Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-13
AT Least One Hundred and Sev-
enty-Five Were Killed and
Four Hundred Injured.
MANY BURNED TO DEATH
After the Storm Had Passed the
Ruins Caught Fire and Those I'M
priS0ned Were Unable to Escape
Many Bodies Unidentified.

st. Paul. June 13.-4:30 a. m.-Scores of
persons We're killed the number may
reach into the hundreds, and hundreds Of
thousands dollars worth of property de-
stroyed by cyclone that swept across the
Mississippi valley east and slightly north
of this city last night, practically ami
hilating the village of New Richmond
and causing great property loss also at
Hudson, Wis, and at Hastings, Mimi,
and in the section of country lying be-
tween How great has been the loss of
life, it is impossible to tell, for the storm
has interrupted communica tion with Hud-
son and New Richmond and reports have
come in a rounda bout way.
One man who was at New Richmond
when the storm struck, however, j. D.
Carroll, has reached Saltwater, Mimi,
and from there has given out graphic
description of the destruction of the Wis
consin town. New Richmond, village Of
1000 inhabitants, 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 fire.
The town was crowded with people who
had come from the surrounding country
to see a circus showing there and this
fact added to the destruction Of life caus-
ed by the storm. All the hotels Of the
village We're filled with guests. Damage
to railroads and telegraph and telephone
lines is widespread. The running of
trains has been interfered with and COM
munication with points in the path of the
storm cut off,
Latest reports estimate the loss of life
at New Richmond at 250 and some put the
figures as high as 500. Throughout the
region of the storm, crops have been de-
stroyed. Grain has been torn out by the
roots or beaten into he soil. Trees have
been uprooted or snapped off like straws
Fields and roads have been flooded and
sections of railroads on all lines passing
through the storm section washed out.
Coming on the heels Of the heavy rains of
Sunday and Sunday night the storm has
turned every small tributary to the storm
section into boiling torrents
J. D. Carroll who arrived at Saltwater
late last night, was in New Richmond
when the cyclone struck. He says the
main street was wiped out and 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 off
all hope of escape for those pinned in the
wreckage. Carroll escaped by a hairs
breadth and was the means of saving 9TH
ers in the instant that was given for
flight. Every place where a building
stood few hours ago in the village, is
now a pit of death. Carroll was in the
hotel just before 6 O'clock 1t had been
sitting hot and t he air was breathess.
A dull rumble broke the stiffness, increas-
ing to a roar
II ran to the door Of t he hotel" he said, |
"and there was the funnel-shaped cloud
bearing down upon u.s. The noise of it's
was frightful The blackness of
the sky was indescribable. I shouted that
a cyclone was upon us and ran for the !
basement. 1t was hardly an instant be- |
fore the building was lifted from it's foun-
dation, twisted into fragments and dash
ed into spinters. Charles McKennon, the
proprietor, was in the basement with me-
helped take him out with terrible in
juries. We saved his wife also and one
1f his children, both injured. We could
hear the other child crying under the
wreck but were not able to get to it. One
IF the laundry girls was taken out of the
ruins. l suppose she was fatally hurt.
Not building is left standing on the
main street, which was Well built Of brick.
rhe track of the storm seemed to be half
mile wide. How far it extended l cam
lot tell. The storm struck US from the
southwest and its on-rushing was like
idal wave-nothing could Withstand it.
There is not building left on it's foun-
ation in the main part of the village.
Most of them are twisted and beaten to
hreds. To add to the horror fire in the
uins followed the storm. It was night
md there were no lights. There was no
means left for lighting the fire. The onlyI