The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-10
A CYCLONE IN WISCONSIN.
The State Swept from Northwest to
Southeast by Violent Wind-St0rm.
Great Damage at the City of Sparta, Where
Many Houses We're Leveled to the Earth
No Loss of Life So Far as Known.

MILWAUKEE, July 9.-To-night reports Of
damage from last nights storm continue to come
in, and indications that it will yet be several
days before all small towns of the interior will
be heard from. The storm appears to have
passed entirely across the State, dagonally from
northwest to southeast. At Sparta, which city
appears to have been the greatest sufferer, the
storm ragged for over an hour, during the greater
part of which time the air was filled with falling
trees and flying debris. Although no lives are
reported lost many narrow escapes are reported
from falling buildings. Along Court street a
scene Of desolation prevailed, Buildings are
wrecked on every hand shade trees torn from their
roots, sidewalks demoralzed and fences blown
down. Several fine residences and number of
| less pretensions are in mass of ruins. Several
| churches are badly damaged. Fourteen cars at
| the st. Paul depot were blown from the track
| and several others derailed at the Northwestern
depot. Trains have been delayed by these acct
dents. No reports have been received from the
country, and the total damage cannot be given.
So many roofs We're lifted and so much movable
property destroyed by the power of the air that
| it is feared full reports from the surrounding
country will bring news Of injury and perhaps
| death. The storm was wicked one, with all
| the death dealing concomitants, and its fury was
| concentrated in half an hour of time. DR.. Gar
| ret's brick residence was badly shattered and
A. e. Blackmans frame dwelling shows the
effects of the shaking it received. Roofs were
blown from the Chicago, Milwaukee & ST Paul
| railway depot, and from the Heller Block also,
from the building occupied by S. Holmes, gro
Init Tha ota IF
the Baptist Church was blown down, and the
fall badly damaged the roof of the church. The
belfry of the Catholic Church went down during
the height of the storm, badly damaging the
| main building The glass fronts Of the Thayer
Bank and Schneys jewelry store were blown in.
The glass on the north side of the Ida House
was badly riddled, and chimneys innumerable
were decapitated. Roofs were torn and
from the country is awaited anxiously.
At the Milwaukee e. st. Paul depot, at Sparta,
the coal sheds are wrecked and foHrtee
cars, including the coaches used on the Viroqua
branch, were blown from a side track, most of
them stopping on the main line and rendering
| the passage of trains impossible. A number Of
| cars are also off the track at the Northwestern
| depot. Reports from stations along the line
| show that the storm extended with greater or
| less force all the way to Milwaukee. At Maus
ton and Lisbon the telegraph instruments were
| destroyed by lightning. The Columbus operator
J reports very hard storm, with considerable
, wind, but says damage has been reported.
| At WatertOn there was very hard rain, but no
| damage up to ii o'clock. At Doylestown there
| was a heavy rain, with considerable wind and
| very sharp lightning.
| At Plainfeld the storm was the most terrific
| ever SEEN A large number of buildings were
| blown down or unroofed and freight cars were
smashed into splinters.
| Port Edwards, in Wood county, had planning
mill, store and five dwellings blown out of ex-
| stance, and lumber-yards scattered to the winds,
and other property Injured The loss will ag-
! gregate $4,000.
| In Rock county, buildings suffered to quite an
extent the principal damage being to tobacco
| sheds. About Edgerton. more than two hundred
tobacco sheds were demolished. Houses barns
and other buildings suffered like fate, and con-
| siderable live stock was killed.
: new Catholic church. flax mill, residences
| and barns were blown down at Appleton.
About StouChton, the scene of the great tobac-
co warehouse fire of last Sunday, tobacco sheds
| houses and barns were demolished and a large
| number of horses and cattle killed.
From scores of small towns reports of the
| storms destruction received. but very few
| estimates Of the actual loss are made. In many
| places where the destruction by wind was not
| severe, great damage was done by lightning.
| AT Whitewater, Nemah, Fall River and Troy
| the loss by lightning was particularly severe.
At Dextervile, Wood county, the loss by wind
| and lightning will not fall short of SIS 000 and
| at Weillsville, twenty miles northwest, the loss
| is also quite severe In all sections of the State
traversed by the storm crops have suffered great
! injury.