The Mena star., 1899-06-15
TORNADO IN WISCONSIN.
A Frightful Storm Strikes New Richmond and Almost Wipes
 Out the Town.
4 LARGE NUMBER OF PERSONS KILLED.

Scarcely Two Score in the Place Escaped Being Iniured-Three Hundred Coifins
 Ordered - Different Estimates of the
 Killed and Injured-The Ruins of the
 H-Fated City Swept by Fire.
 St. Paul, Minn., June 14.-The ter rife storm along the upper Mississippi river and its tributaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota have done enormous damage. The worst destruction ap- pears to have been at New Richmond, Wis, where frightful twister struck just before six o'clock Monday night. How great has been the loss of life it is impossible as yet to tell, the storm having effectually destroyed wire com munication in the stricken region. Re- ports that have come in state the total number of killed and injured will range between 250 and 500. The town at the time of the storm was crowded with people who had come from the surrounding country to attend circus performance
 Next to Richmond the most severe damage done by the storm was at Hud-
 
 the vicinity of the first named town tornado and cloudburst destroyed wires, unroofed residences, barns and outbuildings all along it's path. At La Crosse it was the worse storm known in F years. Nearly five inches of rain fell. The river rose so rapidly that 400 people living in the lower part of the city were driven from their homes. Over 100 head of live stock were drowned. Nearly every bridge in the La Crosse valley is gone.
 At Mankato, Minn.. six inclses of rain fell. Winona, Minn,, Sparta, Wis, and other towns III the adjoining ter ritory are partly under water and much damage done. Faribault, Elroy, Viola, Rocktown, Tomah also suffered severely and have the same story to tell of flooded cellars heavy damage to crops. hundreds of heads of cattle drowned, numerous washouts on the railroads, bridges washed away and wire communications paralyzed. The Dreadful Calamity Confirmed.
 St. Paul, Minn., June 14.-A reporter of the Dispatch who went to New Rich mond, Wis, Mondaynight on the first relief train returned to-day and fully confirms the reports of the dread ful calamity which visited that place about six o'clock Monday night. The pretty town is almost totally wiped off the map, and of it's 2,500 inhabitants, 200 lie dead amongst the ruins of their homes and about 1000 are injured, many fatally. Scarcely two score escaped without injury of some nature. Great alarm prevailed shortly before the storm broke and refuge was sought in cellars. wells, caves or other under ground structures that promised safety. The wind began blowing with terrible force. Trees were broken off short by the force of the gale which struck the town full in the center and in ten minutes awful havoc had been wrought. The largest brick blocks crumbled like eggshells. The lighter frame structures were whisked away like so much straw and many houses were carried for blocks and dashed to the earth. Five hundred buildings, the finest in the town, were wrecked and when the storm had passed about the only structures of any note left standing were the Catholic and Baptist churches. Not residence was left un- injured. Lumber yards went up in the clouds, the huge blanks being sliced into shingles. A large iron bridge over Apple river was blown into fragments and the parts distributed along the banks a half mile away.
 Three Hundred Collins Ordered.
 Minneapolis, Minn., June 1.-The through Wisconsin Central train suc- ceeded in reaching here this morning, having come through New Richmond at an early hour The tracks were all clear. save where the contents of lum- Der yard were scattered over them. Conductor Gavin says he took 12 ref ugees to St. Paul with him. When the train came through the air was so full of smoke from burning buildings that 1t was difficult to tell the extent of the disaster. The central part of the town, however, was wrecked. A fire engine had arrived from a neighboring town and was doing its best to check the flames He brought an order for 800 coffins. but this, of course, was simply an esti- mate of the possible dead by the local relief committee.
 Scores Buried Alive.
 New Richmond, Wis, June f4.-One hundred and seventy-fve killed and 400 wounded is the estimate of casualties in Monday nights storm This is based on information received from General Manager Scott, of the Omaha railway. The relief train from St Paul reached