Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1903-10-09
TORNADO IN MINNESOTA
LITTLE TOWN OF ST. CHARLES
ALMOST WIPED AWAY.
Several People Killed and 20 Injured,
Many strangers-one Whole Street
Wiped out-Property destroyed to
Extent of $1oo,ooo-cycIone In Wis
consin-Two People kiIIed-other
Property Losses.

81. raul, Mill, OCC. o.-lHe uttlc
town of st. Charles, in Winona county,
was almost completely wiped out by
a tornado. Several people were killed
and 20 injured, many of the seriously,
The dead:
John Ebens, ST., William Ebens, his
son; Will Adams, Oscar Crittendon,
George lesson, Ed Murphy, Ed Peters
of Dover. MINI.
The entire main street of the town
was literally wiped out, hardly bust
ness place being left standing. Forty
two residences also were destroyed,
and the total property damage is esti-
mated at 100000.
Among the buildings demolished
were the Central school building, the
Chicago Great Western depot, the
Catholic church and PARROTS Wagon
works.
1t being Saturday, people from the
surrounding farms had gathered in
large numbers in the main street to do
their customary shopping. At $3.50
the storm cloud was seen approaching
from the southwest and there was an
immediate scramble for places of
safety. The tornado struck the town
from the southwest quarter and made
a clean sweep through it, following al
most entirely the line of the main
street and devastating buildings on
either side. Then the residences fur
Their back were struck and many of
them blown completely away. 1t seems
almost miraculous that there was not
a greater loss of life. Four of those
killed were in John Ebens' saloon when
it collapsed and they were buried be-
meath the wreckage. Two others were
in drygoods store, which was blown
away, and they were killed by the fall
ing walls. Ed Peters of Dover was
killed in the wreck of the hotel. The
telephone exchange was demolished
and two of the girls were seriously
injured. Mr.. Blankenburg was the pro-
|prietor of large grain elevator and
he was caught in the wreck when this
was destroyed. He was seriously hurt.
One man was killed in the street by
being struck by a plowshare hurled
through the air by the force of the
|storm.
Communication was established be-
tween this city and st, Charles by
telephone by crew of Irnemen OF the
American Electric company, which
happened to be in that vicinity, and
the foreman of the crew gave the first
information of the four dead persons
named.
Utter Confusion.
Utter confusion reigns in the town.
The streets are filed with wreckage
OF buildings, trees and farm nipple
ments, which were blown through the
air. The horror of the affair has
practically paralyzed action for the
time being on the part of the citizens,
who stood about awe stricken at the
awful devastation by the elements. It
was some time before crews began to
clear away the debris, which, is is fear
ed, may cover many sickening sight.
st. Charles is a village of 1900 in
habitants on the western boundary of
Winona county, and is one of the old
est settlements in the state. The
storm which struck the town with such
disastrous results swept a wide Sec
ton of the country down the river
division from the twin cities of the
Minnesota boundary, doing much dam
age and cutting off telegraph communi-
cation between the twin cities and Chi
cago for time.
Two Killed at Independence, Wis.
La Crosse, Wis, Oct. 1.-Two per-
sons were killed, three fatally injured
and a score of others badly hurt in a
tornado which swept Independence.
Wis, and the surrounding country this
afternoon. Many farm buildings in the
storms path were torn down. At
Eagle Valley, north of here, the Re-
form church was destroyed and houses
on the prairie surrounding were de-
molished. Several small buildings
were overturned at La Crosse, but no
fatalities were reported.