The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1899-06-17
ALL..BEREAVEL)
Scarcely One Of the Two Thou.
sand Inhabitants Of New Rich
mond Escaped Il
Either Death, Injury or Loss ot
Relatives by the Fnghtful
Storm.
Number of Dead Estimated All
the Way From Fifty to Two
Hundred.
Many of the Injured Brought to
Twin City Hospitals for
Treatment.

New RICHMOND. Wis. June IA
Struck as by mighty battering ram
from the sky, New Richmond is all but
total ruin. Out of about 500 honses
in the town, 300 are total wrecks. In
the direct path of the cyclone not so
much as u single post stands upright.
Everything is crushed fiat. A scene of
desolation, destruction and devastation
to surpass it cannot be imagined The
citizens are bewildered. impoverished
and bereaved. Scarcely home but
has lost one or more members. and
many still watch about hopelessly seek
ing those who are only to be found
among the increasing list of dead. just
how many lives were lost in that su'i-
den whirling tempest may not be known
for some days, but the most conserva-
tive figures are 80 dead and 200 or more
injured. while other estimates reach 200
dead. The bodies of the dead were
taken to two churches, from which they
were taken to the cemetery and turned
over. to friends and relatives. wni;e
the injured. after being cared fo. by
the physicians and nurses who came
down from the Twin Cities. We're sent
on the relief trains to the hospitals in
st. Paul and Minneapolis. Of the far
little city only scattered fragments and
burning ruins remain. The main busi-
ness street is smouldering heap of
stone and ashes in which an occasio,,:t
explosion marks the location Of har..-
ware store. The 4-story hotel is az flat
as the lowest cottage and the whole
scene is one of devastation and desoia-
ton. The people are impoverished hy
the storm, and the supplies that were
hurried down by special trains during
the night and early morning were most
necessary and welcome. Rescue work
came first accompanied by tender nurs-
ing. Then relief for the famished and
stricken survivors.
Father Degnan's story.
It is difficult to get concise account
of the fearful catastrophe.
Rev. DR.. Degnan of the church of the
Immaculate Conception tells the best
story. He says: ..... ......-.
Il was standing in the porch of my
house, which is some three blocks west
of the Omaha station. My little nephew
was with me. Pointing to the threat
ening clouds said to him: Those
clouds are cyclonic.' That was about
$3.50. Then I heard a fearful sound.
It was like the painting of so locomo-
tives ON an up grade. I said to the boy:
There is the cyclone In the south
west was great swishing black cloud,
cone shaped, the apex on the earth, the
funnel in the sky.
Already far ahead of the center the
air was full of flying debris, splinters.
boards, feathers, bedding and every
thing. told the boy to run and warn
the people in the houses between us and
the track. From all sides the people
came running. begging assistance. I
took them and some people from the
parish schoolhouse and hurried them
into the cellar Of my house. They
begged for absolution and knelt down
and gave it to them. Even as praysd
the great black cloud of:destruction was
upon the village. Out Of the general
and terrific war / could hear the crash
ing and kissing sound as house after
house collapsed. ran out and was
struck twice by pieces Of flying plank.
Then the storm was gone. It had come
from the southwest. It struck and de-
stroyed all tn Q residences lying between
it and the Omaha tracks. The depot
was right in it's path; as it crossed the
track there it went right up the main
street of the town
Destroying Every Building
in the business center. Immediately
began the work Of rescue. 1t was aw-
full. God keep me from seeing the like
again. Everywhere women's moans
and shrieks and calls for help were
heard.
Father Degnan hastened to the center
of the town where the loss Of life had
been the greatest. It was hard to tell
where to begin work. The people who
had escaped turned out with tools. wag-
ons and horses to the work Of rescue.
Itwas done system matically. Groups Of
excited, distressed and broke hearted
men were detailed to- different buildings.
Wherever a cry for help lTas heard the