The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-08-30
A CLOUD Of DEATH.
Rochester, MIMI, Partially Dc
stOyed by q Cyclone.
A Third Of tho City In Ruins and
One Hundred Persons Killed
or Wounded.
4 Train Blown from tho Track and
the Passengers Slain or Hurt.

A deadly ctclone swept through OlmAtei
county, Miit ON th~ Est of August, AnditA
path was strcwn with wrecks and tha bodies
| Of tho killed. 10 terrible was tho fotcc u
the wind TINT trains were blown from tho
track, buildings were destroyed, crops an
initiated, and thu town ot Rochester, tho
county tcat or tho county. was wrecked
The lpsS 81 life was great, twenty -six pecpio
Icing killed outright NJ Rochester alone,
while many others were injured 70 badly -
to prcclrds al hope Of recovery, The do.
struotion Of lifo ana property II nearly II
not quito ns great m that ocen6tOncd ~
Grinnell, Iowa, last spring. Tho following
details of tho work Of the tornado IRE
CLEANED from thu Geographic reports printed
In the metropolitan press,
Tuesday evening AZ II cclock. Rochester
WINS one Of the most beautiful cities IN tho
West Ten minutes later itA beauty had
disappeared, and IN parts " the city ruin
and dcs olation rcigncd 4 terrible csclonu
visited the city lcing dca.h and md, d san.,.
ful--warm--Mntn evening, when clouds
began To gather. Tho atmosphere Wa OPP
prcssively heavy and hot About 4 o'clock
It seemed IN though u had commenced 70
clear ur but soon heavy black clouds
NWItlu 1IUAl tuG uOIIuMCSV UUu EWlu lNlA
heavily, Directly after o'clock tho clouds
assumed tho grccnish appearance thnt y tho
forernnncr OF these terrible visitationA
accompanied Try q rumbltng ncisc, and
in short time tho wind rosN incrcNs@
Ing in violence until the full forcd
once a well-popnlated portion Of the city
was the scene OF ruin, 10 describe II IL I'M
possible. The main course was through tho
lower part OF tho town, but Its force was
felt more or less In nil parts Of the city, aud
It's freaks were wonderful II demolished
well-built structures ON broadway, doing
no harm to adjacent buildings beyond over
turning chimncys and stripping the tin
coverings from roofs One great beauty OF
the city was tts many trcea that lined tho
streets Of these hundreds were either
torn down or nsSssa on and many
their being filled with trunks or
limbs. Some were stripped perfectly
bare oven the bark being torn OH, and II
will DO years before Rochester will recover
Its loss A before stated, that portion OF
the city north OF the railroad called Lower
there II not house that II not injured, and
not 10 exceed twenty that arc left atanaing
in some parts IL looks At 4 distance 40
though there had never been Z building
standing In that portion, while In other
sections the ruins Of houses show the tor
riblo destructive force Of the wind, A
soon NJ the cyclone had passed and tho
people In tho moro favored portion Of the
city began tn learn Of tho damage, they
went at once to Lower Town to renaer what
assistance they could, many working all
night
Bucks Hotel. the Winona House. DIR, Layers
office and private Residences While all
knew the destruction had been fearful, no
Idea Of II could be obtained until next morn
ts&x~ .h.n Ia 49,
Commencing ut tho J, h Cook House on tho
ST Paul road, which was entirely demel-
ished, the cyclone next took Mr. Leland
res dence, barn and ONtbnidings, not lcav-
ing stick standing, Thence II swept
through Lower Town From tho apl ear
Hood had swept over this section In many
places whore residence o. stood scarcely =
board Ia left on the PROMISES The grass II
filled With dirt and sand, IN II q muddy
stream had poured over IL An organized
movement was made to care for tho wound
cd and appeals were made to tho larger
cities for aid, which wee answered With
liberality.
The principal losses In the city. as nearly
rs have been estimated, arc m follows;
Court Heuse unro0fed and dome gone,
High seaoo building toner wss ana par,
gone, sides halked, inside wrecked, sG00s
Congregational Church, steeple of, Sl,t0o.
railroad depot unroofed, round house gone,
bridge ruined, and other losses $lAusl;
vanduxen 4 Co, elevator, slO,n0;
II. T. Portion. elevator, ssuo; liar
]. n Coles mill, side and room or, mill
wrecked, and engine blown into tho river,
esOM Crescent creamery, el,uOo, Cascade
mill. $4,000; George StockhNrg, store and
stock, 1aNO0. William Hcartlslev, building,
el,uO. A. d, vedder, machine depot, $s,uN;
ten business blocks Nnroofed &aMN. sA
houses, with contents; 4lSStQO. 40 hosses
damaged, 93u,0U0 The total loss Ii sSaa.tuO
A terrible accident occurred between
Rochester and ZnMMota, on the Rochester
and Northern division Of tho Chicago and
Northwestern road, by which about Ito
people were killed and wounded
On account OF tho interruption Of the tele-
graphic service Mt Rochester no information
could be obtained till tho arrival Of train
from the scene Of the disaster with thirty
ave people who had been wounded In the
be seriously hurt, and all were taken to tho
hospital. The train runAing at a
great speed was lifted from the rails
aud dashed TO pieces A gentleman who
haa boen TO the scene Of the disaster de.
seribes IL m one OF the most horrifying char
acter. Every car on the train Was almost
immediately shattered q pieces BY tho sud-
the rails, together with the forces
OF the storm, bnrying tho unfortunate PAS
eengcrs beneath the debris Killing many
and injuring nearly every person aboard tho
train The gentleman stated that nine dead
bodies had been taken from tho ruins, and
large number Of those seriously injured
were removed TO Rochester and Owatonna
who reached Rochester few minutes after
the fafal rxclnna had AcsnmnlishaI ;fs fear