Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-06-20

THREE UNIDENTIFIED MEN, one
wearing blue diagonal sack suit.
MRS. CREATION, aged 90
ANTON LEGARD, aged 80.
G COZ B BU ,r!dP ,,r aged 20, 20; o.
LILLE MGRATH, aged 5.
- FARRELL, aged s.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL, aged about IS.
A. ROSEBROOK, aged Il.
TIM NOON, blacksmith.
KATIE M'kINNON, daughter of the
Hotel NieoIlet proprietor;
KINS, children of Stephen Hawkins; moth
GEORGE STACK, stonemason.
MRS. GEORGE STACK.
BABY STACK.
LITTLE GIRL.
UNKNOWN WOMAN, worked at Nicolet
hotel; name supposed to be Johnson.
NJ. DUNBAR, old man.
MRS. MARY DUNBAR.
SARAH DUNBAR
NJ. d. CAREY, druggist.
PAT WELLS, farmer.
MRS. CATHERINE COsGROvE, old
MINNIE LAMBDIN.
ABBIE WILLIAMS.
AHTHoYY III, EARL9, father; FRED
DOMINICK BARRETT, farmer
JOHN PATTON, druggist.
NICHOLAS PADEN, grocer
TOM MCABE, school teacher.
JOHNNIE WELLS, farmer
HENRY o'CONNELI, farmer.
NELLIE MGRAW, dressmaker.
- M'GRAW, little girl.
MRS MARY GfLLEN, wife of John Gil
HAROLD -BIGELOW, photographer
MRS: JAMES SHADY and three children.
GEORGE RING, farmer.
Struck as by a mighty battering ram
from the sky, New Richmond is all but
total ruin. Out of about 800 houses in
the town 800 are total wrecks In the
direct path of the cyclone not so much
as single post stands upright. Every
thing is crushed fat. A scene of desola-
ton, destruction and devastation to sur
pass it cannot be ina gined. The citizens
are beTIldered, impoverished and be-
reaved.
Story of an Eye Witness.
1t is difficult to get a concise account Of
the fearful catastrophe. Rev. DR.. Deg
nan of the Church of the Immaculate
Conception tells the best story. He SAYS:
was standing on the porch of my
house, which is some three blocks west
nephew; Pointing to the threatening
clouds. said to him, Those clouds are
cyclonic.' That was about 6:3O. Then
| heard fearful sound. 1t was like
the painting of fifty locomotives on
an up up grade. | said to the
west was a great whisking, black cloud,
cone-shaped. the apex on the earth, the
funnel in the sky Already far in the
center the air was full Of flying debris,
splinters, boards, feathers, bedding and
everything. | told the boy to run and
us and the track. From all sides the peo-
pie came running, begging assistance. [
took them and some people from the par
ish schoolhouse and hurried them into
the cellar of my house. They begged for
absolution and L knelt down and gave it
to them.
Even as / prayed the great black
cloud of destruction was upon the vii
lage. Out of the general and terrific
roar | could hear the crashing and hiss
ing sound as house after house collapsed.
| ran out and was struck twice by pieces
of flying plank. Then the storm was
gone. 1t had come from the southwest.
It struck and destroyed all the residences
lying between it and the Omaha tracks.
The depot was right in its path
and as it crossed the track there
it went right up the main street.
of the town, destroying every building in
the business center. [ Immediately be-
gan the work of rescue. 1t was awful.
God keep me from seeing the like again.
Everywhere means, shriekS and calls for
help were heard. The wounded cried
out for prayers. [ gave them absolution
Catholics and Protestants prayed for
them"
Father Degnan FASTENED to the center
Of the town where the loss of life had
been greatest. 1t was hard to tell where
to begin work. The people who had es-
capped turned out with tools, wagons and
horses to the work of rescue. 1t was
done Systematically. Groups of excited,
distressed and broken-hearted men were
detailed to different buildings. Wherever
a cry for help was heard the
sufferer was warned to keep still for fear
of dlsplaclng some mass that would
crush him. The dead were generally
taken to the Catholic and Congregations
oil churches, but many were taken to pri-
vate residences The means of the
wounded were mingled with the cries of
the living as they found their dead
The seriously wounded received the
first attention OF the four doctors of the