Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-07-18
A TERRIBLE TORNADO:
Fargo, n. d., Devastated and
Hundred Miles Laid Waste.
Seven Little Children Killed in
One Household.

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A few minutes after two o'clock in the
morning a tornado swept over a section OF
North Dakota and West Minnesota,
making path fifty miles wide. The
force of the storm was first felt
at Dalrymple, CasselUon and Wheatland.
small stations on the Northern Pacific
line, twenty TO THU ty miles west of Fargo
North Dakota. The wind did considers Die
damage at Mapleton, Fargo and Moorehead.
and spent itself on the prairies OF Minnesota
near GlyndOn and MuskOda.
The track of the storm marked bv un-
rooted depots and elevators, the destruction
of small wooden buildings and the complete
paralysis of the telegraph service for fifty
miles east and west and twenty miles north
and south of Fargo. Several people were in
jured, some of them fatally.
In Fargo the storm levelled the electric
light towers, demolished the Manitoba
freight depot and unroofed a number of
business houses. Davies block, on Broad
way. was damaged by the windows being
blown in. The tower at the Northern
Pacific crossing was wrecked. The
front of the Opera House presents
dilapidated appearance. The roof of the
Republican Office lies in a vacant lot ada
cent to that building. The Keeney block
suffered badly, the roof being carried away,
II
Garfield blocks and the Milwaukee freight
depot. The Congregational Church is
destroyed. Dozens of smaller buildings are
wrecked.
The most fearful result of the storm oc-
Cured at the residence Of the late Captain
Mccarthy, in the northeastern part of tire
city of Fargo. The house. containing Mrs.
Mccarthy and seven of her children, was
borne from its foundation and moved dis
lance of four feet and then thrown upon the
ground. This was all that was needed to
take the lives of the seven children and
cause severe injury to the mother.
Passenger train No. l, on the Northern
Pacific going west, had just pulled out
of the yards and had stopped at the
Milwaukee crossing. The train was made
up OF three baggage, nine coaches and
sleeping cars a party OF Chicago and
Northwestern officials in a private car All OF
the coaches and the tender were blown
from the track, but no lives were lost. The
lights had been put out, so that there was no
fire or steam Superintendent McCabe and
the conductor, brakemen and porters acted
very coolly and calmed the frightened pas
sengers, who were sent back to the city IN
special coaches.
The desolation and utter ruin is complete
and sadder or more distressing scene
could not be imagined. The force of the
tornado must have been beyond cal
culation when the evidences Of its
immense power are shown on
every hand. The powerful wind played many
a wild and fantastic freak with the heavy
obstacles which offered resistance TO its will,
and dozens upon dozens of heavily-laden
freight cars were overturned, some upon
the left and some upon the right. The
debris of the buildings covers the lots and
the streets, and so thoroughly did the hur-
ricane perform it's work Of annihilatio1: and
destruction that the houses are fat on the
ground and the contents and materials of
Construction scattered in every direction.
From Fargo the tornado swept straight
across The prairie, scattering nifty or more
small frame houses like SO many feathers.
In most cases there was nothing left to mark
the site of dwellings but the cellars. The
prairies were strewn with timbers, furnl-
ture and clothing.
The cars of train on the Fargo and South
western were blown from the track at Butts
VILE but the passengers suffered only a rev
scratches.
The elevator at Edmunds was struck by
lightning and burned. An elevator at Dial
rymple was demolished and the roof was
blown off the depot at Mapleton.
During the prevalence of the storm, though
it was after 2 o'clock A. M, the temperature
was ninety-twO degrees
News from Fargo was carried forty miles
on hand car, and reached st. Paul, Mimi,
via Winnipeg.
At Mapleton and GAINESVILLE the storm
was equally severe, dozens Of buildings being
WT6CkSu.
The storm extended over Northern Min
nesota, and was slightly felt at Detroit
Mimi where it demolished the plate glass
front Of the Record office and overturned
few small buildings, and one house was
struck by lightning and burned.
Fargo lays claim to 1O,O0O inhabitants. 1t
is situated on the Red River of the North just
across the river from Moorhead, Mimi, and
in the centre of the most fertile wheat region
Of the Mississippi Valley. The celebrated Bo-
nanza farms, eight in number and from 1000 to
80, 600 acres in extent, producing an average
of twenty bushels of red winter wheat, the
finest in the world, to the acre, are situated
in Cas- County to the north, south and
west of Fargo Since they were
first put under cultivation. about 1870,
the whole fertile district about Fargo, ex-
tending forty miles westward and twenty
miles eastward of the river, and embracing
10000 square miles, have been settled and
cultivated Fargo is the distributing point
for that region.