Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-10-06
HAVOC OF TORNADO.
The Village Of St. Charles Is Near
~ Wiped out Of Existence
by Terrific Storm.
Seven People are Killed, a Num-
ber Injured. The Proper
ty Loss Very Large.

ty Loss Very Large.
Winona, Mimi, Oct. 5.-Seven peo-
pie dead and twenty-three injured,
over fifty buildings in ruins and a
property loss of at least $500, 900 is the
result Of tornado which swept st.
Charles Saturday afternoon about 2:3o
O'Clock.
The dead are: John Ebens, Sr., VIM.
Ebens, Jr. Will Adams, Oscar Critten-
den, George Jessen, Ed. Murphy and
Ed. Peters, Dover, MINI.
st. Charles is village of 1900 in
habitants on the western boundary OF
Winona county, and is one of the old
est settlements in the state.
The tornado was formed by the un-
ion of two storm clouds over the south
ern limits of the village and with an
awful roar swept down and through
the center of the town.
In less than three minutes every |
building in the center of the town
was either totally demolished or bad
ly damaged.
The entire main street of the town
WITS literally wiped out, hardly bus
mess place left standing.
The country people had gathered in
large numbers in the main street to do
their customary shopping. At 2:50 the
storm cloud was seen approaching and
there was an immediate scramble for
places Of safety.
The residences further back from
the business centre were struck and
many of them blown away.
Utter confusion reigned in the town.
The streets were filed with wreckage
of buildings, trees and farm buildings
which were blown through the air.
The horror of the affair completely
paralyzed action for time on the part
of the citizens who stood about awe
stricken at the awful devas tation
caused by the elements.
1t was some time before the crews
began to clear away the debris, which
was feared might cover many sicken-
ing sight.
Word was at once sent to Winona
TOR doctors and nurses The North
western furnished special train and
dozen doctors and four trained
nurses departed for the scene.
Among the buildings wrecked were
the Central school building, the Chi
cago Great Western depot, the Catho-
lie church, Parrott's wagon works,
Spencer's, Ebben's and Logan's sa-
looms, Hendee s. Sivley's wagon facto-
ry, st. Charles Furniture House and
stock, L. Sheridan's jewelry store, So
renson's store, Stevenson's elevators
and SHELLS elevator.
Almost every building OF the main
street had its front torn off and was
partly or wholly unroofed. Part Of
the high school was torn away, the
Congregational church and big livery
stable unroofed, opera house greatly
damaged, and the new flour mill dam
aged to the extent of $4,000.
There was not dollar of tornado
insurance on building destroyed.
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.
W. ". S11tecnuch, d idrucr, Gob III
his wagon to drive home. He had
plow in the wagon. The wind lifted
the plow and drove the share through
his neck, almost severing his head.
VIM. Mitchell had his hand on Critten-
denis shoulder when the latter was
killed, but Mitchell escaped.
Mr.. Crittenden was afflicted with
cancer of the stomach. lie had just
consulted doctor and was told that
he could not live.
In Spencer's saloon, young Spencer
jumped under billiard table and was
unhurt, although the saloon was to-
tai wreck. Negro Cal crawled out
from under the ruins unhurt.
Two miles northeast of St Charles
the storm struck two farms owned by
johnson and Pike. Johnson's young
daughter was seriously crushed and
Pixies son was killed.
Many farm buildings were badly
damaged and all those owned by John
Simons at Altura were destroyed. The
total damage cannot be estimated.
The storm started at St Charles,
from there proceeded through Bethan,
Altura, Rolling Stone and across the
river into Wisconsin. 1t died out af-
ter passing Independence.
When the big furniture store fell,
Mr.. Beckway, manager, struck fall
jung wall. His skull was crushed and
he cannot live. The store, two-story
building and basement, is total loss
with the stock.
At the depot which was demolished
one freight car was destroyed and one
torn from the truck.
Mrs. G. Sorenson was in the build
ing when it collapsed. The front was
torn out and the building fell into the
street. She walked out on the street
unhurt. The same circumstances hap
pened to Mrs L. Sheridan when that
building collapsed.
Three teachers were in the school
building when part of it blew away.
They escaped unhurt. Fortunately
school was not in session.
George Jepson, u farmer, was in the
city with his wife. He was OIL the