River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-05-09
A DEADLY BLAST.
1t Sweeps Portions of Iowa and
South Dakota.
Everything Goes Down In Its Path-From
seventy-five to One Hundred
Lives Estimated to Have
Been Lost.

SIOUX CITY, May 6.-The lowest esti-
mate at first placed as to the loss of life
in the terrific cyclone that just passed
over this part of Iowa Friday after
noon was fifty-two, but some even
asserted that it must have reached 200
or 300.
The storm originated about IL miles
southwest of Sioux Center, passing
through Sioux Center. Perkins and
Sibley. Sixteen are known to have
persisted at Sioux Center. The number
of killed at Doom is stated as ten, and
four or five deaths occurred at Sibley.
At Perkins the loss of life was very
large, perhaps not less than thirty or
forty. This, il was estimated, with
those who must have persisted on the
farms about the country. must bring
the number to seventy five or 100.
Four sehoolhouses near Sioux Center
while school was in progress were de-
stroyed. At each from three to ten chill
dren were killed or injured. Many of the
children were carried from quarter to
hale mile before they were dropped.
SIOUX FALLS. 5. D., May Ga cy-
clone dropped down into West Sioux
Falls about 4 o'clock on Friday after
noon and did $4,000 damage to prop
erty. The third story OF large brick
block was torn off and several people
narrowly escaped being badly injured.
Proba bly, 100 houses, barns. windmills
and trees and chimneys were scattered
over the patti of the storm.
There vas regular cloudburst 20
NJ &I.a
river is looked for. The Sioux at Dell
Rapids is running over the Milwaukee
tracks, and Skunk creek is also high
and flooding farms in its course.
REDFIELD, S. d., May 6.-Spink coun-
ty was visited by a heavy drenching
rain Friday afternoon, accompanied by
a high wind, lightning and big hail.
Citizens here viewed for some time,
north of here, the formation of a cy-
clonic funnel-shaped cloud, which in
Dictated trouble.
Returns are coming in showing that
within 10 miles north of Redfield a
regular cyclone traversed toward Ash
ton, where it did much damage.
The opera house building, for
merly the courthouse, was blown
out of shape. The steeple of the
Congregational church was blown
down, many houses unroofed and
barns destroyed. The main street of
the city is strewn with debris of de-
molished buildings. Many farmhouses,
barns, granaries and outbuildings
along the track of the cyclone north of
here are destroyed.
Aax i've
killed by lightning at various points in
Wisconsin and Iowa Friday. These
victims were as follows, At Kalona,
Ia. Joseph Shelter; at Kelnerville,
Wis, John Anderla; at Neillsville,
Wis, Mrs. Joseph Sutherland; at Lodi,
Wis. Joseph Chimp; at Seymour, Wis,
John Kitchenmeisler.
SIOUX CENTER, Ia. May 7.-Revised
lists of the people killed by the great
Iowa cyclone of Friday give the fol-
lowing as known to be dead, with the
estimate from various sources that
from So to 300 will be the total mum
Der of fatalities when the lists are
complete:
Child of LunIs Verhof killed near Sioux
Center: child of Maurice Coombs, killed near
Sioux Center Miss Tillie Haggie, killed near
Sioux Center: Jacob Jansen, killed near Sioux
Center; Alice Roster. killed near Sioux Gen.
ter Mrs John Roster killed near Sioux Gen.
ter; Annie Marsden, school teacher near Sioux
Center, lived formerly at Boscobel Wis;
George Marsden. school teacher near Sioux
Center; Mrs. Anna Postman, killed near Sioux
Center; A NJ Perry, killed at Hawarden;
Rudolph Schwerdfinger, killed by lightning
near Southland; Mrs John Waterman. killed
near Sibley: Mrs. X. Waner and babe; babes
- tad arrdE A rhf in
Mrs. l.. f Ost Mrs. J. Post, Mrs. f. s. Field
camp Mrs Charles Waldron, Henry Smith, Il.
l.. Smith. Mrs. l.. Marette and babe, L. ID.
Everetts. John Frize and Fl. Deboor all killed
near Sioux Center; Mrs M. Blackburn and
Mrs. Herman Belknap, killed near Sibley;
Peter Skinner. killed at Laurens Everett
Arnold, killed at Creston.
The damage to property will not be
as great as was first feared. Corn was
not planted, and although some small
grain was above ground it had not adj
vanced far enough TO suffer severely.
The damage to houses and barns will
probably amount To between $4,000
and $4,000.
This commcnity is thrown into great
grief over the disaster. The council
held a special meeting Saturday morn
ing. presided over by Mayor Robey. II
was decided that it would be necessary
to raise S12, 900 to relieve the distress.
CmcAGo, May Photographic re-
ports have been received of great dam
age to buildings and crops in many
sections of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Missouri and South Dakota. The loss
of live stock, crops aud other property
will aggregate an enormous sum. Sew
eral persons are reported injured.