The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1903-07-03
Ten KILLED.!
Wind Deals Death
and Destruction
4 in Jackson @
,e1 ! &$.4 - %>',..r. ~. -. Il '&E5
F. Cottonwood ..s
u.at Counties. .,%%G

| "1S. IAILCA4C' AauSAl AJ1uy uAss
fatherinlaw, John Matthias, living
about two miles and a half north
west of Heron Lake, Daniel Galla-
CHER, aged 70, two daughters. Ellen
| and Nettie. aged 2S and 25, living
milessand half north of Wilder. were
! killed By a wind storm Tuesday
evening: 1t is reported that there
are two more persons dead whose
names are not ,obrainable at this
/ writing. I'll T
The storm passed over jackson
and Cottonwood counties, about
l6:45 p. m., and was seen by our
/ citizens here. 1t started about two
and one half miles northwest Of
Heron Lake traversing about eight
miles and about forty rods wide to
a point mile and a half northeast
Of Wilder. The Fritchie family
attempted to escape into the cellar,
while doing so Mrs. Fritchie' : head
was severed from her body, her
baby crushed and the other two
killed by fhe falling house. Mr..
matthias was also killed oy the
wind demolishing his horise. The
next place was DR.. ~Wesrerman s
place where his large house, barn,
granary, machine house and other
buildings were leyeled to the
, ground, some stock being killed; the
family escaped by being in the cellar
when the storm struck the build
ings. In this vicinity q sixty foot
wagon bridge over the river was
taken from the foupdation and is a
complete wreck. The next place
was the Gallagher home. This
place was visited by the writer
Wednesday morning. 1t is impossi-
BILE to describe the desolation left
by the storm. The house and other
building are located on the bank Of a
lake of string Of three lakes, called
''String Lakes.
Mr.. Gallagher and daughter Ellen
we're blown into tho lake, down a
40-ft. embankment and about two
hundred feet from the house. Nettie
was blown part way down the ban k
and lodged among some trees. She
was found Tuesday night besides
the roots Of tree measuring eight
inches in diameter, pulled out by the
root and blown about fifteen feet.
She was devoid of clothing except u
waist reaching just under her arms
and her shoes and stocking. Her
mouth was injured and it required
all morning to get her hair straight
ened out and free from dirt. She
had quite large silver drove in one
thigh. Mr.. Gallagher and Ellen
were found about ten rods from
shore at ten o'clock Wednesday. One
of his arms was broken and he was
devoid of clothing except a part of
his shirt. Ellen had her forehead
injured and had no clothing except
a corset. They were in about five
feet of water, found by poking
around, and taken out by a chain
of men extending from the shore.
Their clothing was either blown off
from them or the wind struck the
house while they were changing
their clothing as they had just re-
turned from Window and had
stopped. at a neighbors house on
their&way. A bunch of onions were
found in the cellar, that they were
given by the neighbor. One horse,
cows and pigs were killed. Stoves,
binders,' hay 4 rakes, and other
machinery all broken up; nothing
eft of a sewing machine but the
head. An iron pump in the we'll was
blown over and broken. A pitch
fork was drove into tree and bent
part way round the tree. An iron
road scraper and gasoline oil can
found on opposite side Of lake, sup
posed to have blow there, about
eighty rods distant. "A crazy silk
patch work cushion cover was found
two miles from the scene. Carpets, !
bedding and other household articles
blown to waters edge, wreckage from |
the buildings blown entirely across
the lake. The ground where house,
which was partly of legs, and other
buildings, is swept clean of every
fhincy oHcorf af0no f0l1ndafiOn Two