Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-17
THE TORNADO'S TRACK.
An Unbidden Guest at a Wedding Feast
Astounding Phenomena in the Vicin.
ity OF 81. Cloud-Disiress Among Home.
less aud Destitute People.
ST. CLOUD, Minn.. Aprj

The city of st. Cloud, Minnesota, is filled
to overflowing with visitors from all over the
State. SO many, in fact, are there that num-
Ders are unable to secure proper accommoda-
tlons. Farmers have come in from the sur
rounding districts bv scores. and apparently
have no other business than to look over the
ground so lately visited by the cloud OF de-
vastaton and stand around the corpses to
comment on their appearance.
The report comes from lower portions of
Douglass county, just south of Alexandria,
that three farm houses were torn to shre ts by
the wind, but there is no ntimation that there
was loss of life. Farmers from the north
western part Of the county tell almost in.
credible stories of finding remnants of build
ings on their property 20 miles distant from
st. Cloud; and portions of organs and pianos
have been picked up l5 miles from the city
and brought in as curiosities The prairie
for miles northwest of the track of the tor
nado is full of pieces of plank driven foot
or more into the ground. The phenomena
give limited idea of the terrible force with
which the articles must have been driven by
the wind. The sides of many of the build
lngs are pierced with heavy splinters that
tore holes through the thick walls, and there
remained, protrudng like pegs. In the walls
of other buildings, holes are noticeable that
seem to have been made by cannon balls.
Pannels have been torn from doors, and with
this exception the buildings seem to have
been untouched. In other places the window
panes have been blown out, and the sash un-
touched. The walls of many buildings have
blackened appearance as though they had
been fired and badly smoked. box car was
picked up from railway track in st. Cloud,
and blown three blocks into a ravine.
1t is estimated that forty families are home
less and destitute in St. Cloud. Relief is
badly needed. There are men there who lost
every dollars worth of property they owned
Solemn requeim mass was held in the
cathedral this morning over the remains of
thirteen victims of the cyclone. Similar
services took place in the church of the I'm
maculate Conception over the remains of
four The funeral cortege passed through the
devastated districts. About 1000 persons
were present from all over the country. The
dead were buried in two large graves, nine
adults in one and eight children in the other.
William Shortray, who has had both legs
amputated lies in critical condition. Mrs.
Junglen was in the hospital today looking
after her wounded husband and children !;
three of her children who were killed were
buried this forenoon. Fourteen dead were
buried at the cemetery at Sauk Rapids today.
The loss of property in st. Cloud is esti-
mated at 10000, and in Sauk Rapids $780,
O00 The wreckage on the railroad is esti-
mated at $4,000.
RIcE's STATION, MINI. April 16.
The sad ending of the wedding party near
Rices Station, Minnesota forms one of the
saddest features of the Wholesale destruction
of life and property wrought in that region
by Wednesdays tornado. The party were
assembled at the residence of John Schuist,
a farmer, to celebrate the wedding of his
daughter Mamie. The ceremony was per-
formed about o'clock in the afternoon by
Rev. G. Smith. The afternoon was spent in
social enjoyment, and at 4 o'clock the party
gathered about the wedding feast. 1t was a
happy assembly of nearly forty people. all
unconscious of the horrible catastrophe that
was st aling upon them with relentless
rapidity.
The tornado came, and in the space of five
minutes the house was converted into kind
ling wood and scattered all over the farm
OF the happy party Of a few minutes before,
ten were corpses and many others injured
several of whom will die. There was not a
building left in which the few survivors could
care for those not past help. The bride
groom was killed outright, bnt the bride wa:
only injured Neighbors who had escaped
the fury of the winds came to the rescue anC
the bodies of the dead were taken to the
school house at Rice's Station.
OMAHA, Neb.. April l6.
Dispatches from towns in western Iowa
show that the loss Of property in the regior
between Griswold and Audubon by Wednes
DAVIS tornado will reach nearly Sl50,000
Fences, barns, dwellings, live stock ant
everything else we're laid low in the path OF
the storm The small loss of life is account
ed for by the fact that the tornado occurred
in the day time when nearly all had time tc
get to their "cyclone cellars" which all the