Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-07-25
The Minne.otn Cyclone.


there burst upon this region one of the
severest storms known in its history
and loss of life probably greater than
any part of the northwest.
Sixty eight bodies had been recov-
cred and identified when the search
was discontinued at dark tonight.
How many more were lost is matter
of uncertainty.
The excursion steamer Sea King of
Diamond Bluff had carried n party of
two hundred or more excursionists to
the camp of the First regiment of the
Minnesota National Guard, Just below
the city. When the day was coming
to close Captain Weatheren prepared
| TO return the boatload to their homes.
Many of them feared the approaching
storm and asked that he postpone the
boats departure until the storm had
blown over Thinking the storm
would not prove serious, he would not
consent, but about o'clock started off
up the lake toward Red Wing, nearly
two hundred passengers being on
board. The wind was blowing u
gale. A point of land runs out
from the Minnesota shore just above this
place across from which is known as
Maiden Rock. TO pass around this
point it is necessary for a steamer to
turn slightly toward the Wisconsin
shore, and Immediately the hurricane
seized hold of the already struggling
and cracking vessel and twisted it out
of the control of her engines and
crew. An attempt was made TO beach
! her. but failed. and over she went
with her great load of passengers
The barge, Jim Grant, which was in
tow and on which about one-quarter
of the eXcursionists had crowded, was
also seized, her awning being crushed
In and the passengers thrown into the
water. This happened just below the
point, and as the helpless hulks drifted
before the gale the steamer righted
herself for Il moment, but in another
moment was keeled over. The barge
broke loose and drifted down oppo-
site the town and those still on board,
about 20 in number, were rescued. The
steamer drifted in back of the point
and sank. Many were saved, however,
and the heroism of number of res
cders cannot be too highly praised.
Corporal r. l.. Perry compelled the
spectators to assist him and saved the
lives of 10 of those who were still
clinging to the wreck. Others there
were like him, and over 60 were res
cued from what seemed certain death.
Small boats cruised around for sew
eral hours and picked up some three
score OF the still living unfortunates.
Sad experiences were many. Parents
who had children missing and other
people looking for friends and relatives
ran up and down the beach all night
and to-day inquiring if any more bodies
had been recovered and for the names
of the identified dead. The anguish of
the many parents whose children had
been ruthlessly torn from them by the
awful calamity cannot be portrayed.
BY 2 o'clock yesterday morning fifty
bodies had been recovered, identified
and sent to Red Wing. BY 8 o'clock
eight more had taken the same mourn
full journey and at 3 o'clock this after
noon seven others were added to the
gruesome number.
Captain Withem, proprietor and
commander of the Sea King, has been
severely blamed by citizens and others
for what they allege to have been Grim
inal negligence on his part in pulling
out into the lake with such a crowd
when the sky looked so threatening.
The captains wife and two of his three
children lost their lives under the
waves, and that fact, together with the
loss of his vessel and the great loss of
life, unneryed him so that he kept
pretty much out of sight during the
day, and those who did see him got but
imperfect statements from him. First
he did not consider the danger very
great, and thought he saw a break
in the clouds, promising a clearing
away of the storm. This is not
well taken by the people in this neigh
borhood, who say the sky was black
with the most threatening kind of
clouds and it was clear that very
heavy storm was about to break.
The other excuse, IL such these may be
called, is that the manager of the ex-
cursion, whose profits would be cut
down by any delay in the departure of
the boat, was SO urgent in his insist
ance upon an immediate departure that
the captain yielded and took the boat
out to her destruction.
Many incidents of the awful night
are being related. James Webb of |
Red Wing and young lady compan-
ion had just iokingly finished fastening
life preservers to each when the storm /
struck and the joke proved their saliva
ton, for both were saved.
The sights about Lake Gervais are
awful. The sites of the Good and I
Schumacher cottages were marked on
ly by their foundations, while the
ground for radius of an acre or
more is strewn with debris of all
kinds. Near the cellar of the Schur-
meier house lies a drivewell with 30
feet of castiron pipe, which was liter
ally torn from the ground. while on
the shores of the lake, fully 100 feet
away, is a piano which formerly stood
in the parlor of the cottage. Huge
trees, some 81 feet in diameter, were
broken off close to the ground and are
scattered about in all directions. Chick
ems without feather on them litter
the ground, and articles of wearing an
parel are to be seen sticking in trees
and bushes half n mile away. In
swamp near the lake shore are a num-
Der OF splinters and boards sticking
lob Q