The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-15
DEATH AND DESOLATION.
The Fury of the Storm in the Vicinity of Min
neapois.

neapo ls.
MINNEAPOLIS, July 14.-AJ an early hour
this morning special train bore cor
respondent of the Associated Press from
st. Paul to the scene of Yesterdays terri
bic cyclone. No sign of the awful havoc
was visible until the top of the hill over
looking the little valley was rea ched, where,
on the side of the hill, Uas seen a house
belonging to Mr.. Harris, with the roof
blown off and part of the south side blown
away. Odt- buildings were scattered around
in most demoTaliZed condition. No one
was hurt at this point.
A quarter of mile north the whole scene
of destruction lay spread before the eye
along the shore. At the point where the
storm turned and crossed the lake the
houses of Schurmeier and Good and another
house in which each had an interest were
all utterly demolished. All the trees in the
neigh bOrhood were torn, twisted and
stripped Of bark and limbs, and from the
mangled trunks of many hung articles of
clothing and bedding.
WEECKAGE IN THE LAKE.
In the lake were the bodies Of four horses
floating amid heaps Of boards and house
timbers. Here, probably, Will be found
the bOdies Of the missing, as they could not
be found in the stacked-up boards and fur
nituTe on land.
As an illustration of the force of the
wind, an iron pump aud % feet of iron
pipe were torn from the well in front of
the Good residence, twisted, bent almost
double and deposited 30 yards from the
well. On the edge Of the water is pile of
boards covered with turf lifted from a
swamp 2O0 feet away. Strewn all about
are pieces of furniture, books aud stoves.
THE GROUND PLowED UP.
The wells and cellars are filled to the top
with building debris, and in Schurmeier's
cellar lie the mangled remains OF a horse.
The ground about these houses las the ap-
pearauce, from a distance, of having been
gone over with a plOw, while from this
point on TO aeiZke's, trees are burned down
in vast numbers and crops are demolished.
DEAD AND MISSING.
At Lake Gervais the dead and missing
are:
PETER NIELSEN,
GEORGE J. MILLER,
Rev. DIR. PHAEFLE Of Brennan, Tex.
Mrs. j. Ii. SCHURMEIER,
CHARLIE SCHURMEIER.
The sights about Lake Gervais are awful.
The sites of the Good and Schurmeier cot
tages were marked only by their founda-
tions, while the ground for radius of an
acre or more Is strewn with debris Of all
kinds. Near the cellar of the Schumacher
house lies dTive-wheel with twenty feet
of caSt-iTOn pipe, which was literally torn
from the ground, while on the shore of the
lake fully 100 feet away IS piano which
formerly stood in the parlor of the cottage.
EFFECTS OF THE STORM.
Huge trees, some of them three and half
feet in diameter, have been broken OFF close
TO the ground and scattered about in all di-
rectiOns, chickens without feather left on
them litter the ground. Articles ut wearing
apparel are to be seen sticking III trees and
bushes half mile away.
In swamp near the lake shore are a
number of splinters and boards sticking
bolt upright like field of corn. All along
70 nd hnuGnG
have been more or less damaged. Some
have half the shingles torn oil the roofs,
on other houses the chimneys were blown
down, and others have whole sections of
the buildings carried away.
TEMPORARY HOSPITALS.
Nearly all the houses and hotels in the
vicinity have been turned into temporary
hospitals. At Paul Mellette's residence. at
Little Canada, are Moses MeleCOn, his wife
and three children, all of whom are seri-
ouslY injured, At KOhann's Hotel are
Minnie Meiss and Joseph Bernard. Miss
Mess~is suffering intensely from wound
IN her chest, made by an iron spike. which
was driven almost through her body, and
her recovery is almost impossible.
4 CAMPING PARTY's ESCAPE.
4 camping party was on the southeast
shore 0f Lake GrrYais. They ran from
their tent and sought the shelter Of the
nYerhanging bank just Ia time TO save their
swept into tie iaEe,
number Oi persons were injured nc III
ferent points, and the large list IS being
made up slowly.
J. Schurmeier has recovered sufficiently to
be able TO relate what he knows concerning
the storm. They had noticed the storm
brewing ard as it came upon them, he had
risen to close the window which the storm
had blown open. The next thing he knew
he was twirled about in the air at rapid
rate. On coming to his senses lie found
himself near the edg- OF the lake.
FRENCH SETTLEMENT WRECKED.
Making his way up from the lake he came
across the remains of his son-in-law, G. j.
Miller, and afterward those of Pete, his
coachman. He does not know anything of
those who were in the cottage with him,
after he had risen to close the window.
The storm struck French settlement
half mile north OF Little Canada, COM
pletely demolishing five houses and slightly
iDjuring the occupants. AT Frank Gutzke's
place, ON the east shore Of Lake Gervais,
besides himself and family of four, there
were abOnt twenty visitors who had sought
shelter. The cyclone struck the house and
lifted it bodily from its foundation, but for
turnately no one was injured.
COURSE OF THE STORM.
The storm commenced between Snail and
Turtle lakes, passed over them, and striking
Little Canada, thence to the Schurmeer
and GOOD cottages, across the cottages 10
Gutzke's place, thence in a n0rtheasterly
direction to Farmer Browns place. There
it lifted and disappeared. Its track was
about four miles long and from quarter to
half 4 mile in width.
The bodies of Mrs. Schurmeier ard
Charley, her son, had not been recovered
up tu a late hour tonight 1t is almost GER
tain that they.are at the bottom of the lake,
as search of the debris failed to find any
trace Of them.
FATALLY INJURED.
Tonight it is ascertained that the num-
Der of those who are seriously injured in
the vicinity of Lake Gervais is nine. OF
these Mrs. Lincoln Clarke, Miss Minnie
Meiss, Frank Melancon, Mrs. Melan con,
John Guenther and Simon Good will die.
Mr.. Schurmeier, Mrs. Good and Mrs. HUI
bert Schurmeier, while terribly injured.
will likely recover. Besides these. about
nt In min rai