The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-30
OVER A HUNDRED DEAD.
Minnesota Swept by a Terrible
and Fatal Cyclone.
A Lake Steamer Upset and Scores
of EEcursionists Drowned.


wealti's history.
There is death and destitution on every
hand, and bits of Grape hang from the doors
of hundred homes.
Three distinct tornadoeS passed over Min
nesota during the evening between the hours
of five and half-past nine The first descended
upon Lake GervaiS at five minutes past hive
o'clock, reaching its height at q little clump
of cottages in an amphitheatre at the foot OF
the lake and passing away into Wisconsin.
The second descended upon the quiet village
of Little Canada at quarter to six O'Clock,
wrecking many houses, killing one man anu
injuring many others.
The last and most awful in its result was
that which overlook the excursion steamer
Sea Wing in Lake Pepin an arm of the
Mississippi at two minutes to nine O'Clock,
overturning the little craft aud precipitatlng
its load Of human freight into waters lashed
to fury by the winds.
One huCdred and seventy-eigh excursion
lists were On this boat, and it Is believed that
not less than 110 of them were drowned
The CAV party of excurSioniSts LETT Red
Wing, Diamond Bluff and Trenton for a
trip to Camp Lake View, where the FIRST
Minnesota regiment was taking ten days
outing. The day at the grounds was pleas
antly spent without special incident, and at
y
on the pretty little steamer with barge
attached. As the whistle sounded for the
departure q bark OF black clouds was seen
coming up in tie west. This caused no fear
in the hearts OF the boat hands or the pas
/ SengerS.
,. The steamer put out to the middle of the
Lake ani the bank Of clouds rose higher ana
higher in the heavens. and as the shades OF
night began to gather the heavens soon be-
IL. a. ~ l,rr1,t ,t,,f,f
The wind soon increased to gale aud the
lightning became tiercer and more inceSsant.
The boats crew now began to get uneasy,
and as a huge black cloud was o. served to he
approaching from below and mucr faster
than the upper bank of mountainous thunder
bearers tremor of deep concern was no
ticeab!e in the voice Of Captain etherH,
who wss tie master. The wind now b,gan
to blow q hurricane and hot wave OF air
from the advancing cloud was noslceao!e
The Captain went to the side OF the pilot anu
cautioned him to steer the boat over toward
the Wisconsin shore of the lake.
A moment later and it began to hail, and
stones the size OF eggs were soon falling on
the heads of the now excited and frightened
people.
The Captain was now thoroughly alarmed
and in an excited manner as his trembling
wife and twelve-year-oid boy ran to his side
called out to the pilot to turn the course OF
the boat and run her upon the beach.
The pilot endeavored to put the order into
execution, but it was too late-the hurricane
was upon them. The boat would not answer
her rulder, and the steamer with the barge
became floating raft at the mercy of the
waves, which were running very high and
washing over the lower deck.
A wild rush was made for the several piles
of life preservers, which had been scattered
about the decks previous to the spread OF the
alarm.
The Captain was induced to cut loose the
floating barge. An order was given to put
the women aboard the barge, but in the ex-
citement it were unheede1. The rope was
cut and the barge drifted rapidly away and
grounded. Thirty men and women were
aboard and were saved.
Released from the weight of the barge, the
Sea Wing tossed about like 4 cookie shell, and
her head could not be kept to the wind.
!. Run for the Shore" commanded the Cap
lain. The moment the bow was turned
toward the east the wind caught the
craft anidships and whiried it clear
around. 1t righted and seemed safo,
but even the bowling of the storm was lost
in the wild and despairing shrleks that came
from the doomed passengers. Women clung
to each other and to their children, and the
shrill treble of their cries and lamentations
went ont and mingled with the deep dia-
pason of the wind, that was now blowing
hurricane.
. Men on the upper deck could scarcely hang
on, and two women had their exhausted bold
torn away and were swept off into the boil
ing waters astern. A little lull came, and
The bow of the Sea Wins was lifted
into the air. Tho broadside Of tho
vessel caught the force of the gale, and the
boat was lifted almost bodily out of the
water, turned over, and then dashed down
into the river. The upper works were
smashed to splinters and crushed beneath
above the river. Scores of women and chill
dren sent up last agon zing shrieS
of terror and despair a. they were
hurled into the water, the greater
portion of them being carried underneath by
the suction. The water about the capsized
boat was soon dotted with the heads of tae
stronger swimmers, and in few moments
some twenty-five or more were safely lodged
Oh Une upturned bottom. Those first gaining
the temporary place of safety assisted the 9TH
ers in climbing W the slippery surface, and
in ten minutes all the human beings in sight
of the poor creatures were on tae boat and
adding their efforts to the united cry for help
from the shore.
The fury Of the storm was soon abated,
and Just rs the few remaining ones
were beginning to think there was hope
Of escape from death the boat gave an,
other plunge and again precipitated
them into the water as it turned back
on its side. There was another struggle be-
tween life and death, and a few more lives
were lost before the side OF the boat could be
reached.
1 About midnight band Of rescuers conSre-
gated on Central Point and commenced the
ar F,,n, hn
By 2 o'clock fifty-tvo bolleS were taken out
and placed in 4 long row on the bank of the
lake. All OF the bodies that could be secured
were removed Fl ON the boat, many more
still remaining in the cabin, which could not
be reached until the steamer was towed to
the shore after daylight. The bodies were
Inter on taken on board the steamer
Ethel Howard, and at 3:3) A. NJ,
the. steamer -, started up the lake to
six rows on the lower deck of the boat, and
as the steamer arrived at its destination ut
6:lO A. Il hundreds Of citizens of the ill-fated
city were on the DOCK ready to commence the
work of Identification.
The Sea Wing had on boarl, according to
the best estimates 207 people, including the
crew. 1t is believed eishty-one have been
saved, leaving death list OF l2G, which may
be reduced slightly.
The steamers Lula and Haven, after three
hours work, succeeded in pulling off the
cabin and then the stoutest hearts grew
faint at the scene disclosed. Here a
Young mans body is cold and stiff,
with the form of his sweetheart clasped
close to his heart. A mother with
two children at her bosom foated by next.
Girls and boys, even babies, were locked to-
gether in the rigid embrace of DEATH some
with faces portraying the sad struggle in
which they died, and others with placid
features Nearly fifty bodies were in tho