Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-08-31
HAVOC IN NORTH w EST
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADosTRIKES
81. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS.
Sis teen Lives Are Lost and Property
Damage Amounting to More than
$3,o0o,oOo Is Done-Two Theaters IN
Minnesota Capital Unroofed.

|
itory in brief OF the storm which
swept down the Mississippi valley
Saturday night and visited it's fury
| upon st. Paul and Minneapolis.
Aside from its force, 1t was the most
remarkable tornado which this sec
ton OF the country has ever expert
cnced. Two theaters were wrecked.
while frail structures less than block
away were not injured. Huge Office
buildings were shorn OF glass as
though they had been made targets
for siege guns. Two spans were swept
from a bridge, leaving the remainder
of the structure intact. The middle
was cut out of long freight shed as
though planned and performed by
trained workmer. All this By a storm
which lasted less than thirty minutes.
Reports are that n large portion Of
the town of Waconia is wiped out
Four persons are known to have per-
ished Over two score are injured and
1t Is feared many OF these will die The
property loss there 10 enormous. Large
factories, incluu1ng the plant of the
Minneapolis Sugar Beet Company, are
IN ruins. The depot of the Minneapo-
lis and St Louis Railroad was blown
from its foundation and destroyed.
Numerous dwellings We're wrecked.
Waconia has Il population of 400 and
s located forty miles southwest of st.
Paul
Beginning at a point below Fort
Smelling there is evidence that the
storm struck with damaging effect. 1t
came from the southwest and bowling
in its fury uprooted trees and demol-
ished buildings in its pathway toward
st. Paul
1t tore off two spans of the high
bridge as completely as if they had
been unbolted from the rest of the
structure and carted away by work
men. The bridge connected with the
high bluffs at West st. Paul and it Is
$50 feet above the river. This mass
of steel was carried 10 the flats below,
where flying steel Orders and heavy
planks fell on several small frame
houses of the fiat dwellers and crush
ed them completely. None of the &C.
cupants of these houses was hurt, as
they saw the storm coming and took
refuge in the caves in the hillside,
St. Paul Thcaters Crushed.
With a deafening roar and the hiss
and splash of falling sheets OF rain
the storm struck St Paul at the Wa
basha street bridge Here were To-
Gated on opposite sides of the street,
the Tiyoli concert hall and Empire
Theater. both of which We're crowded.
Both buildings stood on the edge of
the bluff overlooking the river. with
the sides open. When the buildings
began to sway the audiences became
panic stricken. Men and boys rushed
5yer each other for the exits The
lights went out and the rapid light
Nng flashes illuminated scene Of
pandemonium, which was intensified
by the crash of glass and the tearing
of timbers as the frame structures
gave way before the tornado. Sec
tons of the Tivoli roof were blown
through the air and landed in Third
street a block distant.
Tin roofs on several buildings were
rolled in bundles as one would roll a
huge sheet of paper, and deposited in
Ihe street Wires were torn down
md part of the city was in darkness.
The high buildings reaching skyward
above the smaller ones on East Third
street were shaken to their founda-
tons. The fine large plate glass win
dows were blown in, and III several
skylights were blown ou5.
The German-American Bank Build
ing, the Pioneer Press Building, ten
and twelve story structures, had
scarcely whole pane of glass left
above the second or third story on the
sides exposed to the storm. These
with the First National Bank Build
Ing. on East Fourth street, and several
wholesale houses farther east. had the
appearance of having been bombarded
by battery of guns.
In the path Of the wind stood the
long freight warehouse of the Chicago
Milwaukee and st. Paul Railway, and
section of this building about 400
feet long was shattered
The large dormtory of the House
Of the Good Shepherd, a two-story
frame building adjacent to the insti-
tuition. collapsed during the storm,
burying fifty children in the ruins.
One child was killed and score Of
others were hurt, including one of the
sisters of the house.
Damage in Minneapolis.
The center of the storm seemed to
hit the business district of Minneapo-
lis at the corner Of Nicollet avenue and
Sixth street Here the immense front
of the Glass Block was blown out and
huge skylight carried off. the rain
doing damage TO stock that cannot be
estimated. All Of the stores in this
district suffered damage to stock.
The street car service was tied up
until noon sunday, trolley wire, ein2
down in all parts of the city as the
result os falling trees. Many Of the
fac residence districts suffered terri
bly,. but the greatest damage was done
to Minneapolis beautiful shade trees
Topographic BrevitIes.
The Standard Oil Company will begin
the construction OF an eig8t-inch pipe line
from the Kansas oil fields 10 Whiting,
! tod A. S1E