The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-08-31
I, A Fearful Tuesday Evening which Sees
the Minnesota Town Victim
Of Cyclonic Wrath.
Hundreds Of Buildings Shattered, 2s
People Killed and 80 Other
Unfortunates Injured.
Five Hundred People Left Houseless to
View the Melancholy Scene
Of Ruin.
Nearly all Public Buildings Damaged
and Loss of 100000
Inflicted.
RUINED ROCHESTER.

ROCHESTER,, special Telegram, Aug D.
. The citizens Of Rochester are wan Of cheek and
''hollow-eyed, and we'll they may, since they
passed last evening as evil quarter Of an hour
!. % ever fell to the experience Of man, and to
/, this succeeded night of horror, snch as made
men used to the terrors Of a stricken field
: vince and shudder. The storm first came at z
in the evening and lasted from twelve to fifteen
minutes. Not until after IS O'Clock were tue
residents the least alarmed, which is
the strangest when it is remembered tina,
A,,month ago cyolonic fury vented itself,
but few miles from here. BY 7:1O the south
west 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 unreasonable and murki-
ness appalling. With the speed of cannon
ballit came down the valley of insignificant Sill
YER creek, aud when within half mile
of the devoted city, its roar could
be heard Cellars were rushed to by almost
every one, but few of the harder ones stayed
at points of vantage near the edges and wit
messed
TIE ATTACK OF THE RESISTLEss MONSTER
Full 300 feet in the air itrose, 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 cat-o'-nrne tails, or stranger
still. were twisted as corkscrows in the
hands of Titan, and lifted bodily into the
. air with tons of earth clinging to their roots.
Animals were dashed against stoue wallis,
and their backs and bones crushed to powder;
The roar of the fierce surge was like nothing
ever hoard before. The atmosphere was
surcharged with electricity. and pellets of
rain and hail were driven vertically as if shot
from a rifle Fifteen minutes Of this terror,
and then silence. By 8 o'clock the stars
were shining as peacefully as if cyclones were
unknown; but the silence was soon
broken by the groans of the dead, dying and
the sorely wounded The northern part of the
city, fortunately not the larger or thicAly set
AASA Poa oAoA3 Lou DSCu CudiHcu 1TOm u uaUlC-
liable place. to maze of mangled matter, desert
with signs of woe and terror scattered every
where Not house stood where 500 had
been at7 o'clock. Most of the dwellings were
of the poorer class but many were pretty, care
fully tended and decorated houses The
citizens on the South side quickly repaired in
crowds to the scene of direst disaster and went
to'work. All night long by the fttul light Of
lanters at first and later aided by the moon
theytoiIed
SCORES OF BODIES
mangled, cut torn and bruised, some breath
ing, some breathless were taken out BY
sunrise those of the dead or wounded who had
friends wore speedily borne to private houees
The majority were taken to Rommol's hall, a
large building on Broadway, where cots were
hastily prepared for the wounded. The dead
we're taken away by friends or to W. r. Sew
ards undertaking place on Broadway. Physi-
clans and nurses,were soon to the fore, and
everything possible done to alleviate suffering.
The wounded were in horrible plight and q
walk through tho hall where they Lie.
sven now, makes one faint Tho
outs and bruises are generally about
the upper part of the body and
childish faces are seen with wounds on them
30 CHASTITY that.even the physician shudders as
he uses sponge and needle. Into the cuts dirt
and even powdered stone were forced in many
instances. Cellars seemed Of little or no pro.
lection, since, while some Of the house. above
them blew away, those to the west were
crushed bodily into their depths. Think of
two mothers, as late as noon to-day,
SEEKING FRANTIcALLy FOR LOST CHILDREN,
eeeing three who correspondent in size with
those they sought, but all 80 marred by dirt
and blood and wounds that even maternal love
could not tell whether to say "mine" or not
: TIE scenes around the demolished houses were
men, women and children cry
ing bitterly and almost bereft Of reason An
absolute doubt exists in many cases
Oas to where the site of their
homo was; ever dreadful uncertainty
and haunting dread. and through it
all tho breeze signing gently, the moon smil-
ing calmly and men working brayely. The
rising sun showed the bitterness of the desola-
sion. eeueer freaks there were, of course
Mere stands wall, and on it hangs en- un-
H9oken looking-glass, while heavy stove
errshed into Fragments lies onthe floor near
by. There, swaying to and fro in the. breeze,
is hae family rocking chair. while q few .soet
FROM its hose lies
iaANGLED AND DEAD
A festher' bed yonder twisted like e rope, aul
touching it's edge students lamp, with even
the chimney intact. Down near the river!l
stands the large Cole mill, with cyclonic bite |
taken from its western end. To the south OF |
it is train Of eight loaded |
cars turned and twisted as if Of STRAW, while
in the race at the northern side arc two more
cars blown bodily frl,m the track and into tEae
water. The owner, OF the mill was lifted iftg
seet vertically aud hufled against bank aud |
killed. Not a bone in 2,is body was left IN
broken. Rochester, as every one knows,
was beautiful city, and as much on &C
coupt of its trees as anything. Al
core of years will not restore it's pristine
oveliness in this direction. Some of the
.treets iu the best part Of the city are i'm.
,assable, and looking up or down them one
sees nothing but tangled mass OF
runks and foliage jammed across the
-oadway. Scarcely residence-Mr. Var
Dusen's is about the only one-that has not
uttered more or less: and in many cases
,eavy chimneys were crashed through The
oofs and garrets into the floors below. Bpt