Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-09-26
SWEPT BY WIND AND FIRE.
Many Buildings in Leroy Destroyed and
Two Persons Killed.

many IN Leroy DestrOyeO anu
Two Persons Killed.
Austin, Mimi, Sept. 22.-At 1880 last
evening the village of Leroy was visited
by mighty wind storm developing genu-
inc cyclonic features. A portion of the
business section of the village was totally
wrecked. The tempest swept up from
the southeast in q northeasterly direction.
Houses, elevators and store buildings
were as the chaff on a threShing machine
before its resistless power. The loss of
life is small owing to the fact that the
residence portion was largely spared, but
barns were blown away, cattle killed and
shade trees uprooted, and the scene this
morning is one of wreck and ruin. The
revolving cloud first struck the Chicago,
Milwaukee u ST. Paul depot entirely de-
molishing it, only a part of one side being
left. Then it took the three elevators
md three fax warehouses on the railway
rack, demolshing them and exposing
their contents to the storm. &. ]. Trask's
business block was quickly smashed down
into a one-stOry building as if Struck by
a mighty blow from above. c. A. Roy's
hardware store was treated in the same
way and wrecked. The main part of
Porter & Young's store with the stock of
general merchandise was destroyed. Har
ry COttOn's new residence was demolished.
The opera house was next in the path
of destruction. A merry party of about
thirty couples were enjoying dancing
party here when the whole building col
lapsed upon them. Two dead bodies,
those Of young Finley and Gilbertson,
have been taken out. Others were in
jured and bruised, but probably not seri-
ously. W. w. Sweets residence was
wrecked, but Mr.. and RMS. Sweet were
away at the time. j. NJ. Wyckoff's resi-
dence was blown away. The family
were on their way down cellar when the
cyclone struck them; they escaped with
only slight injuries. r. @. Young's house
was destroyed, but the family took to the
cellar and escaped: The new Baptist par
sonage was totally demolished. Elder
Bryant and his family were fortunate
in the country at the time. One or two
new houses beyond were also wrecked.
KiIlen's store building, Chamberlain's
harness shop, Dr. AlsdOrffs Office and res
idence, Sweets harness shop, Larrabee's
store building and other buildings were
more or less racked by the wind, fronts
or sides being blown in. roofs taken off
or otherwise damaged. A number
of outbuildings and smaller buildings were
also destroyed. During the awful storm
a fire broke out. Flames We're discovered
in Palmer & Browns new store next to
filed with a new stock of goods. The
building and contents were totally con-
sumed. The fire communicated to Smart
q Buffers hardware store and this was
also burned. The Caswell hotel was COM
pletely burned, the bare brick walls alone
telling of the disaster. Strenuous efforts
of the citizens saved the town from
frrther ravages by fire. The wind for
tunately spared the residence portion Of
the village almost entirely, or the list of
killed and wounded must have been heart
rending. The loss is estimated at about
$40, 600 The storm had the usual pc
culiar freaks Of a cyclone. One build
ing would be demolished completely while
the one next was unframed. Most Of
the buildings were crushed down as if
an immense weight from above had fall
on them. It is reported that the court
house at Mason City, Ia, was blown
down and that considerable damage was
done at CrescO, la.