The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-24
THE MINNESOTA CYCLONE.
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF FITS
TERRIBLE WORK.
The Story Of One who Visited the Scene-The
Appearance OF the Cloud Iieart.kend-
Ing iucidenfs-Thc Wrecking
OF n Freight Train.
ny telegraph TO the Dispatch. /

CHICAGO, August 23.-Mr. +. A. Peck
who passed through the ruined city oil
Rochester. MIMI, and has Just arrived
here, gives a succinct account OF the dis.
aster. II was 7 O'Clock Tuesday evening
when Mr.. Peck reached Rochester. He
states that the entire northern portion OF
the place from the Chicago and North
western railroad track was a confused
mass OF debris. Scarcely house was
standing, and the few which were had
been removed from their foundations and
shattered as by an earthquake. The az
! frighted survivors were at work rescuing
the injured and recovering the bodies OF
the dead. Before midnight twenty-three
corpses lay I'm the hotel to which they had
been removed. They presented shock
I ing appearance, some OF them being crushed
and mangled out Of all human semblance.
Nearly all were injured about the head.
and from their begrimmed face appeared
TO have been
DRAGGED IN THE EARTH BY THE wIIIRLwIND.
Forty wounded persons. many OF them
seriously injured, had been removed to the
undestroycd dwellings II was thought at
least twenty bodies remained in the ruins.
The portion Of the city swept by the cyclone
composed about one third OF its extent.
including several stores and generally the
poorer dwellings. The storm appeared TO
have formed about eighteen miles north
west Of Rochester, and gathering violence
aS il progressed, destroyed several farm
houses i'm its course. A lowering. dim
cOlOred, funnel-shapcd cloud was seen APP
preaching the fated town, and in few
moments the slaughter had been accom-
plished. No time was given for any pre-
parationS, had it been possible. The scene
in the devastated district and place where
the dead lay was indescribably sad.
MOTHERS WILDLY SEARCHED
for their children, while little homeless
waits were found whom the tempest had
orphaned. One child was the only survi-
vor Of family of seven. The passengers
OF the train, on which was Mr.. Peck, were
not aware that cyclone had passed near
them until their attention was directed to
the feather-beds and articles OF wearing
apparel lodged against the barbed-wire
fences. Wheat and straw was twisted
about the rails in large quantities where
the cyclone crossed the track. Shortly be-
fore the train arrived at Rochester freight
train was wrecked on the trestle at the
western approach OF the pIace. The wind
twisted 4 swItch-bar from its place. throw
Ing open the switch. The engineer saw
his peril when close at hand, and jumped,
saving his life. The fireman was carried
over an embankment with the engine and
killed.
THE FATAL BLACK CLOUD
swept toward st. Charles. five miles south
east OF Rochester, cutting 4 wide swarth
through the timber and farms, wrecking
buildings in the little hamlet, and leaving
two corpses and three persons fatally
manned. The body OF one OF the men
killed was found in a tree-tOp. He had
been torn limb from limb by the mere force
OF the wind while being drawn IN and car
ried along by the terrible funnel. a family
named Stevens, consisting Of four persons,
saw the approaching stOrm-clOud, and has
tily crept into large 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 a vestige OF their home re-
manned, but their lives were spared.