River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-07-11
DEADLY BLASTS.
Great Havoc Wrought by Wind
and Rain.
Forty-Three Lives Lost In Fierce Western
storms-six Drowned In Lake
Geneva, wis.-Lake Michi-
gan Disasters.

storms-six Drowned In Lake
Geneva, Wis.-Lake Michi-
gan Disasters.
ST. LOUIS, July 9.-Thursday morn
ing last telegraphic reports began to
arrive in this city of rains at west
ern points. These reports grew in
numbers Friday and covered
large territory indicating that the
entire eastern watershed of the Rocky
mountains, from the Nebraska and
Iowa lines to Texas was swept by
storm. Friday night the severest blow
came. Reports of loss of life and
destruction of property came with
every telegram, and the downpour
first regarded as a blessing grew into
a wave of devastation. Fields of grain
that promised the most bountiful yield
in many years are to-day swept bare of
vegetation. In several instances the
seas of rain were abetted in their work
of destruction by tornadoes.
The storm focus embraced an area of
goo square miles. with the southwest
ern corner of Missouri as the center.
The greatest loss of life is reported
from Winona, Mo-, where eleven corpses
have been found, with as many more
missing. At Baxter Springs, in
southwestern Kansas, five were killed
and eleven seriously injured by cy-
clone that accompanied the storm.
One was drowned at Columbus and
two at ottawa, Kan. At Van Buren,,
Ark, mother and her babe
were drowned. A family of five
encamped on the banks of Fish
creek in the Indian territory. Satur-
day nothing of them or their belong
ings was found except a part of their
wagon on a pile of drift wood. At
Townsville, Mo-, where the rain
fall was inches in one hour,
five persons were lost. Uncon-
firmed reports are received of
loss of life as follows: Three at Fay
etteville. Ark; one at Paoli, Kan; one
at Richards, Kan, and six of a hunt
ing party in the Indian territory. This
gives known and probable loss of
forty-three lives.
The loss in property can be placed in
the millions Dwellings, fences and
farm buildings were carried off
and wagon and railroad bridges
swept away. Thirty of the
eighty buildings in Winona sue
cumbed. Five residences, a church
and a warehouse went down at Baxter
Springs. Six bridges went ont in Rus
sell county, Kan. About jefferson City,
Mo-, many square miles of growing
grain were covered with debris. Traffic
on the Fort Scott & Memphis railway
is temporarily suspended. Reports of
damage to property other than above
noted come from five points in Kansas.
nine in Missouri, six in Arkansas, two
in the Indian territory. The storm
spent itself in Illinois, but having lost
its force proved blessing to crops
The above summaries are only a
fraction of the loss in property. The
greatest burden falls upon the farmers,
as the season is too far spent to plant
new crops. and suffering must surely
follow in the storms wake. The coun-
try's granary has been cleaned out.
Details of individual suffering and ex-
periences would fill volumes and re-
call the horrors of the Johnstown dis
aster.
LAKE GENEVA, Wis, July "a
heavy storm passed over here Sunday
afternoon about 4:30, which unroofed
buildings and demoralized shade trees.
The hail broke large amount of glass
and ruined corn and what little fruit
there was. The steam launch Dis
patch was chartered just before the
storm by party consisting of Father
Hogan and Miss Hogan, of Harvard,
ILL.,. and a man thought to be DIR.
Hogan, assistant superintendent of the
Elgin Qll.) insane asylum, wife and
child. The boat was in charge of
John Preston, reliable young man.
They were caught by the storm and
the boat was capsized and all on
board were drowned. The body of
Miss Hogan was found floating near
Hayes park.
CHICAGO, July with little warn
ing of its terrific death-dealing force
and destructive character, a wind
and rainstorm such as Chicago has not
seen for years, broke upon the city about
$3.50 o'clock Sunday afternoon. The
complete result is not known, but it is
certain that some lives were lost on
Lake Michigan by the capsizing of
boats at the mercy of the hurricane.
MILWAUKEE, July 9.-Passengers ar
irving on late train from the south
on the Chicago e Northwestern rail
road report that the storm washed out
a bridge near Waukegan and the train
was obliged to take the Harvard
branch to Kenosha. North of Wau-
kegan in Wisconsin telegraph poles
and trees were leveled along the line
and there were signs of devastating
storm. 1t is reported that four men
who were out in boat near Wauke-
gan drowned.