The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-06-14

at Hastings, MINI. and In the section OF
country lying between.
How great has been the loss OF life,
! II Ia Impossible TO tell. Tor the storm
has interrupted communication with
Hudson and New Richmond and reports
have come In a roundabout way.
One man who was at New Richmond
when the storm struck. however, J. d.
Carroll. has reached Saltwater, MINI,
ana from there has given out a graphic
description Of the destruction of the
Wisconsin town.
New Richmond. a village OF 1900 in
habitants, according to his story, was
razed by the storm and soon after was in
flames. the injured persons pinned In the
wreckage being likely to die by the
fire.
The town was crowded with people who
had come from the surrounding country
70 see the circus showing there. and this
fact added TO the destruction Of life
caused by the storm. All the hotels OF
the village were filed with guests.
Damage to railroads and telegraph and
telephone lines Is widespread. The run.
ming OF trains has been lntersered with
and communication with points in the
path Of the storm cut OF. Latest re-.
ports estimate the loss Of life at New
Richmond al 80, and some put the AZ.
ures as high as 50
Throughout the region Of the storm.
crops have been destroyed. Grain has
been torn ouu by the roots or beaten into
the soil. Trees have been uprooted or
snapped of like straws. Fields and roads
have been flooded and sections OF rail-
roads on all lines passing through the
storm section washed out
Coming on the heels OF a heavy rain
storm Of Sunday and Sunday night the
storm has turned every small stream
tributary to the Mississippi into a tor
rent Bridges have been swept away
and much property damaged by over.
flow.
5 J. A. Carroll, who arrived at Saltwater
late last night was in New Richmond
when the storm struck He says the
main street was wiped out and many
hundreds Of people killed. He does not
know how many, as he left soon after.
The ruins Of the town are burning. he
says, cutting of all hope Of escape for
those pinned in the wreckage. Carroll
escaped BY hairs breadth and was the
means Of saving others in the instant
that was given Tor fight.
E Every place where building stood a
few hours ago in the village. is now a Dit
OF death,
Carroll was in the hotel just before 6
o'clock 1t had been sitting hot and the
air was breath.ess, dull rumble broke
the stiffness, increasing to a roar. 81
ran to the door Of the hotel" he said.
''and there was the funnel shaped cloud
bearing down upon US The noise Of its
roaring was frightful. The blackness OF
the sky was indescribable. shouted
that a cyclone was upon us and ran for
the basement. It was hardly an instant
before the building was lifted from its
foundation. twisted into fragments and
dashed into splinters Charles McKen-
non, the proprietor, was in the base.
ment with me. I helped take him out
with terrible injuries We saved his wife
also and one OF his children. both in.
jured.
We could hear the other child crying
under the wreck, but were not able 20
get to It. One OF the laundry girls was
taken out of the ruins. 1 suppose she
was fatally hurt. Not a building was
left standing on the main street. which
was we'll built Of brick
The track of the storm seemed to
be half mile wide. How far it extended
canno, tell The storm struck us from
the southwest and its onrushing was like
tidal wave-nothing could withstand
it, There was not a building lef, on It's
foundation in the main part of the VIII
lage. Most of them are twisted and
beaten to shreds
ITO add to the horror. FIRE in the ruins
followed the storm 1t was night and
there We're no lights The only thing We
could do was TO battle for the lives we
might reach before the fire cut of es.
cape. do not know how many were
saved. must have worked two hours
in the debris, A train got together to
come to Saltwater for help and came
with IT,"