The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-14

were scattered to the four winds of
heaven. Trees were uprooted and road
ways blocked, washed away or so over
flowed as to be made entirely unrecogniz-
able.
What had been a prosperous peaceful
city of $500 people had In few minutes
becomes a Veritable city OF desoation.
A circus was in town on Monday and
people had come In from all the sur
rounding country to see the show. After
the circus the people had crowded into
the city to do their shopping before going
home in the evening. 1t was at this time
the storm cloud came up from the south
west bringing death and destruction in
its path. The circus grounds were out
side the path of the STERN. but the peo-
pie being in the business places fell prey
to the all-devouring twisting wind.
As soon as the news of the disaster had
reached the outside world offers of help
and help itself began to como In to the
city, st. Paul being the railroad center
to which New Richmond is tributary
was first to learn of the storm and it's at
tendant woes, and within two or three
hours started the first relief train with
physicians, nurses. hospital supplies and
comnuSSary stores for the people of the
stricken city. A second and a third train
soon followed and speedily the neiShbor-
ing towns In Wisconsin sent in all they
could gather for their needy sister city.
The Omaha and the Wisconsin Central
roads promptly carried through all the
supplies and delivered them to relief
headquarters whence they were delivered
to the people of the city.
Supt. Thorn, of the Wisconsin Central
was among the first to arrive and has
given his whole time today to doing what
he could to straighten out matters. Cen
eral Superintendent Scott of the Omaha,
from st. Paul. The Wisconsin Central by
the early afternoon was able to furnish
two wires for the great mass of tele-
graphic business that had accumulated.
the Western Union office up town having
been part of that city which was but now
is not.
Full reports are yet to be received
from the county. The path of the storm
was at least twenty-three miles long
1t is estimated that $50 houses were de-
stroyed In the village on the west side,
and 100 hundred on the east side, in adj
dition to about fifty business structures.
Reports from the country tell of scores
of farm houses crushed.
RUINS ON FIRE.
About two hours after the storm fire
broke out in the ruins of the stores, and
was still burning this afternoon. Elk
blossoms of cartridges and ammunition
and liquor barrels began soon and still
continue, making the search of the ruins
difficult At IL o'clock last night a relief
train arrived from Saltwater and was
vast assistance. At o'clock this morn
ing another came from Chippewa Falls,
and during the forenoon two more arriv
ed from St. Paul. The policemen from
st. Paul were of much assistance in ar
resting drunken men and thieves who
We're early at work. They also secured
the town, bringing in wounded and dead
A fire engine from st. Paul rendered
great service in fighting the fire.
Those who arrived on the st. Paul train
today We're: Chief of Police Goss, Moses
E. Clapp, E. E. Mcdonald, Mrs. McDon-
aid, Secretary Tallmadge, of the st. Paul
chamber of commerce; Coroner Nelson
and son, Lieut.. Borner and twelve pa
trolmen, c. J. Herrmonn, H. Schlichting;
nurses assistants from st. Joseph.
Misses LOTUS. Kelly, Keough, Chritfan-
son and Gallagher, and Mrs. Anderson.
ST. Luke's, and Misses Cumatings. Hall.
Monk, Craig, Mrs. o. D. Brown and
daughter Edna, were also on board the
train, wishing to ascertain the where
abouts Of relatives Among the st. Paul
physicians on the train were Herbert
Davis, w. r. Ramsey, Judd Goodrich, J.
O'Brien, T. J. Powlin and A. L. Ohage
P. A. Rockwell, chief clerk in the office
l.
Omaha, was looking for his mother, who
was visiting at New Richmond when the
cyclone struck. G. P. Mcclure, of Min
neapolfs, was also the victim of the
gravest apprehension for his father and
mother, residing in the stricken city.
Just before the train pulled out, from the
ST. Paul union depot the private cas- Of
Supt. W. S. Scott, of the Omaha was at
tached, and Mr.. Scott, with George r.
party and. attended to, the, needs and
Comforts or the little band OF helpers.
Chief Goss and his dozen patrolmen SUI
perintended the loading of the supplies,
which were donated in great part by
Finch, Van Slyke & Co., st. Paul, and
other business firms The st. Paul Red
Cross society also donated literally. =
81 tc AIMLESS WANDERERS.
All day today hundreds of people have
wandered aimlessly through the streets
staring at the inconceivabIe ruins. The
residence section of the town on either
side of the direct path of the storm es-
capped with little injury and left asylums
for the wounded, whose number can't
be estimated except by the hundreds.
The Catholic church in the west and the
Congrega tionaI in the east make the ex-
treme limits Of the storms width about
1850 feet. The path of absolute ruin was
ABOUT OUU 1cOl Wlu6 H0 uNS-SIOTy MIC
ollet hotel was in the path of the storm,
and lurched like lesser buildings to the
surface of the earth.
Congressman J. ]. Jenkins, of this dis
trict arrived early on the scene and
promptly advised Gov. Scofield of the
situation and the need of relief. The
Western Union Telegraph company mott
fed the mayor that all messages relating
to relief and the needs of the stricken
city would be carried free.
Hundreds of morbidly curious people
from neighboring cities thronged the
ruined town today and crowded about
those whose hearts had been wrung with
an anguish too great for words. The
heavy rain drove these people to shell
ter late in the day, and they returned
home much wetter than they came.
The desolate aspect Of the New Rich
mond of today was one not soon to be
forgotten. Among the broken fragments
of their homes the people wandered help
lessly, striving somewhat aimlessly-. and
hcpelessly to gather together what had
been left to them On the east and west
limits of the city many houses were still
standing, with little or no damage, and
to these homes the occupants welcomed
their less fortunate neighbors and
friends, giving them such aid as was
possible, and the sympathy that means
so much to stricken souls.
The property loss cannot be estimated
at this time and may never be accurate
" known. 1t was almost total for the
insurance agents report that no tornado
Insurance was carried in the town, and
only on the small number of places
where fire Joined in the destruction of
will tho b,lcfnaSs man ha OF n II