River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-10-08
FATAL STORMS
IN NORTHWEST
Tornado Practically Wipes Out the
Town of St. Charles, MINI.
SEVEN INHABITANTS KILLED
Deaths at Other Points I'm Minnesota
and Wisconsin Bring the Total Up
to SeVenteen-Widespre De-
structIon of Property.


ST. Paul, Oct. 5.--The little town OF
st. Charles, in Winona county, Mimi,
was practically wiped out by tornado
which struck it at ESQ Saturday after
noon. Seven people were killed and 2S
injured, many of them seriously. The
entire main street of the town was
literally wiped out, hardly a business
place being left standing. Forty-two
residences alsowere destroyed and the
total property damage is estimated at
100000. 1t is feared here there has
been loss of life in the surrounding
country, but communication is cut off
as the telephone exchange was wrecked
and two of the operators seriously in
jured.
1t being Saturday, the country peo-
pie from the surrounding farms had
gathered in large numbers in the main
streets to do their customary shop
ping. At 2:30 the storm cloud was seen
approaching from the southwest, anG
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 almost entirely the line of
the main street, and devastating build
ings on either side. Then the resi-.
dences further back from the business
center were struck and many of them
blown completely away.
The storm seems to have followed
very closely the boundary line between
Minnesota and Iowa and damage to
farm buildings, dwellings and grain
stacks, with injury to human beings
and death to live stock is reported
from several points in that locality.
Two Boys Meet Death.
Two boys, sons of Stephen Matter,
were killed at st. Cloud while seeking
refuge from the storm. They had taken
shelter beneath string of cars on the
railway siding and switching crew
backed another string of cars upon
them, killing them instantly.
Deaths i'm Wisconsin.
Milwaukee, Oct. 5.-A terrific wind
storm, approaching a cyclone, swept
over Wisconsin Saturday afternoon,
causing death and destruction. AT In
dependence two persons were killed,
three fatally injured and O. score OF
others badly hurt. At Eagle Valley the
Reformed church was demolished and
houses on the prairie were swept
away.
At Racine trees were blown down also
electric light and telephone wires, anu
half of the city was in total darkness.
Carl Larson, painter, 35 years old.
prominent member of the DANA So
ciety, was electrocuted on State street
He ran into telephone wire on the
sidewalk, charged with electricity.
Spectators knocked the wire from his
hands with a board He was taken to
a hospital unconscious and will noE
live.
Thomas Galroth was killed and two
men injured by the demolition of a
farm house at Trempealeau.
The country in the vicinity of Lake
Gogebic was visited by q disastrous
tornado. The storm is said to have
centered at Even, where a number OF
houses are supposed to have been
blown down, and wide path was
swept through the woods. Falling trees
have broken all wires west of Sidnaw
and details are unobtainable. A strong
gale is blowing In Marquette.
Three persons are reported to have
been killed at the home of Albert
Holtz, near Waupaca.
The storm was most severe at
Blain and moved a wide swath, and
great damage and loss of life is re-
ported at Sheridan
At Plainfield this tornado tore down
many buildings and damaged much
property Mrs. John Fisher was killed
and Mark Wood, who was injured, has
since died Much stock was killed and
injured.
The section around Ashland, Wis.
was visited by one OF the heaviest
storms in years. The rain fell in tor
rents for two hours, deluging the
streets and causing much damage.
Most of the farmers in that section had
not yet dug their potatoes, and 1t is
estimated that the rain will cause
them to lose thousands Of bushels,
which will rot in the ground before
they can be taken out. After the main
storm subsidized a fierce wind storm,
which prevailed for several hours fol-
lowed Thousands of feet OF lumber
were blown into the bay eff the lum-
Der docks.