The Red Cloud chief., 1892-06-24
DEADLY TORNADO.
Southern Minnesota Meets With
Destruction.
Many Lives Lost In the storm-A school
Teacher and Fifteen Pupils Perish
Great Damage Also Caused
by Floods.

MANKATo, Mimi. June IA school
teacher and fifteen pupils dead near
S~herburnc, q score or more of persons
dead or dying at other points, and a
vast amount of damage done through-
out the region about this city tells in
brief the story of a tornado which swept
over this section yesterday afternoon.
Every report that comes in Is worse
than the preceding one. The extent of
tho country swept by this storm was
greater than ever before known II the
history of the state.
Starting neal Jackson, on the South
ern Minnesota road, u funnel shaped
cloud swept eastward and passed four
miles south of Minnesota lake, then
took a broad circuit to the south
and passed away south of Wells. Con-
siderable rain had followed during the
afternoon and about 3 o'clock the at
mosphere became almost suffocating.
Curious shaped clouds began over the
southwest and people gazed in wonder
Mt the sight. About $3.50 the wind
sprung up and off to the west a rapidly
circling black cloud was seen rapidly
advancing and tearing asunder every
thing in its course.
The tornado passed two miles north
west of Sherburne and struck the dis
trict schoolhouse, in which were the
teacher and eighteen school children.
The building was demolished and the
teacher and fifteen scholars killed.
AT Easton three buildings were de-
stroyed and several people were injured.
ItnIpn ,v,as .,;s,x,l ,rI ,-n~,, -,.,,
were torn from their foundations. One
family, composed of a man. his wife and
child, were killed and others injured.
A large grove of trees were completely
uprootcd.
The storm passed on eastward, de-
stroying farm houses, barns and in fact
everything in its path. At Wells side
walks were overturned, store fronts
blown in and>other damage done. Sew
eral men were blown down by the force
of the wind.
Four miles south of Minnesota lake
five farm houses and their buildings
were caught in the storm and utterly
demolished and four people were killed.
The body Of one Of t~hese-John Brown
taken to Minnesota lake this
morning. His wife, a hired man and u
school teacher were also injured. Sec
ton men suffered severe injuries.
Much damage was done south Of
Wells, and it is reported that forty to
fifty were killed south and west of that
village. AS most of the damage was
done in h country, reports are slow in
coming in, but what has been already
heard is enough to insure belief that 1t
was the worst storm ever reported in
southern Minnesota.
1t is reported that later reports will
increase rather than diminish the ex-
tent Of the damage done, as we'll a the
loss of life and personal injuries.
At Rochester at 8 o'clock yesterday
afternoon a terrific hail, rain and cleo
trio storm broke and continued for six
hours. Rain fell in sheets and the sur
rounding country Is inundated. The
Zumbro river is u raging torrent full of
debris. Night trains on the Winona &
st. Peter road were suspended. The
track is washed out and water four
feet deep on the track in some places.
The trestle half q mile west Of Roches-
ter was washed away and traffic is at u
Ten are reported killed in the neigh
borhood of Maplcton, and twenty in
jured. The cyclone passed four miles
south of Mapleton, and that village suf-
fered little loss. The northwest corner
of Freedom county was in the path OF
the storm, and considerable damage to
property and crops was done there,
while.severa fatalities are reported
Two inches Of rain fell in Faribault
county within less than twenty-four
hours. and several bad washouts are re-
ported.
Probably the worst damage in tho
state by the storm outside the actual
cyclone district, was ut Spring Valley,
where the rain caused q bad flood.
The whole town was flooded.
Houses, bridges, sidewalks and
everything near the river were washed
away. The damage is estimated at
from S25, 900 to 10000. Cummings ~
Taylor, lumber dealers, are heavy
losers. Mrs. Taylor's millinery estab.
lishmcnt suffered, as also did the resi-
dence Of Mr.. Tomb, both buildings
being washed away. Considerable stock
was drowned.