Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-14
SCORES OF DEAD.
Dreadful Calamity on Lake
Pepin, Minnesota.
AN EXCURSION BOAT ENGULPED
Capsized in Hurricane $50 Men, Wo-
men and Children are Hurried
to Eternity.

The Beautiful Lake Grave for Young
and Oid-Plessure Seeking Turned Into
Terrible Sacrifice of Human Life
Fifty-nine Bodies Given Up by the
Angry Waters-A Fearful Sunday Dis
aster-The Cyclone Ravages the Vicinity
of st. Paul and Brings Death on It's
Wings-Five known to Have Been
Killed at Lake Gervaise-Fourteen
Miles of Havoc to Property.
LAKE CRY, Mimi, July 14-What will
probably prove to be the most disastrous
cyclone that has ever struck this COM
munity passed over this city at o O'Clock
last evening, inflicting loss of life of per-
haps 100 or 200 people, and damaging prop
erty to an extent that at this writing can
not be estimated Your correspondent was
visiting friends in Lake City, and was sit
ting in the yard when what appeared to
be an ordinary electric storm was noticed
coming up from the west. In half an hour
the whole heavens was converted into a
complete canopy of lightning, which was
watched with interest by the nervy citi-
zens of the little village, and with fear by
the tim'd women and children.
The Shock of the Hurricane.
A little before dark terrific wind
struck the community, and your reporter
| sought the shelter of the house just in
time to escape being caught under huge
tree that came crashing down against the
house. Windows were closed instantly,
| upon us, and trees and houses were fast
| being demolished in its path, while my
| wife, in fear and trembling, sought tbs
seclusion and protection of the cellar, il
| company with the ladies of the house
The building proved strong enough tt
weather the blast, and in half an hour the
worst of the hurricane had passed.
An Alarming Report Current.
| As soon as the trees had been cleared
away from the front of the house you
correspondent started out and soon learned
that horrible calamity had befallen tn,
place that has not been equalled since tn,
st. Cloud cyclone several years ago PEG
1 pic began 10 RdtntT III the StFeetS duu IN
| few moments the news was scattered
abroad that an excursion boat, with ovel
90h people on it, was capsized in the mid
die of Lake Pepin. The boat proved to b,
| the steamer Sea Wing, which came down
the lake from Diamond Bluff, a small plac,
| about seventeen miles north of here, OF
an excursion to the encampment of the
| First regiment y. G. S. NJ, which is beins
held mile below this city.
| The Boat Caught in the Storm.
/ The steamer started back on the home
ward trip about O'Clock, and although
there were signs of an approaching storm
1t wasn't considered In any way seriou
and no danger WAS anticipated. The boa
! was crowded to its fullest capacity, abou
$50 men, women and children from Red
wing and Diamond Bluff being on boar,
and about fifty people on a barge whicl
| was attached to the side of the steamer
When about opposite Lake City the boa
began 10 feel the effects of the storm, bu
the officers kept on the way. While tn
| storm increased as the boat continued III
the lake, and in fifteen minutes was at it
height nearing Central Point, about TIVE
miles above Lake City.