The Holly chieftain. (Holly, Colo.) 1897-1987, 1904-08-26
A DEADLY STORM
BRINGS DEATH TO ST. PAUL
The Tornado Kills Fifteen and Causes
Immense Damage to Two Cities.

st. Paul. Aug 22.-Death TO fifteen
persons and destruction to property,
both private and public, estimated in
round numbers at $4,000, 600, rode on
a screeching gale which tore down the
valley of the Mississippi about 8 o'clock
Saturday night from a point near the
confluence of the Minnesota and Mis-
sissipi rivers, near Fort Smelling. OF
this amount St. Paul suffered to the
extent of 81 100000 Minneapolis dam
age is estimated at $500, 600, while in
the outside districts it is feared that
$500 600 will not cover the damage done
to crops and farm property.
At about that point the fury of the
elements seemingly divided, and with
roar, descended on the Twin Cities and
their environs.
Beginning at point below Fort
Smelling is first known evidence that
the storm struck with damaging effect.
1t came from the southwest and, howl
ing in its fury, uprooted trees and de-
molished buildings in its pathway to-
ward st. Paul.
1t tore off two spans of the high
bridge completely. There 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
to the flats below where flying steel
Orders and heavy planks fell on sew
eraI small farm houses and. crushed
them
None of the occupants of these
hn oil la n
storm coming and taken refuge in the
caves in the hillside.
The storm tore along the fats, up
roofing trees on Harriet island, and
with a deafenng roar and the hiss and
| splash of falling steel it struck this
city. Here were located at the bridge
entrance on opposite sides of Wabash
street the Tivoli Concert Hall and En-
! pire Treater, both of which We're fairly
| crowded with men watching the per-
| formance.
Both buildings stood on the edge =.
| the bluff overlooking the river. with
sides of the buildings open. and were
| wrecked. The full force of the tor
nado struck them. The buildings be-
gan to sway and rock and the audi
| ence became panic-stricken.
Men and boys rushed over each 9th
er for the exits. Lights went out. and
the sheet lightning flashes, one fol
lowing the other with gun-fre rapid
ity, illuminated a scene of pandemoni
UNI which was intensified by the
crash of glass and the tearing of tim
bers as the frame structures gave way
| before the tornado.
Sections of the roof were blown
| through the air and landed in Third
street block distant.
Underneath the Tivoli were founG
the mangled bodies of Loren F. Ho
kinson, one OF the employees in tho
| concert hail. and George kwenton, one
| of the audience.
On the storm rushed, to the north
east, over the wholesale district ant
every building facing the south, from
| Wabasha street for blocks east or
| Third street had scarcely whole pane
of glass in any window, while many
on the opposite side werH aist
| broken.
| Roofs on several buildings were
rolled into bundles and dropped into
the street, flying plate glass mixet
with the rain, battered everything
which stood before it. and horses ant
carriages were swept along the streets
which, in an incredibly short space o
| time, were filled with water.
Wires were torn down and part o
| the city was in darkness. The higi
| buildings reaching skyward above thu
| smaller ones in East Third street were
| shaken to their foundations. The fine
| large plate glass windows were blown
in and in several the skylights were
| blown out.
In the path of the wind stood tn,
| large freight houses of the Oman;
, railroad, and the small section of thu
| east end, about fifty feet, standing a
| the extreme east side. was blown
| away.
Telephone service between TIL
! Twin Cities was cut for three hours
| while telegraph communication wa:
cut off entirely except through the me
dunn of the Associated Press.
Nearly all Of the business blocks OF
| Third street between Wabash and Sib
ley streets, distance Of five blocks
| were damaged. Roofs were blown of
plate glass windows shattered.