The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-06-09
NORTHWESTERN CYCLONES.
Some of tho Most CaIamitOus wind
Storms OF llac Past.

A review of the most notable cyclones
that have rayagcd various portions of the
Northwest during the past ten years affords
most gloomy picture of death, suffering
and sorrow. In June, 1877, a large part of
the little town of Hazel Green, Lafayette
county, Wis, was destroyed by fierce hur-
ricane, which, in addition to the frightful
work usually wrought by such storms in
the shape of demolishing building, twisting
huge trees and carrying people into the air,
smote half dozen persons with the icy
hand of death. Mankato, Lake Crystal, and
the surrounding country were rayaged by
storm cyclonic in its nature on Saturday,
June 5, 1880. A number of houses were
unroofed at Mankato and crops were con-
siderably destroyed. No lives were lost.
On the 10th and 18th of June, 1881, hurri-
canes swept through Faribault, Blue Earth
Audubon countless Iowa, killing or MAIN
ing between twenty and thirty people, level
ling crops, destroying buildings, &c. This
was prelude to the memorable cyclone of
July Is, which laid the greater part of New
Ulm, Brown county, in ruins. Three hun
bred buildings were torn to atoms, thirteen
persons killed and score of others injured,
some fatally. The same terrible storm pass
ed through Renvile and Nicollet counties
Twelve persons were killed and many others
injured at West Newton and Wellington,
and several fatalities occurred at other
e taa trna l. Of all
through the devastated section numerous
financial losses were inflicted, enormous in
the aggregate.
The next event in the series of cyclonic
horrors, and more calamitous than any of
its predecessors, was the partial destruction
of Grinnell, Iowa, and Malcorn, nine miles
distant, June IS, 1882. At GrinnelI the
list of mortality embraced forty-one names,
and at Malcorn nine were killed About
100 men were wounded more or less severe
ly in the two towns, several of the number
dying in few days. In both places some of
the finest residences were completely shat
tered, and the fragments blown away, and
several public edifices were likewise made un-
inhabitable the principal ones being those of
the Iowa Congressional College, value of
the dwelling houses obliterated by this tor
nado being placed at $250,000. In 1883
there were numerous cyclones in the North.
west. the first big one being at Racine, May
8, in which nine lives were lost, fifteen
fatally injured and ninety slightly hurt.
The houses were mainly small ones, belong
ing to the laboring class, and the loss APP
proximated 100000. The same storm
passed through the counties of Sangamon,
Dewitt and Sersey, Illinois, killing score
of people and injuring many others, and
annihilated large number of frame build
ings. The last serious cyclone in the North.
west previous to the Rochester disaster was
on July 81, which passed through Dodge
and Olmstead counties and westward into
Dakota. The number of lives lost was ten,
and large number were seriously injured
The losses to crops were heavy. Near Owa
tonna Chicago and Northwestern passen-
ger train was blown from the track, and
twenty persons were injured
The most terrific cyclone that ever oc-
Cured in Minnesota visited Rochester early
in the evening of August %, 1888. The
entire northern part of the city was laid in
ruins Twenty-six people We're killed outright
and eighty others badly injured. The storm
was terrific, carrying everything before it.