Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-03-02
Dclnolished Houses.

The first building that attracts the attention
OF visitors alighting from the tran is the two
story supreme Court building, u few yards from
the depot, without dome roof, but with shreds
OF tin hanging from its sides marking pivot
around a1e which the storm seemed to swing. All
else IN this direction is untouched A few
steps eastward along the railroad discloses to
the southwest an appalling sight of devastation.
1t is in this direction tnat the laboriAg
tases among the timber, and here it wis the
cloud first dropped down and i'll wn;rling
and mashed homes Hat, then gathering up tho
pieces, it strewed them along o path, touring
down fences and wiping OUT landmarks. Scarce
~ can the direction of the streets be traced, for
in this quarter grading had not been attempted.
How many houses were here destroyed is not
known, for nothing is left in many places to
mark the lot. Fifteen foundations still remain
In six acres formerly we'll built Up but three
houses . nre standing in the path of the storm,
and these are wreched. On The right and lett
of tho path the debris plunged like cntapults in
homes more fortunate.
Naked Foundation Walls.
Looking northeast across the railrond the ruin
appears more terrible. The buildings We're
larger, heavier, and more compact, and tho
bris on either side and left naked fence-posts
and foundation walls to murk the spot, o.. resi-
dences. There still roma on either side Of the
path dismantled frame hoNses hall buried with
other roofs. To the southeast stand the
monumental ruins of the hree-story brick flour
mill, the walls stripped down and the ma
surrounded by uninjured houses, the
crushed Baptist Church and the large brick
Commercial Hotel, unronfed and partly torn
down. Six hundred yards farther on rrings
yon to the postoffice corner, and in thu front
stands the shattered Court House, with dome
thrown down over tho entry, the walls cracked
and partially tumbled down. aud in the SUI
preme Court yard lie the tin and timbers and
roofs of adjacent buildings. In front of tho
ing was RACED to the ground. and neurly all to
the south and east Jared likewise, but Uncle
Sans quarters were scarcely touched.
! Streets Ei,ied with Debris.
| Tie broad streets are filled with the debris
of the business houses of Burton and Washing
ton streets, along the eastern side of which not
one house remains standing. Unable to thor
Oughly tear asunder the framework of the
| buildings, they were mashed and twisted into
useless masses, tho roofs carried away, and tue
| fronts aud rears knocked out. Several three
story brick blocks gave an air OF substantially
| to the streets 4 he cyclone ground the walls to
a level. and the furnaces set fire to the wood
bank on the corner, exhibits burning pit, the
safo cracked wi the heat. Under the ruins
lie the churred remains OF J. C. Murray, owner
of the block Looking to tho south and east
from this corner the spectator will see u line
of grogseries. warehouses, and few reputable
holding together. The wines and liquors
had been swept out but the enterprisng bum
mer had head quarters and signs up long before
the excursionists began to pour in or the ruins
were clear of their dead The reputable por
tton of this block-n bakery-caught fire ans
was consumed. Other bakeries were wiped ou
OF existence and to-day not a loaf of bread wa
to be purchased in the town, However no one
suffers fer want of food, shelter, or clio. hing,
Along WASHINGTON street Just back "a ,, OF tn.
building began and the neNtl left OIL. Floors
! roofs, sides of buildings and partitions were
up in tor s and ernsea
ing. Everything along here was dead loss
not even the protection of fire insurance
WASHINGTON, was completely, blocked b!
the walls of Stratton & Johnson
fallen block, from the rear of which the de
stroyed warehouses and handsome residence
look like. al Abandoned lumber-yarl and rub
bish lot There were buildings here, and thu
lumber shows it. but tho chaos is complete
Where houses have ! cen torn asunder AM
swept away and the tilnbers scattered hithe
and thither there is net to the eye the desolatol
that is presented by row of mansions with tn
sides stripped "a, the roofs carried away, UNI
the upper floors let down upon tho parlors be
low, vet supporting what shows plain Y was
tidy chamber, but is now strewed with rub
Dish; or in many places. only portico or step
and a foundation wall and collar covered by
swnying floor, supporting MI that is LETT OF ono
luxurious furniture. This is oil that Is left Q
East Mount Vernon, the home of luxury. .
Tho LOSSES
The property loss will aggregate nearly s6O'
OOO, and falls heavily upon thriving commu
nifty The churches, business houses, an
stocks of goods aggregate Il loss of $4,000; lin
residences totally destroyed, 1000; fine res
dences injured $4,000; cottages wnrehousei
bnrns etc.. Su', 90; totnl. S573,uo1. Other inc
dentn!s will increase this. None of the mer
| chants or others cnrried storm insurance,
there will be total loss.
, Appealing for Aid.
| The citiZeus of Mount Vernon, Us soon rs TIL
injured had been release 4 from their pi r;lCu
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