The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-09-01
ROCHESTER, IN RUINS,
A Fearful Tuesday Evening which Sees
the Minnesota Town a Victim
Of Cyclonic Wrath.
Hundreds OF Buildings Shattered, &c
People Killed and 80 Other
Unfortunates Injured.
Five Hundred People Left Houseless to
View the Melancholy Scene
Of Ruin.
Nearly all Public Buildings Damaged
ami Loss Of S3OO,0O0
Inflicted.
RUINED ROCHESTER.

HOhhlbik WORK OF lHE CYCLONE
ROCHESTER,, Special Telegram, Aug 80
The citizens OF Rochester arc wan cf cheek am
hollow eyed, and we'll they may, since the,
passed last evening as eyll quarter of an houT
as ever fell TO the experience OF man, and To-
this succeeded night OF horror. such as mad
men used q the terrors OF stricken field
vince aud shndder The storm fret came at
in the evening aud lasted from twelve to if,eer
minutes Not until after q O'Clock were the
residents the least alarmed, which II
the strangcs', when II is remembered thai
. month ago cyconc fnry vented itself
but few miles from here BY : 10 the sonth.
west quart. r had assumed that sickly groelnsl
tint which serves rs drop curtain for sucl
dire work Ia few moments the gree
changed 10 copper, then 10 hronze, with
whiIish edges aud lateral lines Of flying act.'i'
athwart it in every direction. Next was noted
that dreaded aud dreadful inverted cone, with
height seemingly unreasonable and mnlki
ness appalling With the speed Of cannon
ball it came down the valley OF insignificant Sii
yer creek, and when within half mil,
Of tho devoted city. It's roar coula
be heard Cellars were rushed TO by almost
every one, but few OF he harder ones stayet
ct points Of vantage near the edges aud Wit
messed
THE ATTACK OF TUE REsIsTLEss MONSTER
Full 300 feet ia the air il rose, and in It's wlnrlng
mass we're trees aud stones animals aud detrs
Of every conceivable description. The dome
OF the court house melted IRON view though
touched merely by the hem of the wind
Trees snapped like cato Hno ta,ls OF stranger
STILL were twisted "a cUIkscIeNs IN the
hauds OF Titan, aud lifted bodily into the
air with tons of earth chngtng to their roos
Animals were dashed against stoue walls
and their backs and bones crushed 10 powder
The roar OF the fierce surge was like nothing
ever heard bgfore rho atmosphere wa.
surchargod with electricity and pellets OF
rain and hail were driven vertically ~ II shot
from O rife Fifteen minutes Of this terror
and then silence by O'Clock the stars
wero shining as peacefully As II cyclones were
unknown; but tho silence was soon
broken by the gr0ans OF the dead, diving aud
the soreiy wounded Tho northern part of the
city, fortunately not the larger or thlckly set
tied portion, had been changed froms habit
able place 10 maze Of mangled matter a desert
with signs Of woe aud terror scattered every
who're Not a house stood where 300 had
been at O'Clock. Most OF the dwellings were
OF the poorer class but many were pretty, care
fully tended aud decorated houses The
citizens on the South side quickly repaired in
crowds TO tue scene Of direst disaster aud went
TO work. All night long by tho htn ligh. OF
isnters at nlst and later aided by the moon
they toiled
SCORES OF BODIES
m4pged, cut torn aud bruised some breath
Ing, some breathless, were taken out By
sunrise those Of the dead or wounded who had
friends wore speedily borne 10 private homes
The majority wore taken TO Rommels hall.
large building OH Broadway, where cots were
hastily prepared for the wounded The dead
were taken away by friends or 10 w II sew.
ards undertaking place on Broadway Physi.
claus and nurses were soon 10 the fore, and
everything possible done to alleviate suffering
The wounded were in y horrible plight, and Q
walk through tho hall where thoy lie, |
sVou now, hahtS Que idluI iDe
,uts and bruises are generally about
Gs upper part Of the body, aud
childish faces are seen with wounds Oh them |
so ghastly that even the physician shud'ers as
he nses sponge aud needle Into the cnts dirt |
tni even powdered stone wero forced in many
instances. Cellar seemed OF htle or no pro |
lection, since, while some Of the houses above
them blew away, those TO the west we're
crushed bodily into their depths Thnk OF
two mothers, as late as noon TO dsy,
SEEKING FBANTICALLY FOR Lost CHI DkES, |
seoing three who correspondsd IN size with |
those they sought, bu, ali go marred by dir
aud blood and wounds that even maternal love |
could not tell whether to say ''mine" or not |
TIE scenes around the demolished hOn-cs were |
hsartrending; men, women aud children cry
ing bitterly and almost bereft ~ reason. An
absolute doubt exists in many cases
40 10 where the site OF their
home was; ever a drealfni uncertainty
and haunting dread, and through 1t
al the breeze sighng gently, the moon smil
ng calmly aud meu working brave!y The
rising sun showed the bitterness OF the desols
lion. Queer freaks there we're, Of course.
Here stands wall, aud on II hangs all un
broken looking glass, while q heavy stove.
rushed into fragments, lies on the floor near
by. There, swaying TO aud fro IN the breeze, |
Is the family rocking chair, while few feet
from il horse lies
MANeLED AND DEAD
A feather bed yonder twisted like q rope, AID |
touching ito edge students lamp. with even
the chimney intact Down near the river
stands the large Cole mill, with cyclonc bite
taken from it's western end. To the south ot |
il train OF eight loaded |
cars turned aud tsisted as II Of straw, Will,
in the race at the northern side are two more
cars blown bodily from the track and into the |
water. The owner OF the mill was lifted fifty |
feet vertically and hurled aaainst bank and |
killed. Not bono in his body was left un.
broken. Rochester, as every one knows, |
was beautiful city. and much on |
count OF its trees as anything. A |
core OF years will lot restore its pristine
ioveliuess in this direction. Some Of III,
streets In the best part Of the city are im
passabl', and looking up or down them one
>~sees nothing but q tangled mass OF
tiApks and foliage jsmmed across tn,
roadway. Scarcely q residence-Mr Van
Dussns 10 about the only one-that has uoi
suffer more or less; al III many cas-
heavy ,himneys we're era he'd through ,ae
roofs and garrsts into the floors bslss -,