St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-14
OBSERVATIONS
Noted by Survivors and Visitors at
Lake GervaiS.

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Lake Gervais.
j. W. Terrell, of st. Paul, had very
lively experience. He was one of the
driving party caught near the Schur-
meier house, and had narrow escape
There were four in the carriage, in
Guiding two ladies and Terrell, who
had seen a cyclone in Dakota, year
the note Of warning. The party turried
down and took shelter under the banks
but Bennett was caught by falling
tree and knocked SenSeleSS, recovering
after the danger had passed.
1t was reported that j. j. Ahern had
been killed. but he turned up afterward
alive and well.
About $50 O'Clock panic was created
by the report that steamer with $50
people on board had gone down In White
Bear. A crowd besieged the union
depot until the arrival of the first train
disproved the story.
The confusion in the reports in regard
to Kohlman's lake and Lake Gervais,
arose from the fact that it is really Ger
vaiS, and the KOhlman's comes from the
hotel.
One of the best of views of the funnel
cloud was obtained from the ball
ground, where it divided attention with
the game.
Word from Minneapolis at 10 o'clock
last night was to the effect first that
half of ST. Paul had been destroyed, and
second that fifty people had been
drowned in Lake Pepin.
1t was singalariy fatal that the storm
occurred on Sunday. On any other day
the lake would have been practically
deserted.
The storm demolished the telephone
system just at the time anxious people
wanted information from the scene of
the disaster. oe
j. G. Woodruff says he saw boat.
with an anchor twenty pounds in
weight, blown twenty feet up the lake
side and at once blown back into the
water.
Just the fringe of the storm struck
| Gladstone, and, although no very Sc
riouS damage was done there, the in
habitants were badly frightened by the
force of the wind, which took up every
thing loose and carried boards, hen
| coopS and other bric-a-brac quarter of a
mile high.
| White Bear was visited by the storm.
although its severity at that point was
nothing as compared with that in the
direct route of the storm. A terrific
hail storm added nto the confusion, and
| at one time the wind blew with such
in serious danger of being carried
away. Terrific thunder elaps and
| flashes of lightning made the situation
more alarming, but no serious casualty
| is reported.
Among the rumOrS current last night
was one to the effect that North st.
Paul had been visited by the storm.
Investigation showed that there had
| been considerable wind and lightning
but no serious damage. The North st.
Paul furniture factory was struck by
lightning. starting small blaze, which
was quickly extinguished with but
slight damage. A watchdog in the
building was instantly killed and lit
| tie girl near by was knocked senseless
from the shock. Barns and small out
buildings were turned over, and build
ing at the end of the East Seventh
cable line had the corniee torn away.
The elements eithef absorbed the
missing cows. $50 chickens, IS ducks,
dogs and deer, of which no trace can
be found except tufts of hair and torn
| pieces of cow hide and pett, or those
animals were blown great distance.
A mud-bedraggled coat was found one
mile west OF the scene, and mattresses
and horse collars, mashed silverware
and fragments of carpet were found
along the lake shore for mile north of
| the disaster.
There was not a boat to be seen on tn e
lake after the terrible messenger had
passed, and the row boats moored to the
docks were leaning against tree stumps
In the woods, block from shore.
Ten acres sown with splenters now
presents itself where three cottages
stood. surrounded by lawns, gardens,
driveways and summer houses.
| The people living in the vicinity of
the dreadful catastrophe say that never
before did they behold such a magnif-
Gently ilIumined sky as revealed itself
Immediately after the storm ceased.
r. The value of the articles strewn for
tamile around will be a great temptation
for an army of leIic hunters, and the
vigilance of the police will be taxed to
lgits utmost to preserve the priceless
fotreasures of such extensive households.