31


stroyed. The destruction on the south
side of the track was very great, but
not SO sweeping. The court house
was unroofed as was also the Cook
house All the churches We're badly
damaged, the Methodist church
suffering the most. Not less
than one hundred buildings
on the south side of the track were
more or less damaged The most
beautifully shaded portion of the city
had its streets filled with water The
destruction was mainly north of the
court house. That part suffering COM
plete wreck was north of the depot,
and inhabited by .laboring people.
Darkness set in soon after the tornado
and the scene was terrible. Twenty
five dead bodies have been taken from
the ruins, many of them parents with
children. Not less than $50 buildings
were wholly or partially ruined The
loss can not be less than $500, 600.
The loss of life is very great. Twenty
five were killed and four or five have
died since. Some seventy are now be-
ing cared for who were injured. OF
those now in the hospital some fifty
were terribly cut and mangled by
flying timbers and pieces of wood.
The destruction to life and property
along the track of the wind is very
great. Two persons We're killed near
Kasson. Cattle in large numbers
were killed Grain in shock and stack
was taken somewhere and generally
not leaving a single straw behind 1t
is not possible for me at this time
to give a more detailed account of the
most terrible cyclone that has ever
visited our state. st. Paul sent So, 600
to the sufferers Owatonna will send
$1,000 Other cities and towns will
send relief. The poor of the city are
the greatest sufferers.
ROCHESTER, Mimi, Aug. %. The
number killed by the cyclone of Tues
day is now fixed at thirty-four,
wounded eighty-two, of whom nine
are fatally hurt The wind swept
diagonally across the town, covering
a space mile and three-quarters i'll
length by three-quarters of mile in
width in which every building, some
three hundred in number, were vir
tually destroyed, accompanied by the
loss of their contents. 1t is now be-
lieved that the damage will
reach fully half a million dollars.
By Gas the southwest quarter
of heavens assumed a sickly greenish
tint, then changed to copper, then to
bronze. Then it was noted that the
decided and dreadful inverted cone,
with height seemingly immeasurable
and murkiness appalling, with the
speed of a cannon ball came down
the valley of Silver Creek, and when
within half a mile of the city it's roar
could be heard Full three hundred
feet in the air it rose and in its whirl
ing mass were trees and stones. animals
and debris of all descriptions. The dome
of the court house melted from view
Trees were snapped and twisted and
lifted bodily into the air with tons of
earth clinging to their roots. Fifteen
minutes after the monster had ceased.
By s o'clock the stars had crept out
and there was calm and silence save
as broken by the groans of the
wounded and the dying. All night
long by the fitful light of
lanterns and later aided by the moon,
! citizens from outside toiled to render
/ succor to the distressed. BY sunrise
those of the wounded who had friends
| were taken to their houses The ma
! jority were taken to large hall on
Broadway. The wounded were in a
terrible plight, generally cut and bruis-
ed about the upper part of the body.
Childish faces are seen with wounds
SO ghastly that even physicians shud-
der as they use the sponge and needle.
1t is believed the cyclone formed
about six miles south of Dodge Cen
ter, small town in an adjoining
county.
A special reporter of the Pioneer
Press gives the following vivid ac-
count of the Rochester ruin: The
storm first came at in the evening
and lasted from twelve to fifteen min
utes Not until after o'clock were
the residents the least alarmed, which
is the strangest, when it is remem-
bered that a month ago cyclonic fury
vented itself but a few miles from
here. By 7:10 the southwest quarter
had assumed that sickly greenish tint
which serves as drop curtain for
such dire work. In few moments
the green changed to copper, then to
bronze, with whitish edges and lateral
lines of flying scud athwart it in
every direction. Next was noted that
dreaded and dreadful inverted cone,
with height seemingly immeasurable
and murkiness appalling. With the
speed of cannon ball 1t came down
the valley of insignificant Silver
creek. and when within half a mile
of the devoted city, its roar could be
heard. Cellars We're rushed to by al
most every one. but few of the
harder ones stayed at points of van
tage near the edges and witnessed
THE ATTACK OF THE REsIsTLEss
MONSTER
Full 300 feet in the air it rose, and
in its whirling mass were trees and
stones. animals and debris of every
conceivable description. The dome of
the court house melted from view,
though touched merely by the hem of
the wind. Trees snapped like cato
nne-tails. or stranger still were
twisted as corkscrews in the hands of
Titan, and lifted bodily into the air
with tons of earth clinging to their
roots Animals were dashed against
stone walls, and their backs and bones
crushed to powder. The roar of the
fierce surge was like nothing ever
heard before The atmosphere was
surcharged with electricity, and pei
lets of rain and hail were driven YER
tically as If shot from a rife Fif-
teen minutes of this terror, and
then silence. BY s o'clock the stars
were shining as peacefully as if cy
clones We're unknown; but the silence
was soon broken by the groans of the
/ dying and the sorely wounded. The
northern part of the city, fortunately
not the larger or thickly settled por-
/ ton, had been changed from a habit
able place to maze of mangled matter,
desert with signs of woe and terror
/ scattered everywhere. Not house
stood where 800 had been at o'clock.
Most of the dwellings were of the
| poorer class but many We're pretty,
| carefully tended and decorated houses
The citizens on the South Side quickly
repaired in crowds to the scene of
direst diaster and went to work. All
night long by the fitful light of Ian
terms at first and later aided by the
moon they toiled-
SCORES OF BODIES.
! ,,,a,,o,laa ont torn, and br,,iSsad Sopoe