Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-08-30
THE FIEND OF THE AIR
Rochester, Minnesota, the
Scene of Tornado.
Twenty-four Persons Killed, Forty
Injured, and the Number
Increasing.
A Terrible Cyclone.

night is reported to have been very Sc
we're. Twenty-four are reported killed
and fifty or more injured. Vague ru-
mOrs of train disaster by being blown
from the track are also coming in, but
no particulars.
WNONA. Mimi, Aug. 22.-At Z
o'clock last evening a cyclone struck
the north part of the city of Roches-
ter lying north of the railroad track.
1t made a clean sweep of the elevator,
residences, railroad engine house and
other property along the railroad
bridge The railroad bridge of the
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
company was completely demolished.
Mayor Witten telegraphed that "a
persons were killed and forty wound
ed. The city is in need of clothing,
food and assistance Among the kill
ed is Jno. nj. Cole, the proprietor of
the ZumbrCta planning mills. Superln-
tendent Sanborn, of the Winona & St.
Peter railroad telegraphs that the list
of the killed and wounded is hourly
increasing. The prostration of the
telegraph lines has made it difficult to
get the particulars The storm swept
through the towns of Utica and St
Charles III Winona county. Job
Thornton was killed and several
others were injured Reports from
Dodge county indicate that it did
much damage with loss of life No
particulars are yet obtainable Mayor
Ludwig, of Winona, with a corps of
surgeons, left for Rochester this
morning.
ST.. PAUL, Aug. ga cyclone
struck Rochester at p. ~. yesterday,
demolishing about 800 houses and
damaged about 200 more
ST., PAUL, Aug. "A special to the
Globe from Winona says: A cyclone
struck here at o'clock last night.
The depot was unroofcd and badly
wrecked, and the engine house is a
total wreck The covered bridge near
town is gone and a number of cars in
the yards are completely smashed.
HoltOn's elevator is a total wreck;
half of it Obstructs the main railroad
track The streets are filled with trees
and fragments of buildings Five
cars and an engine were derailed at
ZumbrOta Junction. The fireman of
train No. IL, VIM Higgins, jumped
from the cars and was buried under
the wreck, dead. A building stand
ing ten rods from the track was
blown on to. it and ditched the train
Both of Vandusen's elevators are I'M
rooted John NJ Cole was killed at
his mill; as he was coming out he was
struck by some timber. The whole
town north of the depot is a total
wreck. Houses were blown entirely
down, including the Methodist church;
also a new brick building right across
the way, on Broadway. The storm
did not extend south of the Cook
house. The creamery is a wreck.
Gov. Hubbard has Just received
word from Rochester, Mimi, stating
that the town is in ruins, and forty
persons killed. 1t is impossible to
learn any details as the telegraph
wires are all down. The storm in
other directions was only a severe hail
storm, and no great damage was done.
Names of killed, as far as known,
III Rochester:
JOHN NJ COLE
MRS. MCMILLAN.
THOMAS STEELE.
MRS. SURRATH.
AUGUST SURRATH.
MRS. OSBORNE AND INFANT
MRS. FRED CLAUGH.
MRS. WEATHERBEE.
MR.. HITZEL (farmer)
w NJ. HIGGINS
MRS. QUICK AND CHILD.
MRS. MCCORMICK.
These, with four unidentified, have
been brought to the undertakers. Six
~, To 1ox +oi
care of by friends. The destruction
through Dodge and Olmsted counties
is considerable. 1t is impossible to
give an estimate as to city and county.
The railroad bridge is blown down
at Rochester! not a piece was left ION
the abutments. One mile north of
Viola the cyclone swept the crops and
buildings clean in its path. Henry
Stanchfcld's nice residence and build
ings were leveled and Mrs. Stanch
field slightly hurt. A man
named Wells was seriously
hurt. Along the railroad the
people saw the clouds seething
and rolling over and over with loud
roaring noise and sought places of
safety.
One-third of the dwellings in Roch-
ester are in ruins. Twenty-four per-
sons are killed; among them J. NJ.
Cole, Esq. The dead are not all iden-
titled. The storm swept through Dodge
and Olmstead counties causing great
e, destruction than the cyclone weeks
ago. The damage in Rochester is fully.
$500, 900. The court house, high
school building, academy of Lourd
and elevators, depot, Touring mills,
ten business blocks, besides a great
many dwellings are unroofed. The
Methodist church is ruined and the
Congregational church injured; more
than 200 dwellings are utterly de
stroyed; cannot give the details of
losses In the country, but they are
very great. The following is a list of
the wounded in the hospital:
Carl Quick, wife and children.
Ole Rendt, wife and children.
Frank Schultz.
Anna Zerath.
Alto RUP.