The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-17


Tornado In Texas and Iowa.
ST. CLOUD, April ia rumor of the de
struetion of wedding party near Rice Sta
ton, on the Northern Pacific road, during
the cyclone Wednesday, proves too true.
And it forms one OF the saddest features Of
wholesale destruction Of lite and property
wrought in this section Wednes lay. The
party was assembled at the residence Of
John Shul; a farmer, to celebrate the we'd
ding of his daughter Mamie, and the cere
mony was performed about | O'Clock by
Rev. Gustavus Smith. Tho afternoon was
spent in social On 10y ment, and Mt O'Clock
the party, only few guests having de.
parted, gathered about the wedding feast
1t was a happy party OF nearly forty PEG
pie celebrating the bridal festivities
OF the favorite daughter of
the house The cyclone came,
and in the space OF five minutes the
house was converted into kindiing wood
and scattered all over the farm. The nup-
tial viands were distributed over several
acres, and of the happy party of few
minutes before, ten were corpses and many
others injured, several of whom will die
There was not a uilding LIFT in which the
few survivors could care tor those not past
help The bridegroom was killed outright,
but the bride was only nJured The neigh
bors who had escaped the fury of the cy-
clone came TO the rescue, and the bodies Of
the dead were taken to the school house at
Rice Station. Following is list of the
killed aud injured:
Rev. Gustavus Smith, formerly of St
Charles, Mimi, the officiating csergym man,
killed outright; Mrs Grstavus Smith, killed;
Henry Friday, the groom of the hour,
killed. Mrs Henry Friday, nee Miss Mamie
ShulZ, the tride, collar-hone broken; Mrs.
John Shulz, mother of the bride, killed
Charles Shulz, brother of the bride, killed /;
John Shulz, father of the bride, head in
jured and rib; broken, seriously injured;
Louise Shulz, sister of the bride, both legs
broken; William shul', brother of the
bride, injured in the head; John Souer,
a guest, killed; Martin Souer,
brother of the above, back in
jured; Mrs Martin Sever, internally in
jured; John Trabaunt, ST., in ured on the
head severely and arm broken; John Ira
haunt jr., in iured in the head; Mrs John
Trabaunt, ST., killed; Mary Trabaunt, IL
years DID, killed; Mrs F. Nogt, killed, Fred
erick Nogt, injured about the head very
badly; Mrs, William GaumitA, killed; Will.
lam Gaumltl, arm broken and severe cut in
back of the head; Otto Gaumitl son OF
the above, badly cut in the face
and arm broken; Oscar Gaumit2
slightly injured about the head; Michael
koehler, face badly bruised and one
eye gone; Mrs koehler, right leg broken,
hal hrnisal IND hs. fas ha i,it 4
Frederick Lieman, face bruised and severe
cut in back OF the head; Mrs. F. Lieman
in ured internally in breast, will die
Charles johnson, one leg broken; Mrs.
Charles Johnson, in ured in the back and
arm broken; two children of NJ. Souer
in ured in the head, son of Fred Nogt, S
years Old heid injured; six young children
escaped unframed; II. Gilman and wife, OF
Sauk Rapids, had left the festivities halt
hour before, and consequently escaped.
Sank Rapids is sickeniug sight The
storm first struck j. 4 Stanton's large -four.
ng-mill and warehouse completely demol-
ishing and ra7ing it to the ground All that
remains to show where what was once the
pride of the village stood is shapeless mas
of splinters strewn il every direction.
Barrels Of four and sacks oil
wheat lie as they iell, hurled to
a great distance. Mr.. Stanton was notified
in time to get out and take hold of post
near the river, Nothing remains of The
oopershop. One half of the fine wagon
bridge across the Mississippi was hurled
from its piers, and all that remains is mass
of twisted iron rods and few tiInbers The
dam is not seriously in ured.
Goats & Buckman's lumber yard was next
struck. The lumber and timbers were
twisted in pieces. Their saw mill escaped.
The black mass of earth, water, and debris
next took thirteen freight cars from the
track. All that remains OF five of them is a
pile of naked trucks lying some distance
away. One car was carried bodily forty
feet TIE telegraph poles were twisted to
splinters The swath mown is eighty
rods wide The bank was the
only building left standing, and
the top was taken off from
that Seven business blocks were totally
demolished SO utter has been the wreck
ing Of the town that ii is believed here that
it will not Ice rebuilt IL is the third time
within ten years that the bridge has been
washed away, Last year the legislature
appropriated 81 800 to repair it. Besides
the bridge the public school building, which
was only built three years ago, has
gone entirely The court house, not
two years old, is simply ruin. Tbs
Stanton mill, which has capacity of 2Oj
barrels a day, has vanished. The mill is,
and has been, the great mainstay of Sank
Rapids it has ranked even ahead of the
school and court house, the school went a
long way toward making up the re st of it's
life. Two years ago DIR. j. T. Wilson, pro-
prietor of the town site of East St Cloud,
made a liberal offer to the county for tho
building of n court house and that offer
will now he renewed
There is no telling yet the full extent of
the calamity, for the prairies are dotted
with farms and home,teads, and it will be
strange ii all Of them escaped Communi-
cation with outlaying points is difficult
Every one is busy in town. These two
places are all wrapped up in their own
suforings, and there may have deem dis
asters which have not been hear! Of yet,
and which will not be heard Of for many II
long day, in out-of the way regions
Early relief committee was organized
at Sank Rapids with Senator G. b. Buck
man as chairman, and a systematic delivery
of goods 10 the needy began. The building
opposite the Davis house is headquarters
and supplies sent in from neighboring cite:
are being distributed There was ample
provisions for all in the way of food.
When a meeting was held at the court
house at O'Clock Thursday afternoon, il
was called to order by Mayor Calhoun, who
nominated as chairman of the meeting j. g.
Smith, and A. S. Cramhas as secretary. The
committees appointed at the morning meet
ing to ascertain and report the loss ant
damage by the cyclone was unable to make
complete report, but had found In tn,
territory south of the railroad track abou
thirty families entirely destitute and il
need of immediate aid. They said eacl
family wanted about SIS in the line of fur
niture or household goods At this time j
A. Tenn, of Sank Rapids, came in and wa
called upor to make statement Of tn
losses at Sank Rapids He reported fit,
families, comprising 150 persons left On
tiroly destitute He stated that this est
mate did not include those who were able t.
rebuild or help themselves
AN EXPERIENCE IN IOWA.
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