Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-06-23

New Richmond, $50
Herman, Neb. (estimate). .......... so
1oarron, Z
Clear Lake, 2
Total injured. .434
Details of the storm that destroyed New
Richmond, Wis.,, on Monday evening show
1T to have been fully as serious as at first
reported. An order for 200 collins receiv-
Led in st. Paul tells The worst in q breath.
The dead, at the time this is written, are
estimated at $50. while the injured are
not less than 400. AS many of these are
fatally injured the death list will be con-
.sidcrably increased. Fire following i'm
.mediately in the wake of the storm added
new terrors to the situation. The total
lack of medical assistance and the injary
or death of one-half the total population
of the town, with fire sweeping the wreck
..eft by the storm. constituted a situation
.seldom surpassed for horror.
A battle with such a list Of casualties
NOul0 SUI tuS ldllOu llOm kOliuu "
Puget Sound. These deadly storms are a
yearly occurrence in the Mississippi val
LEY, aud though they seldom find SO man
victims in u single VILLAGE they are an I'M
failing factor in the mortality records Of
the country. The storms OF the present
season have been worse than usual. There
is apparently nothing that can be done TO
rn,., o. ,,,~A.-s~1l- I:rA.kos, h~~ on..s
odic disasters. No human ingenuity can
tell where they are going to strike. Even
such salutary precautions az cyclone eel
lars are not always effective, as was
s shown in the New Richmond disaster,
wreck were roasted to death by the fire
that followed.
The Wisconsin cyclone exhibited all the
incredible freaks that go with the worst
Of these twisting storms. such as carrying
away a 3,OOO-pound safe. taking the bark
off trees, tearing loose boards to splinters,
decapitating a man. and carrying others
TO considerable distances almost uninjur-
ed. The largest brick block in the town,
crowded with farmers just returning from
: che circus, was crushed like an eggshell,
the lighter framc dwellings, were
whisked away like straw, while the Cath
olic and Baptist churches were both left
5tluding. The property damage IL the en-
tire track OF the storm cannot be less than
81, 100000.
Path of the Cyclone.
The origin of the Minnesota tornado, so
far as can be ascertained, wal in the val
Hey of the Minnesota river in the vicinity
of Mankato. 1t swept eastward to the
CT NNoiv 1ol.a nm Ahn howIDp 1s,,o ~ Az.
two States, and eliminated there about 6
o'clock in the evening in a cyclone, the
main tongue Of which, leaping and bound
ling through the p in the st. Croix
range, followed the line OF the North Wis
.-consin division of the Chicago, st. Paul,
Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad to New
Richmond. Then it disappeared in the
lake region northeast of Clear Lake and
Barron.
The path Of the cyclone was very close
10 that Of the famous n OF 1884, which,
crossing the st. Croix lei Marine Mills,
just skirted the suburbs Of New Rich
.mond and then destroyed the town Of
Clear Lake, aboat twelve miles northeast,
The region is peculiarly susceptible to
: electrical heat storms Of this character,
owing to the existence Of a great heat
tpocket or basin at st. Croix lake, bounded
on the eastern and western sides by high
bluffs and having only few and narrow
outlets into the agricultural country and
pine land northeast Of the lake.
In Minnesota the cities Of st. Paul, Min
.nneapolis, Mankato, Winona. Faribault
and n%eighboring communities suffered
much damage from the tornado and con-
siderable injury through the heavy rains
which followed the blow. In Wisconsin.
aside from the frightful destruction at
New Richmond, Hudson, La Crosse, Cam
efon, Barron. Burkhardt, Boardman and
nearly all of the places Of the wel1-settled
portion of the st. Croix and Chippewa
sections suffered heavily from wind and.
rain.
Urgent appeals for the necessities OF life
Ahave come from New Richmond, and
trains loaded with physicians and supplies
were sent to that stricken town from all
sportions Of the Omaha and Northwestern
9ailroad lines. Troops from the National
Guard Of Wisconsin were ordered to New
Richmond for the purpose OF protecting
property and policing the town. Gov. Sco-
feld OF Wisconsin issued an appeal for aid
to all the cities OF the State, and speedy
response has been made.
Stricken Town Crowded.
st. Paul, only thirty-six miles distant
from New Richmond, and Saltwater. on.
the west shore Of the beautiful st. Croix
lake. were among the FIRST communities to
seEpond to the cry Of distress which went
-np from the cyclone-swept community,
Owing to the destruction Of the telegraph
lines, though, much time elapsed before
men who Travelled BY horse over flooded
roads. and tremendous wfndfalls OF Tim.