The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-10-09
OF TORNADO.
Inc Village Of St. Charles Is Near.
~ Wiped out Of Existence
by Terrific Storm.
Seven People are Killed, a Num-
Der Injured. The Proper
ty Loss Very Large.

ty Loss Very Large.
Wlnona, Mimi, Oct. 5.-Seyen neo.
PIE dead and twenty-thrce injured.
over nifty buildings in ruins and a
property loss of at least $500, 900 is the
result of a tornado which ,swent S..
Cnaries Saturday afternoon about 900
o'clock.
Inc dead are: John Ebens, Sr.. VIM.
Ebens, Jr. will Adams, Oscar Critten-
den, George Jessen, Ed. Murphy and
Ed. Peters, Dover, Mimi.
st. Charles is a village of $500 in.
habltants on the western boundary Of
Wlnona county, and is one of the old.
est settlements in the state.
The tornado was formed bv the nm.
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 ,everv
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 a bus.
mess place left standing.
The country people had gathered in
large numbers in the main street to do
their customary shopping. At $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 a 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 over many a sicken-
ing sight.
Word was at once sent to Winona
for doctors and nurses. The North
western furnished a special train and
a 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 sCatho-
lie church, PARROTS wagon works,
| Spencer's, Ebben's and Logan's sa-
looms, Hendee & Sivley's wagon facto-
ry, st. Charles Furniture House and
stock, L. Sheridan's jewelry store, So
renson's store, S~tevenson'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 q dollar Of tornado
insurance on a building destroyed.
The storm came upon the town with
such suddenness that it vas filing the
air with the debris Of demolished
buildings before the citizens fully real.
lied the nature of the calamity.
w. Crittenden, a farmer, got in
his wagon to drive home. He had a
plow in the wagon. The wind lifted
the pillow and drove the share through
his neck, almost severing his head
VIM, Mitchell had his hand on Crittcn'
denis shoulder when the latter was
killed, but Mitchell escaped.
Mr.. Crittenden was afflicted witt
cancer of the stomach. He had just
consulted a doctor and was told thai
he could not live.
In Spencer's saloon, young Spencer
jumped under a billiard table and wa:
unhurt, although the saloon was a to
tai wreck. Negro Cal crawled out
from under the ruins unhurt.
Two miles northeast of st. Charles
the storm struck two farms owned bJ
johnson and Pike. Johnson's young
daughter was seriously crushed ane
Pixies son was killed.
Many farm buildings were badly
damaged and all those owned by Johr
| 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
liver into Wisconsin. It died out af
ter passing independence.
When the big furniture store fell
Mr.. Beckway, manager, struck a fall
mo wall. His skull was crushed ant
he cannot live. The store, two-storl
building and basement, is a total los
with the stock.
At the depot which was demolished
one freight car was destroyed and ONT
.., fuom the trnck. a