Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-18
WORK 0 THE WIND
A Terrific Storm Sweeps Over
West Superior, Wisconsin.
A Hotel in the Course of Con-
struction Blown Down.

Number of WOrkmen and Others who
Sought Refuge Therein from the Ele-
ments, Either Crushed to Death a.
More or Less Injured-Exclting Scenes
During the Work of Rescue.
WEST SUPERIOR, Wis, July 19.-A
wind storm of terrific violence swept
over West Superior Thursday carrying
death and destruction in its path. The
wind was accompanied by pouring rain.
The air was heavily charged with cleo
tricity The storm lasted only about
thirty minutes, but during that period
many thousands of dollars of damage
was done, besides the taking of at least
five lives. and the visiting of terrific in
juries upon many parties.
Hotel Blown Drown.
During the progress of the storm the
new large four-story frame hotel Mt
Third street, near Lamborn avenue, was
blown down, and the cry went up from
hundred excited individuals that the
many people were buried in the ruins.
Hundreds tlocked to the scene of the dis
aster. Meantime the rain was falling in
torrents, lightning flashing and thunder
crashing ike artillery. The building is
a complete wreck. In spite of the pour
ing rain the visitors at the scene rushed
in and assisted the firemen in the rescue.
A Scene of Great Excitement.
A scene of intense excitement reigned.
Men worked with desperation, and many
a good suit of clothing was gladly sacri-
feed to the work of rescue. 1t was pitt
ful, too. Women ran about regardless
of rain and mud, wringing their hands
and crying, filled with the terrible fear
that their husbands or brothers had been
buried in the ruins
Where Are the Others?
An eyewitness of the disaster says he
saw a crew of workmen run into the
building to seek shelter from the storm
He thinks fully thirty or forty men
must have been inside. They were dis
tributed over all the floors. 1t appears
that the men ON the third floor took
warning first, and five were seen to
jump, and get away in safety.
The Victims.
Up to late hour Thursday night
the following dead had been recovered:
John Laur, married, aged 36.
Charles Lucius, single, "a.
Herman Paussey, single, 26.
Unknown man about thirty five.
John Schofield, died from injuries re-
ceived in back and broken limbs.
Among the more seriously injured
are:
John Brown, with broken legs
John Long, with internal injuries. It
is thought he will die.
W;l1fn,,, Cn,v,,,1a IL
others, were injured more or less seri
ously.
The assistant chief of the fire depart
ment sustained broken leg during the
work of rescue. While a rope was
on mass of broken frame
work, the cribwork to which it was at
tached parted and struck him.
Another Account.
When the storm came up Boss Car
penter Goss called to the men who
were working on the three-story build
ing at Third street and Lamborn avenue,
to get out of the building, and twelve of
them jumped from the windows.
AT the same moment number of pass |
ers-by ran into the structure to escape
the storm. AS they entered the building,
without an instants tremor or warning, |
collapsed, burying seventeen men. The |
structure did not move foot from its |
1t simply fattened out as
though by terrible blow from above. |
Three timers ON the roof remained where |
they were and escaped serious injury. |
Hundreds saw the catastrophe, and the |
work ofrescue began at once. The ruins |
stood not six feet above the ground, |
and the roof seemed to cover the whole, |
greatly retarding the work of rescue.
The building was flimsy affair, in
tended for ahotel, with eighty rooms, and |
much feeling is manifested against Con |
tractor Goss and Proprietor Badocker on
account of the evident unsafety of the
structure. The escape of all the car
penters is pointed to as proving their
of its condition. In addition |
to the list of killed, five others are mn
accounted for, and are believed to have
been killed.
Much Other Damage.
This disaster was the central feature,
but much damage was done in all direc-
tions. The steel hosting and conveying
employed by the Silver Creek
and Morris Coal companies was badly
damaged. How much cannot be ascer-
tanned at present. but it will be very
costly and delay the handling of coal
from vessels. Experts have been tele-
graph for to come on from Cleveland at
once to repair the damage.
A large frame building was blown
down at the corner of Third and Lower
streets, South Superior, and The Steel
Plant reports number of buildings lev
eled, but no casualties. The wind played
havoc with the Unitarian church, Union
depot and other buildings, but no seri-
Ous fires resulted. Had one broken out
it would have found the city practically
helpless. There are no reports of disas-
ter ON the lake or harbor.
AT DULUTH.