The daily gazette., 1883-08-23
A FEARFUL TORNADO.
TERRIBLE sTRucTIoN IN
THE NORTHWEST.
TRAIN BLOWN FROM THE TRACK.
An appalling Loss of Life-A Small
Town Almost DestrOyed--HavOc In the
Track of the storm.

N
MINNEAPoLIs. MINN, August ga
heavy storm ragged west and south of here
yesterday. The wires are down in both
directions, and news is hard to obtain.
The reports comes from Kasson, on the
Winona and St. Peter Railroad, that the
tornado passed over that place, blowing
down many buildings, killing two persons
and fhjuring several others. The haii-stones
that fell measured ten inches in circumfer-
ence.
ST. PAUL, MINI, August 2s.-rhe tor
nado which rag ed at Rochester, Mimi, last
night is reported to have been very severe.
Iwenty-four persons are reported to have
been killed and so more injured. 1t is also
rumored that a train was blown from the
track. Passengers from 0watonna state
that 20 persons were killed in the railroad
accident. Thirty-fve of the injured were
taken to the hospital at Owatonna
The Mayor of Rochester telegrapbs for
assistance, stating that 25 persons were
killed and about 40 injured. Onc-third of
that town is a complete wreck. 1t is be-
l'eVed from all reports that have come in
that the whole country surrounding
Rochester is in ruins. The killed NAV
reach up into the hundreds.
MIR. Cole, proprietor of the Zumbrota Mills
at Zumbrota, was instantly killed He was
In one OF the mills when the storm struck
the town and wrecked the building.
Governor Hubbard has sent $5, 900 to aid
the sufferers. He has received word from
Rochester stating that the town is in ruins,
and that 40 persons have been killed. 1t is
impossible to get full details of the ravapes
OF the storm, as the telegraphic wires are
all down.
The storm In other directions was severe.
The cyclone which struck Rochester de-
molisbed about 300 houses and damaged 200
more.
The killed, SO far as known in Rochester.
are: John NJ Cole, Mrs. McQuillan. Thos'
Steele, Mrs Qurrath, August Zurrath, Mr..
Osborne and child, Mrs. Fred Clough, Mrs.
Witherbeck, Mr.. Hitzel, Farmer William
Higgins, Mrs. Quick and child, and Miss
Mccormick
Four unidentified bodies were also brought
to the undertaker's. Six others are known
to have been taken care OF by friends Tho
destruction through Dodge AMI Olmstead
counties was terrible 1t is impossible to
estimate the damage in the city and country.
Ro hester was pretty and substantial city
of between 5000 and 5000 inhabitants. Most
OF the dwellings were of brick, and there
were many stately and substantial business
blocks.
WINoNA, Mimi, Aug. 22.-At z O'Clock
last evening a tornado struck the nothern
part of the city of Rochester, lying north of
the railroad track, and made clean sweep
OF elevators, residences, railroad engine
house and otner property. The long railroad
bridge was completely demolished. Major
Whittier telegraphs that twenty-four persons
were killed and forty wounded. The city is
in need of clothing, food and other
assistance.
Among the killed is John M. Cole. pro-
prietor of the Zumbrota Planning Mills.
Superintendent Sanborn, of the Winona
and st. Peter Railroad, telegraphs that the
list of killed and wounded is hourly increas-
ing. The prostration OF the telegraph lines
has made it difficult to get particulars.
The storm swept through the towns of
Utica and st. Charles, In Winona county,
JOB Thornton was killed and several others
were injured.
Reports from Dodge county indicate that
the storm caused much damage and some
loss of life in that county. No particulars
are yet obtainable.
Mayor Ludwig, of Winona, with corps
OF surgeons left for Rochester this morning.
OwAToNNA, MINI, August 22.-Teie-
graphic advices received here early this
morning give meagre details of terrible
accident between Rochester and Zumbrata,
Mimi, on the Rochester and Northern divi-
sion of the Chicago and Northwestern rail-
road, by which about 100 persons were killed
or wounded.
Owing to interruption of the telegraphic
service at Rochester no information could
be obtained until the arrival of a train from
the scene of the disaster, on which were 35
persons who had been injured in the acci-
dent Of this number many appeared to be
seriously hurt, and all were taken to the
hospital.
The train that was wrecked was that
which leaves Rochester at about o'clock
p. m., arriving at Zumbrata at 6 O'Clock. It
was caught in severe wind and hail storm
that prevailed in that vicinity between 4 and
O'Clock, and while running at a high rate
OF speed was lifted from the rails and con-
Verted into mass of ruins.
Gentlemen who have been to the scene of
the disaster describe it as one of the most
horrifying railroad accident they ever wit
messed. Ever car in the train was a COM
plete wreck, and was almost literally shat
tered to pieces by the sudden stopped caused
by the train leaving the rails, burying the
unfortunate passengers beneath the debris,
killing many and injuring nearly every per-
son on the train.
A gentleman stated that nine dead bodies
had been taken from the ruins and that a
large number of those seriously injured had
been removed to Rochester and Owatonna.
At the time he left the work of extricating
the unfortunate victims was still progress
ing, and it was believed that the number
killed would reach a score when the final
summing up was made
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