Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-06-21
KNOWN TO RE DEAD.

Iotal ueau. Iot
PERSONS KNOWN TO DE INJURED.
New Richmond, Wis. 3SG
Herman, Neb. (estimate). .......... 81
Barron, WIS.,. ................
Clear Lake, Wis. ..................
Total injured. Observation-Disclosures 4A
Details of the storm that destroyed New
Richmond, Wis, on Monday evening show
it TO have been fully as serious as at first
reported. An order for 200 cotfins reeeiv.
ed in st. Paul tells the worst in breath
The dead, at the time this is written, are
estimated at 1J0, while the injured are
not less than 400 As many of these are
fatally injured the death list win be con.
siderably increased. Fire following iIi-
mediately in the wake of the storm added
new terrors to the situation. The total
lack of medical assistance and the injury
or death of one-half the total population
of the town, with fire sweeping the wreck
left by the storm, constituted a situation
seldom surpassed for horror.
A battle with such a list of casualties
would stir the nation from Florida to
Puget Sound. These deadly storms are a
yearly occurrence in the Mississippi val
ley, and though they seldom find so many
victims in single village they are an un-
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
prevent or materially tighten these peri
odic disasters. No human ingenuity can
tell where they are going to strike. Even
such salutary precautions as cyclone cell
lars are not always effective, as was
shown in the New Richmond disaster,
where many victims imprisoned under the
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 3,000-pound safe, taking the bark
off trees, tearing loose boards to spinters,
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
the circus, was crushed like an eggshell,
and the lighter frame dwellings, were
whisked away like straw, while the Cath
ollie and Baptist churches were both left
standing. The property damage in 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, was in the val
ley of the Minnesota river in the vicinity
of Mankato. 1t swept eastward to the
st. Croix lake, on the border line of the
two States, and eliminated there about
O'Clock in the evening in a cyclone, the
main tongue of which, leapRg and bound
ing through the gaps 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
to that of the famous one of 1884, which,
crossing he St. Croix near Marine Mills,
just skirted the suburbs of New Rich
mond and then destroyed the town of
Clear Lake, about twelve miles northeast.
The region is peculiarly susceptible to
electrical heat storms Of this character,
owing to the existence of great heat
pocket 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
neapolis, Maakato, Winona, Faribault
and neighboring 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.
eron, Barron, Burkhardt, Boardman and
nearly all of the places of the well-settled
portion of the st. Croix and Chippewa
sections suffered heavily from wind and
rain.
Urgent appeals foG the necessities of life
have cone from New Richmond, and
trains loaded with physicians and supplies
were sent to that stricken town from all
portions of the Omaha and Northwestern
railroad lines. Troops from the National
Richmond for the purpose of protecting
property and policing the town, Gov. SEQ
field 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
respond to the cry of distress which went
up from the eyclone-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 windfalls of tim
ber could reach the wires which were
usable and send news Of the appalling dis
aster.
There had been a circus in New Rich
mond during Monday afternoon, parade
in the morning, the show after ulnner, and
then preparations for the evenings enter
tainment. Probably 1900 farmers. theiI
wives and children had gone 10 town to
enjoy the sport. Willow river, which runs
by the town and flows into Lake ST. Croix.
was lined with vehicles.
The day was uncomfortably hot, but
not until after O'Clock in the evening did
any one apprehend danger. The memory
of the Clear Lake cyclone had not passed
away. but still people were not prepared
for repetition of that tragedy. Some
women and children did notice the black
clouds gathering in the south and west
and did notice their gyratory motion. Per
haps as near as can be ascertained. there
| were 200 or 800 of all within the town
during the afternoon who apprehended
that there was to come out of Catfish
har. on TIE bosom of Lake st. Croix, one
of those rolling balls of electrical lame
and heat which men for want of better
name cali cyclone. These people lied fo
| their cellars and other retreats early, and
many Of them owe their lives TO that fact