The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-06-16
ELEMENTS IN A FURY
Hundreds Of Lives Snuffed Out
in Two States by the
Dread Tornado.
WlsOONsIN's TERRIBLE DISASTER
Followed by Another in Nebraska That
Annihilates a Town AMI Kills
and Wounds Many.

Herman Wiped Out of Existence and
100 Persons Killed and Hurt-Fatalities
at New Richmond. Wis.,. Known TO Num-
Der 119, with lis Known Wounded and
Four Missing-Names of All These Save
Sixteen, Who Are Unidentified Brief
Description of the Frightful Storm and
the Terrible Havoc 1t Wrought.
Chicago, June 14.-The tornado at New
Richmond, Wis, is credited now with
the death of 116 ard the injury Of lis,
many of whom may die. Between Huo-
son and New Richmond eight were
killed At Boardman Mrs. Heffron was
killed. At Herman, Neb., yesterday
twelve were killed and over eighty
wounded The damage to property is not
at this time estimated, but the region
in the vicinity of New Richmond. Wis.
and Herman, Neb., is devastated.
New Richmond, Wis, June 14.-Fully
one hundred corpses, twice as many
mangled people, forty acres of piles of
bricks. shivered planks, scattered heaps
of household goods, dead horses through
which the wind had driven sharp
splinters OF board, smoulderirg fires
where houses stood but yesterday, and
in the midst of it all shivered trees as
bare of leaves as ever they were IN the
middle of winter, and for the most part
stripped bare of bark until they re-
semble the ghosts of what they had
been twenty-four hours ago. This is
what the storm Of Monday wrought in
the space of three minutes upon the
town of New Richmond. There may
have been cyclones which created
greater devastation, some that have
occasioned larger loss of life, but it was
only because there was more material
for destruction in their path than this
small village could afford.
No Storm Ever Did More Terrible Work,
| There never was d cyclone that made
| a cleaner sweep Of what lay in it's path
| than the one of Monday evening. In
| the business portion of the town absO-
! lutely not one building was left stand
| ing above the cellar windows; every
| thing above. a foundation wall was
| shaved as clean as though it had been
! cut with a plane. Enormous iron safes
| were blown into the middle Of the street,
| and the largest safe in the town was
! carried across one street and half way
over the square beyond. The day had
been warm and sultry, and during the
| latter part Of the afternoon heavy banks
of clouds had hung upon the western
| and southwestern horizon, but nothing
! serious was anticipated until, few
minutes before o'clock, a dark blue
cloud with edges of a pale green was
seen rapidly coaching from the
southwest.
| Dread Funnel Drops to the Ground.
In a minute a long funnel was seen
dropping towards the ground, and then
with a savage roar the cloud swept
| down upon the doomed town. A circus
had been exhibiting during the after
| noon and the streets were full of
strangers, and as the awful cloud bore
! swiftly down there was mad rush for
| cellars, doorWays, or any place that
promised safety. Some Of the crowd
reached a refuge, and those who did
not are among the dead. It will be
several days before the number of dead
| in New Richmond is accurately known,
and it is doubtful if the entire number
I of fatalities will ever be chronicled. In
/ the path of the storm both to the north
! east and southwest of the city were
scattered farm houses, and wherever
| they were struck by that awful wind
there was nothing left but a pile of
baords and twisted rafters
| Meant Ruin for the Town.
How many were killed in these houses
will not be known for long time. 1t
! is impossible to estimate the property
| loss, but it is total in the business part
! Of the town, and to make the blow the
more severe not one policy Of tornado in
surance had been written for the place.
What is gone is gone beyond repair.
There is 1t present no restitution among
| those who have suffered by the storm.
ST. Paul and Minneapolis Chippewa
! Falls and other places, have sent in
bountiful supplies, and there is no suf-
fering for food or necessities, but the
business Of the town is utterly wiped
out of existence and not one man in
the place will be able to resume bust
! ness. The destruction is so complete
| that there is absolutely nothing to be
! purchased in the tOwn-not a box of
sardines, pound Of crackers or a pair
! Of shoes.