Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1890-07-18
Death To A HUNDRED.
A Crowded Excursion Boat on
Lake Pepin Overturned
by the Wind.
One Hundred and Fifty Human
Beings Precipitated Into
the Water,
And Only Fifty-one of That Number
Accounted for-The Others Un-
doubtedly Drowned.
Seventy-five Bodies Have Been Recovered So
Far--Some Of the Horrible Details Of
the Disaster.

LAKE CITY, Minn., July 14.-The most
disastrous cyclone that has ever struck
this community passed over this city at
9p. m, Sunday, infiicting the loss of life
Of probably 100 or $50 people and dam
aging property to an extent that at this
writirT cannot be estimated. About
dark terrific wind struck the city. Trees
crashed against houses and missiles were
flying through the air. The worst of
the storm was over in half an hour, and
soon after it was learned that
A Horrible Calamity
had befallen the community that has
not been equalled since the cyclone at
st. Cloud some years since.
People began to gather on the streets
and in few moments the news was
scattered abroad that an excursion boat
With Over 200 People on Board
was capsized in the middle of Lake
Pepin. The beat proved to be the
steamer Sea Wing, which came down
the lake from Diamond Bluff, small
place about seventeen miles north of
here, on an excursion to the encamp-
ment of the First regiment, n. G. S. NJ,
A barge was attached to the side
of the steamer. When about opposite
Lake City the boat began to feel the eff
fects of the storm. But the officers kept
on their way. The storm increased as
the boat continued up the lake, and in
fifteen minutes was at his height.
Nearing Central Point, about two
miles above Lake City, the steamer was
At the Mercy of the Waves.
which were now washing over the boat
and all was confusion. The boat mo-
mentarily ran onto bar and the barge
was cut loose, and the steamer again set
adrift in the lake. A number of those
on the barge jumped and swan ashore.
As the barge also foated again into the
deep water, those on the barge saw the
steamer as it was carried helpiessly out
into the middle of the lake, and as they
were being tossed about on the raging
waters. they were Mortified moment
later to observe the steamer capsize and
its cargo of $50 people
Precipitated Into the Lake.
Those on the barge remained there
until they were drifted nearer the shore,
and they were all rescued or swan
ashore. There were about fifty in all on
the barge. The boat turned bottom
upwards, and only about twenty
five people were observed to be floating
on the surface These caught hold Of
the boat and climbed up on the upturned
bottom, those first securing position
assisting the others. Soon the storm
began to iabate, and in half an hour
lights were observed fitting about the
pier at Lake City, opposite which point
the upturned steamer had been driven
before help could reach them. How
ever, the poor creatures who yet re-
mained to tell the horrors of the night
were again submitted to another battle
with the elements. With no word OF
warning, and as they were just begin
ming to hope that they would be taken
off by the citizens of Lake City,
The Boat Again Turned Over.
this time on it's side, and again all OF
the twenty-five remaining souls were
hurled into the water. Of these several
were drowned before they could be
brought to the boat by those who sue
ceeded in remaining afoat and again
acquiring hold on the boats side.
The Death List.
Following are the drowned as far as
reported: Mrs. w. s. Blaker, Cena
Blaker, Kate Burkhardt, Minnie Fisher.
Annie Snider. Fred Hottoman. Anna
Way, Charles Dinslage, Kate Daley,
Phoebe Bearson, Cord johnson, George
w. Nelson. Flora Smith, Mrs. f.
Hemftling, Miss Siebrasse, John Schoef-
fer. two children of John Schoeffier,
o. A. Anderson, Wilmot, S. D.; Peter
Gerken, Melissa Ann Harrison, II.
Hempftling, Myrtle Nero, Thomas Lee
son, Pearl Wethern, Emma NelsN Miss
Ida Green, Mrs. Ole Nelson,
Anna Staiger, frankie Staiger,
Edith Seavers, Mabel Bolten, Mrs. Ed
Larson, Hattie Scherf, Mender Gerkin,
Millie Niles, Mary Olson, Mrs. Sophia
Schulenberg. Johanna Humpert, FL.
Rehder's son, Mamie Adams, Lizzie