Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-06-17
A TERRIBLE TORNADO.
It Carries Death and Destruction to
Wisconsin Towns.
TWO HUNDRED REPORTED DEAD

TWO HUNDRED REPORTED DEAD
In the Town of Now Richmond Alone,
Which Town Is Said to Have Been
Wiped Out-Homcs and Farm I'M
plemcnts Blown to Spllnrcrs.
Minneapolis, June ia special
from Hudson says: One of the most
terrible tornados ever witnessed by the
citizens of Hudson passed through the
country here last night. 1t formed
in a waterspout four miles south OF
Hudson. on Lake st. CroiX. 1t was
witnessed by hundreds Of people, and
seemed to follow ele lake and to be
making directly for the city, but about
two miles south it vcered to the east
md left the lake and crossed the
country. 1t was about 20 rods wide
and destroyed everything in its track.
The first building struck was over on
the farm of +. c. Mattison. One edge
of the storm struck his building, twist
Ing his barn out of shape and throw
! lIlS HIS W lllNlIllIl cOsIlS ipN.'' - 1880
struck the Gridley farm. The family,
seeing it coming, fled for IL large stone
quarry about 20 rods from the house,
where they remained safely until II
passed. The house is a small brick
one and held to the foundation, bur
the angles were torn from the roof.
The cyclone veered to the north, leav-
ing the farm buildings unframed. but
tearing up large oak trees three feet III
diameter by the roots and twisting
them into every conceivable shape.
About one half milo northeast from
there it struck the building OF Fl. 5.
Mattison. Just before the storm
reached the place the family fled to
the cellar. The cellar door had just
closed when the crash came. This
place was directly in the line of the
storm, and not Il building, tree. wagon
or piece of machinery is left whole.
The house was completely swept from
its foundation. and nothing remained
but the floor which covered the people
in the cellar Not one of them was
harmed. Every piece of furniture was
carried for rods and literally torn into
shreds. Beside the house there were
two large barns. machine sheds and
outbuildings. and all were destroyed.
Forty cattle and about 100 sheep can
not be found
Most alarming reports came from
New Richmond, Wis. One report places
the number of dead at that place at 200
Wires are down from here and it is
difficult to verify any OF the reports.
The operator at Burkhardt Station.
near New Richmond, reports: Many
people killed and injured at New
Richmond.
A special from Saltwater. Mimi.
says: Last night was terrible night
for New Richmond, the village being
almost wiped out of existence by one
OF the most severe cyclones that ever
visited that locality. 1t carried ruin
and death in its path and at this hour
it is impossible to give an even par
| tial list of those who are seriously in
;urcd It Is thought many are dead
The news of the disaster was brought
here by J. A. Carroll, a travelling man
from Portage. Wis. who was stopping
at the Nicollet house in New Richmond
when the cyclone struck. He saw the
funnel shaped cloud as it came up the
principal street and took refuge in the
basement of the hotel, which was COM
pletely wrecked together with every
other business house in the city. In
terrible sheets of rain following the
cyclone Mr. Carroll and his comrades
succeeded in recovering the proprie-
/ tor. Charles Mckennon, wife and one
/ Il I1l, nd o1cn o.
moved the laundry girl. who was SO
seriously injured that she will prob
ably die. Many people are doubtless
killed, and the damage will run into
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A Winona, Mimi. special says last
nights storm was the most severe ever
known there Dams and bridges were
swept away on all the water courses,
including a stone arch bridge built to
protect South Winona. The entire
South Side is under water, and many
families have been carried out on RATS.
A large steel bridge over Gilmore
creek was carried away. Every street
in the city was flooded above the curb
ing. and many families were driven
out The Mississippi has raised a foot
and half since Sunday. and oil wires
are down. It is reported that the c.
NJ. and st. p. steel bridge at Mime
sofa City has gone down and great
damage done at Fountain CITY. Fruit
and crops or all lowlands are total
loss. Several horses and cattle We're
drowned and the railroads report
many washouts.
Sixteen hours of rain at Black River
Falls, Wis, caused much damage. On
the Milwaukee railroad all passenger
trains were transferred over the Omaha
road on account of the washouts.
Crops are washed out in many places
and highways and bridges are in
demoralized condition.
At Gatesville 20 hours rain dam
aged crops and carried away bridges.
Washouts on railroads are also re-
ported. Mill dams are expected TO so
out. The water is 50 high in many
places that people are moving to higher
ground.
At Lacrosse, Wis, the worst rain
storm in II years was experienced Sun
day night and yesterday. Nearly five
inches of rain fell. 1t came down in
| SheetS, QOlHS rSal udll4d5e W IttllIuttu
property. All railway communication
except one, the c. B. and N. from
South Dubuque, and the Southern
Minnesota division of the Milwaukee
line, is cut off. Fifty families in North
Lacrosse were compelled to desert
their homes in boats, and the water
is still rising. Much live stock was
drowned. Nearly every bridge in the
Lacrosse river valley is gone.
A special from North Wisconsin
Junction says: A courier from Board
man, just in, reports that the whole
town has been wiped off the face Of
the earth, and while no definite news
can be obtained at this time of casual
ties, it is presumed that many were i'll
jured and possibly some killed. 1t IS
known that Dave Hefferon is severely
injured and his wife killed. A courier
Just in says New Richmond has also
been wiped off the map, and that two
OF three hundred people are injured.
Dewey Home Fund Growing.
! Ob;ooro Tupn 12--ITranl, Wander