Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-05-26
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
Great Damage at Racine. Wis. Loss
OF Iife-EHects in Other Places.

4
Great Damage at Racine. Wis, Loss
OF Life-Effects in Other Places.
| Friday 18th. inst was cyclonish day
and various parts of the northwest suffered
severely, particularly Racine, Wis. The cy-
clone struck Racine ut o'clock passing
through the extreme northwestern portion
of the city, demolishing 100 houses and
barns, and causing loss of life of about
| twenty beside 100 more OF less severely in-
| jured. THIS air was oppresslvely warm. The
| cyclone was announced by the breaking of
| the clouds, which took on whirling mo-
| ton and struck the earth with noise which
might be compared with the roar and rum
| bling of 1000 railroad trains laundering
| over bridge. The path OF the storm was
little over mile long and perhaps quar-
| ter of mile wide. In this territory here
and there a building is left standing. Brick
| and frame houses alike were destroyed, and
their sites are marked only by heaps of de.
| bris.
Many occupants of houses escaped by
| seeking cellars and other places of compare
| tive safety, but the cyclone came with such
| lightning quickness that many were killed
before reaching shelter. In only few
cases were houses moved from their toun-
| dations Those in the center of the storm
| center simply exploded and fell III ruins
| where they stood. The cyclone, as it
moved from the city cut upon the waters Of
Lake Michigan, presented grand specta-
| Gle, such as is seen but once in q lifetime.
The revolving columns OF air
seemed monster wreaths OF
SNAKE, and tley whirled over the
watery expanse, bearing with them spiral
columns of water. Noship that encountered
this monster of the air could by any posi-
bility escape destruction. The list OF cas-
ualities, so far as they can be learned, is as
follows:
Fatally iDjured-Mr. Kurtz. Herman
Kurl, Mrs. Mccarthy, August Kisner and
wife, Simon Geise son and daughter, and
Fred Fak.
Killed-Paul Kuhl, Albert I<uhl, daugh-
ter of Barney yelling, infant son of August
Kisner.
Dangerously injured-Matt Levy, two
children of Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Mary Witter,
Mrs Flanagan and three children.
Watertown, Wis was also visited by ter
rife hurricane which has wrought devas-
tation in that city. Houses were torn
down and trees uprooted by this cyclones
awful strength every window in the south
side of every house in town was broken.
Hail stones as big as walnuts In many
paneS OF glass There were peIIeCuy Iouhu
holes as though made by a rifle ball. The
roof of the Northwestern Lutheran univer-
sity was blown off.
Shortly before six o'clock dark cloud
was seen hanging over Chemung, small
village near Harvard, Ill. Roaring was
heard and suddenly a funnel shaped cy-
clone formed and swoOped down upon the
place with fearful rapidity. Houses were
torn to pieces like cardboard, and whirled
49,. I b,til Il Law
eled in an instant. There are no definite
details, but it is understood that number
of PERSONS were killed and at least twenty
wounded. Passing to the east
the storm struck Belvidere doing consider
able damage. Here the wind chaLged to
the northeast and widened to mile. Law
renee a small station six miles north of Har-
ward, was badly damaged and the surround
ing country desOlate.
Duluth, Moorhead and other points in
the northwest came in for visitation. At
Duluth burst of wind blew down build
ings, and among them one under cOnstruc-
ton was entirely destroyed at loss OF &c.
600.
At Springfield, ILL.,, large number of
houses were demolished and many persons
injured, The hurricane struck the earth
again four miles east of the city, where the
little settlement oil Round Prairie is situated
of the farmers of that vicinity. The houses
of Wi liam NosIand, Mr.. McVeigh, Henry
HughiLt, Samuel Ashton, James Trotter,
George Ray, Henry Turlly, Henry Farbec,
and Samuel A. Grub were torn down and
great damage done their other property.
The killed and injured are:
Mr.. Booker and child. Mrs. English and
two children, injured seriously. Mrs. For
beg, killed Mrs. Jane Van Nostrand, prob
obI., EatoIIu iniurnI MiaSpc Mapvip and
Annie Van Nostrand, badly hurt.
From Roand Prairie the storm swept on
to Dawson, nine miles northeast, but doing
no serious damage until that point was
reached. Here number of houses were
tom down and Mrs. Ferris killed. AT
Buffalo, little hamlet, Mrs. Thomas
Chandler was killed by the falling timbers
of her house.
On GREASY Prairie, eleven miles SOUTH the
farm houses of Porter Story, Alex Gum,
William Brakeman, Thomas Nester Jesse
Covington, and A. Warsup were destroyed.
One man, a boy, and two children were
killed, and others injured. Near Franklin
the storm was tearfully destructive. At
Pisga, the house, barn and orchard ofJames
Oxiey were swept away and his wife and
children seriously injured. AT WoodlawI,
where there was fatal tornado three years
ago, the railroad depot was destroyed.
At Leitenburg, some nine miles north OF
here on the Peoria branch of he Wabash
railway, the storm was in the shape of q
column and struck the south part of the
town at the southern eige, going northeast,
completely across the business residence
portion of the place, leveling four stores,
two churches, depot, repair shop, machine
shop and thirteen dwellings, besides injur-
ing others and destroying much other prop
erty. Five were killed and fifteen injured.
The dead at Greasy Prairie now number
four, a man named English, twenty-year-
old boy named Brakeman, and two children
in the Westroat family, making ten dead.
At Clinton, Dewitt county the names of
the dead are: George P. Clifton, Mrs. Cliff
ton his wife, and Ollie Clifton, aged seven.
At Grafton, ILL.,, Mrs. Garner was killed,
and her husband is supposed to have been
thrown into the ravine and killed and the
body washed into the river. A daughter of
Garner has hip dislocated, and daugh-
ter of Denny Shey leg broken. The storm
was also severe at Edwardsville. Mrs. Will
Maxev of Alton was killed near Edwards
vile by being blown against tree. The
roof of the court house was blown of.
Grant on Sherman and Sheridan.
A friend of mine says a correspondent,
who knows General Grant very well, asked
him, in the course of a conversation
over a cigar the other evening, what
he thought of the relative soldierly
merits of Gems. Sheridan and Sherman.
'T consider Sheridan the greatest general |
in the world" Grant replied, and pausing a |
moment in thought, added, eyes, without |
exception" Sherman" he continued, sis
also a great general and soldier, but bis liza |
bilities are of entirely different nature from |
those of Sheridan Sherman has q wonder
full head for geology and locality. He never !
iorgets place he once visited and not on
Iy does he remember the place, but in flash |
he can tell you exactly what the geological |
formation of the surrounding country is, |
what are the natural features, and of
course this stands him IN good stead in war |
time"
This opinion of Grant is confirmed by a |
another friend of mine recent. |
ly enjoyed with Gen. Sherman. My fire d |
happened to ask him some questions rela-
tive to his wonderful and historic March |
to the Sea-"
II could never have accomplished it as / |
4 chad hoon fomil. |