Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-04-02
STREWN WITH RUIN.
Death and Devastation Marks the
Cyclones Path in Louisville.
6eventy-Fivo Persons Killed Outright
and Hundreds of Others Wounded
The Loss to Property Is Esti-
mated at 02,OOO,OOO.
THE DISASTER AT LOUISVILLE

| Ihe LOSS 20 Property Is ESti-
! mated at S2,OOO,O0O.
TIE DISASTER AT LOUISVILLE.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 29.-A cy-
clone struck Louisville at 1870 o'clock
Thursday evening. It entered the
southeastern portion of the city at
Eighteenth street and swept path
Ave blocks wide diagonally, reaching in
o ragged line to Seventh street, demol-
ishing hundreds of buildings. 1t is now
pretty definitely known that seventy
five persons were killed and a great
many others-over a hundred-injured.
The property loss is estimated at 81, 0O0.-
0O0
Probably the greatest loss Of life oc-
Cured at the Falls City hall, which was
in the center of the tornado. In the
lower rooms of the hall were fifty or
seventy-fve children, with their mothers
and other relatives, taking dancing
lessons. There were at least 1875
persons on the lower floors, and
seventy-fve more attending lodge
meeting on the upper floor when
the terrible wind swooped down on the
building. The entire structure in less
than five minutes was sbapeless mass
of brick and mortar, burying 200 help
less victims, of which number few
escaped uniniured.
Crushed and blackened ruins marked
the spot where stood the splendid, large
Union depot, at Seventh street and the
river. When the crash came Louis
Vile Southern train had just come in
and another was ready to pull out, but
both were caught by the falling mass
and both were crushed into shells.
The Understand man, William Geisel,
was instantly killed by the falling tim
bers and six other persons were injured,
but none fatally. Owing to the speedy
! removal of the bodies last night the
names of the injured could not be
learned, but some passengers are
thought to be among the number.
The following official statement has
been promulgated by the committee on
relief organized at Fridays session of
the Board of Trade.
40 the Jtople: The calamity that has over
taken the city Of Louisville by the cyclone OF
Thursday night about o'clock spread over
territory of our city covering space OF
ground about 400 yards wide and three miles
in length through the business and residence
portions of our city. The loss OF LIE is in the
nciyhborhood, it is believed OF seventy-llve per-
sons, and the loss to the city by the calamity in
! damage to houses and goods, Is believed not to
| exceed 100000. While the calamity is q
great one, our citizens feel able to cope with it
and are not cast down, but will at once proceed
to repair and resume in the channels now in
business is resvming its usual channels.
RELIEF COMMITTEE BOARD OF TRADE,
by William T. Rolfe, Chairman
The boundaries of the districts swept
by the hurricane, as nearly as may be
described by streets, are as follows:
Coming from the southwest, the wind be-
gan its destruction at Broadway, sweep
ing round between Fifteenth and Six
tenth. Thence northeasterly, diagonal
| ly to Chestnut. On Chestnut the dam
age is between Sixteenth and Four
teenth; on Walnut, between Fourteenth
and Twelfth; on Green, between Twelfth
and Tenth; on Jefferson, between
Eleventh and Ninth; on Market, be-
! tween Eleventh and Tenth; on Maine,
from Eleventh to the Louisville Hotel
in the middle of the square, between
Sixth and Seventh. Between Sixth
and Eleventh the hurricane swept to
the river and then leaped to Jefferson
Vile.
Three lives were lost at the corner of
Eighteenth and Maple streets. The
killed were John Werrick, aged 40, his
daughter, aged years. and James
Fitzgerald. neighbor. Werrick kept
grocery at that corner, and at the time
of the accident there were in the store
the proprietor, his wife, little daughter
frame one two stories high.
Ten women, locked in each others
arms, were drawn out of the debris, all
dead but one. Mr.. James Hassen, whose
wife had been at the lodge meeting, was
! foremost in the work, and the first per-
son whom he drew out of the ruined
building was his wife, who died in his
arms He laid her by the side of the
others who were dead and continued to
work for the living. Inside of the next
hour thirty men and women were drawn
out dead, but with no wounds on their
bodies. and it is thought all met their
death from suffocation.
At 10 o'clock the opening-up Of por-
ton of the debris of the Falls City hall
caused a draught to penetrate the ruins.
whereupon the smoldering fire broke
out with tremendous fierceness. It
spread rapidly and forced the workers
to desert the pile. AS soon as the fire
gained Roadway, the groans of the
imprisoned people became shrieks, and
so great was the horror of the moment
that the watchers were frantic and
screamed and ran about like wild; the
terrible sufferings which they were I'M
able to alleviate driving them to de-
spair. Several lines of hose were soon
throwing water on the flames, but
it was more than an hour before the
work could be proceeded with; and then
it was carried on with much more diff
Guilty than before, on account of the
heat. Up to 10 o'clock only about thir-
ty-fve dead bodies and twenty-five
wounded and dying had been taken
from the wreck.
Fire broke out in the ruins on Seventh
street and man, his wife and little
girl. were seen wedged under the
debris. and. although they shrieked for
aid, and the spec Iators made herculean