The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-06
SEVEN PERSONS KILLED AND FlF-
" OTHERS SERIOUSLY HURT
At ST. CHARLES.
WISCONSIN TOWNS STRUCK
FIVE PEOPLE MEET DEATH NEAR
SHERIDAN IN A VERY DE.
sTRUcTlvE STORM.

st. Charles, Mimi, Oct. 5.-Seven
persons were killed, fifty seriously
hurt and about a hundred houses de-
stroyed at this place by a tornado
which struck here at 2:30 Saturday
afternoon. The business section Of
the town and one-third of the resi-
dence district was RACED to the ground
and damage done to the extent of
5000, 1000.
Inhabitants, situated twenty-six miles
west of Winona, the county seat.
A special train bearing doctors,
nurses and supplies for the immediate
wants of the sufferers left Winona as
soon as the news of the extent of the
tornado was received there.
st. Charles was crowded with farm
ers in the afternoon, who had come
into the village to do their weekly
trading.
The day was extremely sultry and
the main street of the village was
crowded. During the morning slight
showers had fallen, and it vas evident
to all that some sort of an atmospheric
disturbance was due.
Clouds Began to Gather.
The probability of an approaching
storm was the general topic until
shortly after 2 o'clock, when a dark
mass Of clouds was noticed in the
southwest. Shortly afterward similar
conditions were seen to prevail in the
northwest, and the inhabitants spent
ten or fifteen minutes watching their
approach.
Before the seriousness of the situa-
ton was realized, the clouds were al
most v e the city. Then began a
mad scramble in search of places of
safety. The crowd on the main street
surged hither and thither as each in
dividual started for some select spot.
Those who could find cellars took
refuge in them, but many, believing
that the storm would not be at all
serious, merely entered the larger
buildings.
The two clouds met with a deafen-
ing detonation directly over the vii
lage, and before the report of the col
lision had died away the air was
filled with missiles flying in every d.
rection. Substantial frame houses col
lapsed into kindling wood in an in
slant and stone and brick structures
were torn from their foundations.
Maddened Horses Increased Chaos.
Tin roofs were ripped off and rolled
through the streets like newspapers,
while sections of sidewalk we're dash.
ed against the buildings that remained
standing.
The street was filled with the teams
of farmers hitched in front of the diff
ferent stores, and the maddened
horses added to the chaos which was
precipitated. Farmers trying to save
their stock were run down and
trampled over as the maddened beasts
broke loose from their hitching places.
The tornado lasted but a few mo-
ments. but during that time seven
lives were crushed out. and there is
nc accurate list of the injured at hand.
The dnad are as follows: John
Ebben. William Ebben, Edward Muir
ply, William Vest Dixon. ILL.,; George
lessen. w. 0. Crittenden. Dover: ia
cob Holm.
The work of repairing the damage
done by the cyclone was actively com
menced Sunday and considerable prog
ress was made along this line.
Actual Suffering Relieved.
BY prompt measures all actual suf-
fering has been relieved. There is
very general determination on the part
of st. Charles residents to rebuild and
re-establisE the city or even a finer
foundation than it had before the cy-
clone.
A revision Of the fatality list shows
the number Of dead remaining q.
eve The Pike boy reported killed
was only injured and will received.
while Jacob Holm. a farmer, reported
injured. has since died.
The village of Fountain City caught
the storm. The Reformed church was
completely demolished. and buildings
or the place of John Sleuth were all
blown down, Joseph P~atzner's out
buildings were destroyed and Chris
Ratz suffered the loss of his granary.
Many grain stacks were damaged.
The storm did some damage south Of
st. Charles and in the vicinity of Roll
Ing Stone.
FIVE PERSONS KILLED.