The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-29
CYCLONES AWFUL FORCE
Photographs of the Devastation
at New Richmond.
STORMS TERRIBLE WORK
Freaks of the Giant Twister - Great
Safes Blown About Like Dead
Leaves Straws Driven Into
the Trees.

Missoula, June 2S--W. H. Yerrck,
who returned from the East this week,
has made an interesting addition to the
collection of photographs in the Stand
ard office. 1t is a set of photographs of
the ruin that was wrought in New
Richmond, Mimi, by the cyclone last
week. The pictures are four in number
and show two general views of the bus
mess part of the city, which was wiped
out by the storm, and one of the site of
the Methodist church, with another
showing what was left of large hotel,
about the size of the Hotel Florence in
this city. These pictures afford be1-
ter idea of the terrible wreck and ruin
that the storm accomplished than could
be given by columns of description.
There is not a stick of timber left
standing in the buildings and the trees
that are standing are nothing but bare
stumps, stripped even of their bark.
Dead horses, wagons. store fixtures,
church peWs and cushions, large safes,
a church bell, hay stacks and every
conceivable form of debris are scattered
about and mingled in the widespread
ruin. Montana should be content to
take chances with the high water and
let the high winds go.
Mr.. Yerrick tells some almost ncredi-
BILE stories of the scene at the city after
the storm. When he visited the city
all trace of human suffering had been
removed, but there was still evidence
of the most awful devastation. In one
of the pictures is a safe in the middle
of what was once a street. This safe,
Mr.. Yerrick says, weighed 5000 pounds
] e. ts,Nr,
opposite to that of the progress of the
storm. The large church bell on the
Methodist belfry was carried several
hundred feet and huge timbers were
blown distances that can hardly be
realized. But the strangest story that
Mr., Yerrick tells is of seeing hickory
timbers, into which wheat straws had
been driven by the wind as if they We're
nails. In some cases these straws PEN
etrated the timbers several inches.
There are numerous instances where
nails and Spinters of wood have been
driven into timbers and trees, but it
seems beyond belief that so fragile a
substance as straw could be given
sufficient momentum to drive it into
hickory timber. L did not believe it
myself" said Mr. Yerrick, in describing
the phenomenon, until they showed it
to me-.
Mr.. Yerrick says that the wonder is,
when the ruin is seen, not that the loss
of life was so great, but that it was
no larger. The stories of narrow es-
capes are numerous. Two brothers
were sitting at work in their office on
the third floor of a business block.
They noticed that it was getting dark
and turned on the electric light and con-
tinued to write. With no further warn
ing, a crash came and the windows Of
their rooms went out They jumped
to their feet and placed their hands
against the walls to steady themselves.
Before they could take a STEP they
We're dropped into the cellar of the
building, three stories below where
they stood. One of them escaped with
out a scratch and the other was but
slightly injured. Another instance that
came to Mr.. Yerricks attention was
that of woman who sought refuge in
a store. The room was deserted, Ill
of the occupants having fled to the
cellar. The woman seated herself on a
step inside the store and held her baby
in her lap. The dust that filled the air
annoyed the child and the mother COW
cred the little ones face with her hand
kerchief. She screened her own face
with her hands and while her eyes were
thus covered, she heard a terrible crash
Looking upward. she saw that she was
seated in the open air. The, walls of
| the building that she had entered had
| fallen and she and the child had es-
| capped.
Mr. Yerrick says that the scene of the
| cyclone has been visited by thousands
| of people and that the expression of all
| is that there was never before more
| terrible demonstration of the awful
fprpa nf these cvc1pnir