Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-15
SCORES KILLED BY THE WINDS.
st. Cloud and sauk Rapids, Mimi, Swept
by a Terrible Cyclone.

ST. PAUL, MINI, April 14.-st. Cloud
and Sauk Rapids were swept by terribly
destructive cyclone about $3.50 O'Clock this
afternoon. The first knowledge or the
disaster was contained in telegram sent
to Mayor Ames from st. Cloud reporting
the disaster and asking that a special
train be sent with physicians. a similar
dispatch was received from Sauk Rapids.
Immediately upon the receipt OF these
messages preparations were made to
respond to the call for help. The train
for st. Cloud left at O'Clock. The intOr-
nation at hand is very meagre, and sem
sational reports are current that 100
people were killed. 1t is believed that at
least 40 persons have been killed and
about 70 wounded, but it is impossible to
get much news OF Importance as yet. All
is excitement, and the streets are filled
with men and frightened women and
children.
THE DISASTER APPALLING,
The disaster is certainly appalling. AS
nearly as can be learned scores of houses
have been entirely wrecked. Twelve
physicians were aboard the relief train
which left for st. Cloud. Private advices
say the storm struck the railroad between
the roundhOuse and freight depot. and
swept paJh 900 yards wide through the
city, leveling between $50 and 200 houses.
NJ. II. Clark, a well known lumberman,
who lives in St.Cloud, SAYS 90persons were
killed in that city and more than 100 in
juTed, many very seriously. Supern-
tendent Wakemen, of the Manitoba road,
says between 80 and 40 persons were
killed at Sauk Rapids, few miles south
east Of st. Cloud, and nearly double that
number injured. The telegraph wires
northwest of this city are all down, and
no news direct from either ST. Cloud or
Sauk Rapids has been received or OBJ
tainable since O'Clock.
LATER REPORTS.
ST. PAUL, April II, II P. M.-RepOrts
received at 10 O'Clock tonight give the
number killed in st. Cloud as fifteen and
the injured at about twenty-five, and at
Sauk Rapids fifteen killed and twenty
injured. Another terrific thunder storm
is now prevailing here, which interferes
greatly with the wires.
ORIGIN OF THE CYCLONE.
The cyclone began about O'Clock in
the basin OF the Masonic Cemetery, form
ing whirlWind about LOCO feet in diam
eter. 1t took almost every tree in a circle
from the ground, or twisted them of at
the trunks. Great stones were torn up and
carried along with the wind, moving
slowly in nOrtheasterly direction. 1t
wrecked the Catholic chapel and several
houses In its course across the prairie adj
| joining the town. 1t completely de-
mOlished j. Schwartz's large brick house,
and scattered 30 or more smaller frame
| houses like feathers. In most cases
nothing was left to mark the site of dwell
lings but the cellars. The prares are
strewn with timber, furniture and
clothing.
A DEPOT WRECKED.
The freight depot of the Maritoba rail-
road was total wreck. Cars loaded
| with freight were borne along half mile
and the rails wrenched from the ties. Ii
passed the limits of the town just west OF
Lieut.. Gov. Gilman's residence, killing
several horses, and crossed the Missis-
sippi and Sauk Rapids wagon bridge,
which it demolished. IL here wldened
| to 800 feet, and levelled
| Stanton's grist mill. From there
1t swept through the centre of the town,
taking the best OF the business portion,
including the court house, public school,
and every important business building in
| the town except Woods store. The viii
lage is virtually wiped out, fOur-diths of
the buildings in it being leveled. The
fatalities in st. Cloud, though great, are
not equal in number to those
in Sauk Rapids. In every house all the
inmates were more or less injured. From
| Sauk Rapids the storm went to Rice sta
ton, Benton county, demolishing the viii
lage and killing or injuring nearly the
whole population,