Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-08-29
The City of Rochester, Mimi,
Almost Blown Out of
Existence.
One Hundred Persons Killed or Serious
" Injured, and $50 Houses
Demolished.
A Railway Train Lifted from the Track
and Dashed to Pieces.
Destructive storms i'm Central an6
Northern WiSCOnSin-The Loss
i'm Dollars EncaICuIables

southern Minnesota was NISlUeu ny
another aud probably the most severe
storm ever known IN that section. The
first signs of Ii were observed at Sioux
City, where high wind continued until
evening. The fury of the storm cul-
minated at Rochester, where the greatest
loss of life is reported. The storm
was a cyclone of the worst kind,
and the whole country in that vi
cinity was completely wrecked. A dis
patch states that the City of Rochester
was over third leveled to the ground
and business houses, dwellings,, barns
and shade-trees completely wrecked and
converted into one mass of ruins, bury
ing the inhabitants under falling tim
bers. Help is asked from the state to
relieve the unfortunate people and In car
ing for the homeless, injured and dying.
Gov. Hubbard immediately, upon the
receipt of the news, telegraphed to the
mayors of the neighboring cities to ex-
tend aid to the devastated community,
and special trains were sent to the
scene. The whole country between
Rochester and Zumbrota was struck by
the cyclone. One of the most terrible
features of the storm was the blowing
Of a train from the track between Roches-
ser and Zumbrota, on the Rochester
aud Northern Division of the Chicago
and Northwestern Road, by which about
100 persons were killed and wounded.
The train was caught in the severe wind
and hail storm, and while running at a
great speed was lifted from the rails and
precipitated into an unrecognizable
mass Of ruins. The disaster is described
as one of the most hOrrifying railroad
accidents ever witnessed. Every car In
the train was a complete wreck, and was
almost literally shattered to pieces by
the sudden stop. The train was taken
up bodily by the force of the storm and
hurled In a mass from the track, bury
ing the unfortunate passengers beneath
the debris, killing many and lnJuring
nearly every person aboard the train.
The Zumbro mill, In Rochester, was
demolished, and the proprietor, j ohm III.
Cole, was instantly killed. The course
of the storm appears to have been from
q point near Sioux City, Ia, its first vio-
lence, as far as reported, occurring at
Owatonna. Thence it passed easterly
along the Winona and st. Peter Railroad
in a narrow path to the Mississippi
River. The force of the storm had
spent itself before reaching Winona.
The course of the storm is nearly iden-
tical with that of last month, in which
the village of Elgin was demolished, and
it is also IN the same belt across the state
IN which was the severe tornado of two
years ago, by which New Uln was de-
stroyed. In Winona County Job Thor
ington was killed and many others
wounded. Seven persons were killed
five miles south Of Kasson In a Nor
wegian settlement.
Reports from Dodge County indicate
great damage there. The long railroad
bridge at Rochester was demolished, as
well as the engine house, residences,
elevators, etc.
The principal losses, as nearly as have
been estimated, are as follows: Court
house, unroofed and dome demolished,
50, 900; high school building, tower and
part of the roof gone, $4,000; Metho-
dist Church, roof gone and building
wrecked, Sc, 900; Congregational Church,
steeple off, 1000; railroad depot IN
rooted, roundhouse gone, bridge ruined
and other losses, $4,000; VandUsen &
Co. s elevator, $4,000; II. T. Parton's
elevator, $1,000; Harvester works and
machinery, $4,000; J. NJ. Coles mill,
side and roof off, mill wrecked and en-
CINE blown into river, So, 600; Crescent
Creamery, 50, 900; Cascade Mill, 5000;
Geo. Stockberg, store and stock, So, 600;
VIM. Beardsley, building, 81 1000; A.
D. Vedder, machine depot, 900; ten
business blocks unroofed, SIS, 900; two
hundred aud fifty houses, with contents,
S185, 900; twenty houses damaged, $50, :
600: making a total of 1894, 900. So far
IL
killed outside of Rochester by the storm.
The loss to crops is estimated at about
$500, 900.
At Kasson, Mimi, two women were
killed. Houses and outbuildings were
unroofed and wrecked, and large num-
bers of cattle killed.
Wisconsin was lot left out of the pro-
gramme. At NeillsvilIe the roof was
blown off an engine-house and many
buildings damaged. No lives were lost.
-Four freight cars were blown from the
track at Meanwhile. Three miles north
of Marshfeld falling trees killed six
head of cattle belonging to John Gill.
Timber was badly blown down. At
Milladore, Wood County, on the Central
Railroad, a tornado struck the town at
midnight. Twenty buildings were blown
down. Mrs. John Grier was killed, and
a German woman and child, names I'M
known, cannot live. Others were more
or less injured. Houses and timber
were Ieveled IN the path of the tornado.
There was great damage done to crops.
Many cattle were killed.
In the vicinity Of Green Bay, the
damage to property is serious. At the
town sof Pittsfeld a new brick build
ing belonging to Mr.. Krnning and 8
house and barn owned by Fred Schultz
were blown down. A large number of
barns were nearly demolished and many
Others unroofed. Fences were torn down
and trees uprooted. Standing corn was
laid fat.
A Lawyers Novel.
Prof. Swing, of Chicago, in an address
at the Acton, Ind, Assemblage approx