Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-07-01
DEATH In THE STORM.
UGLY WORK OF A CYCLONE IN
MINNESOTA.
Half n Dozen Towns Devastated by the
Awful Visitor and More Than Forty
Lives Lost--Iightning Strikes the
Grant Statue at Chicago.

the worst disasters that ever visited
Southern Minnesota occurred between
and 6 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The terrible funnel-shapped tornado
again stallsed abroad over the land and
laid waste scores of happy homes and
sent forty or fifty souls TO eternity.
Every report that comes in Is worse
than preceding ones. The extent of the
country swept by this awful visitation
was greater than ever before known in
the history Of the State, and fortunate
indeed it is no town or village lay in
its destructive course. Starting near
Jackson, on the Southern Minnesota
division of the Chicago Milwaukee &
| st. Paul railroad, funnel shaped clouds
swept eastward.
| 1t is reported that railroad train
has been hurled from the track and
| 100 people killed.
About $3.50 q. m. wind sprung up
and off to the west n circling black
cloud was seen rapidly advancing and
demolishing everything in its course.
1t raised two miles northwest of Sher-
burnc, and it is reported that it then
struck district school house, in which
were the tef cher and eighteen schol-
ars. The building was demolished
and the teacher and fifteen scholars
killed
At Easton three buildings were de-
stroycd and several people injured.
Linden was visited and many houses
were torn from their foundations One
family, consisting of man, his wife
and child, were killed and others in
jurcd. A large grove of trees was
completely uprooted. The storm passed
on eastward, destroying farm houses,
barns and in fact everything in it's
path.
Four miles south of Minnesota lake
five farm houses and other buildings
were caught in the storm and
utterly demolished. Four people
were killed here. The body of one
of these, John Brown, was taken to
Minnesota lake this morning. His
wife, hired man, and a school teacher
were also injured. Section men suf-
fered severe injuries. Much damage
was done south of Wells, and it is re-
ported that forty TO fifty were killed
south and west of that village.
As most of the damage was done in
the country reports are slow coming
in, but what has been already heard is
enough to insure the belief that it was
the worst storm ever reported in South
ern Minnesota. 1t is expected that
later reports will increase rather than
diminish the extent of the damage done,
as well as the loss of life and the per-
sonnl injuries
Many heart-rending scenes occurred
during the night. The log house of
Bohemian family at Bowen Mills, near
Minnesota lake, was blown entirely
away, not one log remaining.
The family, consisting of n man,
wife, and six children, spent the
shelter from the elements. They hud-
died together upon a heap of straw and
with n piece of sheet eDdeavored to
ward off the cold wind and never-ceas.
ing rain tuat chilled them to the skin
1t is impossible at present to get list
of those killed or wounded Probably
not less than hundred were wounded
and as they were mostly in the country,
distant from medical aid, their suffer-
ings were terrible. All along the Chi
cago, Milwaukee & St Paul Railroad,
from Jackson to Minnesota Lake, the
scene is one of devastation. Not every
house is taken, but SO many are de-
stroyed that the scene is pitiful.
The cyclone passed on northeast
ward and was lost track of. When the
deadly cloud dipped to earth it wrecked
houses and broke into family circles
The country dcvasted is one of the
most prosperous sections of the State
and the houses were thiclxly dotted
over the prairics. Scores of those
houses were destroyed and it is
estimated the loss of life will
foot up to from thirty to fifty. The
devastated territory was yesterday
covered with a flood of water, and
through deep mud, on horseback and
in wagons, hundreds of people
searched for some trace of their homes.
some wind-tossed souvenir of their lost
possessions, or for the faces of missing
friends. But meager reports have
come in and it may be two or three
days before the full sum of the disas.
tor is known