Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-10-08

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Winona, MINI. Oct. 6.--Seyen lives
crushed out, about a hundred persons
injured, some of them fatally: half a
hundred store buildings and residences
destroyed or partially wrecked. aus
ing a loss now estimated at $500. GOO.
on which there was very little in
uranc
This, In brief, is the terrible work
of a tornado which Saturday afternoon
struck st. Charles, a town twenty-five
miles west of Winora.
Two storm clouds met over the
southern limits of the city and formed
one storm which, with a terrific roar,
swept through the center of the town,
scattering death and
Destruction in Its Path.
Over fifty buildings were badly dam
aged. Those totally destroyed we're:
.Spencer's. Ebben's and Logan's sa,
looms, the Chicago Great Western
depot. Hendee & Siveley's wagon fac
tory, st. Charles Furniture house and
stock, l.. Sheridan's jewelry store,
Sorenson's store, S~tevenson's elevator
and SHELLS elevator. Almost every
building on the main street had it's
front torn off and was partly of wholly
unroofed. Part of the high school was
torn away, The Congregational church
and a big livery stable were unroofed
and the opera house was badly dam
aged. The new -four mill was dam
aged to the extent of $4,000.
1t being Saturday, the country peo-
pie from the surrounding farms had
Gathered in Large Numbers
in the main street to do their Gus
tomary shopping.
At 2;30 the storm cloud was seen ap-
preaching 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 almost entirely the line Of
tho mSin street and devastating the
buildings on either side. Then the res
licences further back from the business
center 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
Eben's saloon when 1t collapsed and
they were buried
Beneath the Wreckaqe.
Two others were in a dry goods store.
which vas blown away, and they were
killed by the falling walls. Ed Peters
of Dover was killed in the wreck OF
the hotel.
A relief train was sent from Winona
as 500 as the news of the serious
nature of the storm was received
and physicians were soon busily en-
gagged in caring for the injured and
and manned.
The storm came upon the town with
such suddenness that it was filing the
air with the debris of demolished
buildings before the citizens fully real
lied the nature of the calamity. Many
of those injured received their hurts
from flying missiles, while others were
caught beneath the wreckage of their
business houses or homes and re-
manned pinned down until rescued by
the relief party.
Other Places Catch II.
The cyclone formed near Chatfeld.
About five miles from st. Charles the
house and barn of John Patterson
were blown down and his son was
seriously injured and his daughter had
a leg broken. The storm then struck
st. Charles and continued northeast.
passing through Bethany, Altura and
Oak Ridge. 1t then crossed the river
without dipping into the valley and
caught the farm houses on the ridge
a Fountain City, Wis. At Fountain
City the Reformed church building
was totally destroyed. 1t passed north
east of Arcadia and struck Independ.
ence. 1t will be a week before the e.
tent OF the damage through the coun-
try can be learned.
The people Of st. Charles are al
ready at work repairing the ruins left
by the cyclone. So far as can be
y
learned the entire city will be re-
built. The stricken city has received
offers of assistance from surrounding
towns and individual losers are adj
vised by big houses in Chicago and the
Twin Cities that they will be given
money and extension of credit. The
city win be practically rebuilt before
snow flies.
Five Men Killed Near Sheridan.
Waupaca, Wis, Oct. 6. - The tor.
nado whlch struck Biain and Almond
Saturday night killed five persons near
Sheridan. and blew down twenty build.
ings as near as a be ~ascertained
here. Other persons may have met
death.