The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-21
BLACK CLOUD IN mINSEAPoLIs.
Graphic Description Of the Tornado a.
1t Was Photographed.

Minneapolis Tribune.
The cyclone was viewed by company OF
gentlemen from the Hotel Clinton, Fourth
avenue south and Grant street, much after
the fashion generals have sometimes
adopted of watching a battle from Some
prominent elevation out OF harms way.
They had accessories In the way OF
fed glass ami a camera, and when the
twirer was at its closest point to Mime
a oils photograph was taken OF IT, Whicn
will be ready to be shown this morning
The observation was almost by chance
The suitriness OF the weather during the
forenoon and early afternoon suggested
the possibility of a eve one, and when at
about O'Clock the heavy and dark
rain clouds began to gather to the
north of the CITY and storm seemed
impending, j. T. Hogle, of the Hartford
Lie and Annuity Company, VINO lives with
his family at the Clinton. and + Z. CTabbe,
OF Haze Thomas & Co.. who lives at the
same place, togf Their with several Others.
went 10 a north third story window out OF
curiosity TO see what would be the result.
They had not very long to wait. The
storm cloud back of the heavy black rim
which encircled its front was OF sickly,
copperish hue. and in its center an unusual
commo.ion manifested ITSELF TIE eastern
edge of the cioud was on the horizon at
trct from them, and the western edge over
the center of the high school building, the
center, in the customary seml-circular
form, being well advanced toward Mime
apoiis.
A mass of small black clouds gathered
on the face of the storm-cloud and as they
gathered it could be seen there was great
atmospheric disturbance. They rolled and
tumbled one over another and occasionally
the entire mass would suddenly and swiftly
drop toward the earth. but, recovering IT.
self In moment, regain its place in mid
air. Up to this time there had been ne
funnel formation, Snc nothing 10 suggest
that cyclone was at hand. About i've
minutes after 4 O'Clock, Mr.. Hogie thinks.
the black mass was suddenly elongated
and came 20 the ground in the neighbour
hood of tn stockyards. Ii was located,
from where the gentlemen were standing
in the hotel, immediately over the
top of the Central High school
tower. The funnel was perfect and
the rapid wnirling motion was distinctly
visible. From the main body black clouds
were continually shooting out and then re-
firing, and in addition to the rotation there
was a movement of air up and down on
the edge of the cyclone, which carried with
it the small clouds that had been thrown
off from the storm center.
The point of the funnel did not remain
than minute or TWO. Then it suddenly
drew itself up until there was only the
heavy mass of angry dark clouds. These,
too, almost entirely disappeared. and the
gentlemen, who had by this time got to
the roof of the Hotel Clifton, thought
they had seen the last of them. Not 50,
however.
In about five minutes they saw the fun
mel forming again, this time nearer to Min
neapoiis and at a point in the sky between
the new buildings of the Northwestern
Guaranty Loan Company and the New
York Life Insurance Company, from
where they we're standing. 1t repeated
itself this time. forming gradually in the
air, amid great commotion and dropping
to the earth, where it remained but for
moment, as before. When the funnel
scattered the second time it did not APP
pear for perhaps ten or twelve minutes.
Al about Ills p. NJ. the clouds were seen
coming together again, this time over the
top of the b elevator of the Milwaukee
road. below the Milwaukee depot All
the time, Mr.. Hosle says, the storm was
from ten to fifteen miles from Minneapo-
| lis AS near as be can estimate, and gradu-
| ally drawing nearer to the city. 1t moved
rapidly eastward and slightly southwark,
| covering the distance between the point
| where it was first noticed and the point
| over the top of the elevator, which marked
the scene OF the fatality in 81. Paul, in
about twenty-five minutes. The distance
| could not have been less than forty miles.
1 he third formation was more porIen-
tous by far than either of the preceding
| ones, in the ratio of fully nifty to one, and
| as the funnel dropped 10 the ground for the
| third time II was an imposing sight Its
top was apparently more than a mile in
! circumference, and it tapered gradually
| from this TO the smallest possible proper
| tons at the lower end. Says Mr.. Hogle:
This time We could ali see that the effects
would be terrible. The cyclone remained
! on the ground fully ten minutes, increas-
| ing in size and velocity all the while, and
| moving exceedingly slow. In ten minutes
| it DID. not move over a distance greater
| than half the length OF the big b elevator,
as We saw it. This PROBABLY meant several
miles. AT times it seemed almost station
airy. and when at last it lifted itself and
| finally disappeared it was :35 O'Clock
caught a good photograph OF it while it
was at its height. and have in the PHOTO
| graph fash of lightning that went across
| the face OF tie CIV clone just at this time"