Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-30
A TERRIFIC CYCLONE.

On Tuesday of last week terrific cyclone
visited Rochester, Minnesota, sweeping over
territory sixty miles in length and about
two miles wide. The entire northern por-
ton of Rochester from the Chicago and
Northwestern Railroad track, was confused
mass of debris. Scarcely a house was stand
ing, and the few which were had been re-
moved from their foundations and shattered
as if by an earthquake. A gentleman who
passed through the devastated town at 7
o'clock on the evening the storm occurred
says the affrighted survivors were at work
rescuing the injured and recovering the
bodies of the dead. Before midnight twen-
ty-three corpses lay in the hotel, to which
they had been removed. They presented a
shocking appearance, some of them being
crushed and mangled out of all human SEM
blance. Nearly all were injured about the
head, and from their begrimed faces appear
ed to have been dragged in the earth by
the whirlwind. Forty wounded persons,
many of them seriously injured, had been
removed to undestroyed dwellings,. 1t was
thought that at least twenty bodies re-
NAMED in the ruins. The portion of the
city swept by the cyclone composed about
one-third of its extent, including several
The storm appeared to have formed about
eighteen miles northwest of Rochester, and,
gathering violence as it progressed, destroy
ed several farm houses in its course. A
lowering, dun-colored, funnel-shaped cloud
was seen approaching the fated town, and
in few minutes the slaughter had been
accomplished. No time was given for any
preparation, had it been possible. The
scene in the devastated district and in the
place where the dead lay was indescribably
sad. Mothers wildly searched for their chill
dren, while little homeless waits were found
whom the tempest had orphaned. One
child was the only survivor of family of
seven.
Passengers on the first train that arrived
at Rochester were not aware that cyclone
had passed near them until their attention
was directed to feather beds and articles of
wearing apparel lodged against barbed wire
| fences. Wheat and straw was twisted about
the rails in large quantities where the cy-
clone crossed the track. Shortly before the
| train arrived at Rochester a freight train
| was wrecked on trestle at the western ap-
proach of the place. The wind twisted the
switch bar from it place, throwing open the
switch. The engineer saw his peril when
close at hand and jumped, saving his life.
The fireman was carried over the en-
bankment with the engine and killed.
The fatal black cloud swept toward St.
OlldFlGS, awe oouVllCoou vi 1eOCACoCSl,
cutting a wide swath through the timber
and farms, wrecking buildings in a little
hamlet, and leaving two corpses and three
persons fatally MANNED. The body of one
of the men killed was found in tree top.
He had been torn limb from limb by the
mere force of the wind while being drawn
up and carried along by the terrible funnel,
A family named Stevens, consisting of four
| persons, saw the approaching storm cloud
and hastily crept into large tank cistern
buried in the ground, and which fortunately
contained no water. Their house was torn
| to pieces and wholly carried away over
their heads. Not q yestige of their home
remained, but their lives were spared,
Up to Thursday it WAS ascertained that
tWenty-four lives were lost at Rochester
and forty persons seriously wounded. Three
hundred houses were demolished and two
hundred badly damaged, One-third Of the
city was laid waste.