, 1886-04-15
A TERRIBLE CYCLONE
Sweeps Through the State Of
Minnesota.
st. Cloud and Sank Rapids
Devastated.
Houses and Trees Scattered
Like Feathers.
A Minnesota Cyclone.

which forty were killed and seventy-tive
injured, halt the town was laid waste.
There are rumors hat Sank Rapids, near
St Cloud, also suffered. Dr. Ames,
mayor Of the city, and a staff of a dozen
physicians are Just leaving on a special
train for st. Cloud in answer to messages
for assistance.
ST. PAUL, April l4.-St. Cloud and
Sank Rapids were swept by a terribly de-
structive cyclone about $50 O'Clock this
afternoon. The first knowledge Of the
disaster was contained in the following
telegram sent to Mayor Ames from St
Cloud, asking help:
TO Mayor Anies, Minneopol1-A ter
rible, destructive cyclone passed over St
Cloud and Sank Rapids late this after
noon; terrible destruction here. Please
send up all assistance you can Immediately
by special train. Send physicians and
surgeons"
kilograms to the following effect were
received from Sank Rapids:
10 Mayor. Amo, Minneapohs-Can
you send special train with ply sicians to
this city, Cyclone passed over the city
this afternoon and a great many are be-
ieved to have been killed, but the nun
Der is not yet known.
fSignedl "SAUK RAPIDS"
Immediately upon receipt Of thus news
preparations were made to respond to the
call for help. A train for st. Cloud left
at 6 o'clock. Information is very meagre
and sensational reports current say that
100 persons were killed at st. Cloud. 1t
is believed at least forty people have been
killed and about s~eventy-ive wounded.
1t is impossible to get much information
at this hour. All is excitement and the
streets are filled with excited men, fright
ened. weeping women and children. The
disaster is certainly very appalling. Scores
Of houses have been entirely wrecked and
the extent of the loss of life cannot now
be stated.
The city is full Of rumors and it is very
difficult to obtain reliable news The
storm struck st. Cloud between the round
house and freight depot, and swepta path
600 yards wide through the city, l~eveling
between $50 and 200 houses. N. Ii.
Clark, a well known lumber man, who
lives in st. Cloud, says ninety persons
were killed in that city, and moro than a
hundred injured, many very seriously.
Supt Wakeman OF Manitoba, says bet
ween thirty and forty persons were killed
at Sank Rapids, a smalltown on the Mani
toba 4 Northern Pacific road, a few miles
southeast of st. Cloud, and nearly double
that number injured. Telegraph wires
are all down, and no new direct from St.
Cloud or Sank Rapids has been received
since I O'Clock. A terrific thunder storm
has set over St. Paul and Minneapolis
and a heavy hail storm followed, though
Of but short duration. In fact, one storm
cloud after another swept across the state
ever since last evening, and the rainfall
has been heavy. The storm is the worst
known since 1888, when Rochester and
Elgin were devastated by a tornado.
CHICAGO, April "A, The Inter Oceans
Council Bluffs special says: A cyclone
struck the town of Coon Rapids this alter
noon and laid the town in ruins. The
cyclone began about 3 O'Clock in the basin
OF the Masonic cemetery, forming a whirl-
wind about 1000 feet in diameter. 1t
took almost every tree in a circle from the
ground or twisted it off at the trunk.
Great stones we're torn up and carried
along with the wind. Moving slowly in
a northeasterly direction, it wrecked the
Catholic chapel and several houses in its
course across the prairie adjoining the
town. 1t completely demolished John
Schwartr's large brick house and scattered
fifty or more smaller houses like SO many
feathers. In most cases nothing was left
to mark the site OF the dwellings but the
the cellars. The prairies we're strewn
with timbers, furniture and clothing.
The freight depot of the Mani
toba vas a total wreck, and nu-
merous cars loaded with freight
were blown half a mile and the rails
wrenched from the track. 1t passed the
limits Of the town just west Of Lieutenant
Governor Gilman's residence, killing sew
eral horses. 1t crossed the Mississippi at
the Sank Rapids wagon bridge, which it
demolished. 1t here widened to 600 feet
and levelled Stanton's grist mill. From
there it swept through the center CT town,
taking the best Of the business part OF il,
including the court house. hotel, public
school and every important business build
ing in the town except Woods store.
The village is virtually wiped out, four
ffths Of the buildings being levelled.
The fatalities in st. Cloud, though
great, are not equal in number to those in
Sank Rapids. In every house most Of
the inmates were more or less hurt The
dead at St. Cloud, so far as known. are
Nick Junemann, Mn. Weisman and n liz
tie girl, a son 4 years old Of b. o. Wenki
a son 7 years old Frank Geinskoffski
Mrs. Stein, widow, aud a son Of 4 yean
old of P. Waldorf Shortridge; a youns
railroad man and bis brother William haC
both legs crushed which have since beer
amputAted; Yanholsen, an unknown rail
road man, two young children Of Mr.