Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-22
DEATHIN FURIOUS GALE
TORNADO DEVASTATED WIDE
SECTION IN TWIN CITIES.
Twelve Killed and -Four Dying-Prop-
erty in Business District damaged
$1,000, ooo-other Points.

dispatch from ST. Paul, MINI. last
night says: Death to twelve persons lnlu-
ries to many others and destruction 10
property both private and pubic, esu-
mated in round numbers at S1,OoOoo, re-
suited from a furious gale which tore down
the valley of the Mississippi at about
o'clock last night from point somewhere
near the confluence of the Minnesota ana
Mississippi rivers, near Fort Smelling AL
about that point the fury of the elements
seemingly divided, and with a roar de-
scended on the twin cities and their envi-
rons.
The dead are: Lorin F. Hokanson, killed
at Tivoi Theater; George Kwenton, killed
at Tivolf Theater; unknown child. killed by
falling walls of dormtory at House of the
Good Shepherd: Richard Hillisbeck. opera
tor at Minneapolis Junction, killed by
lightning; unknown woman; ,,t h,nert f od in
neapolis; six-year-old son of Frank Hedges.
killed at ST. Louis Park; unknown girl
killed at ST. Louis Park: four unknown
dead at Waconia, a small station twenty
miles west of Minneapolis.
The missing are: Edwin Gillert, who was
one of the last persons seen In the Tivoli
Theater during the calamity.
The fatally injured are: William Lungby,
skull fractured: Mrs. Robert Younger,
caught in collapsed house, injured inter-
nally; sister at the House Of the Good
Shepherd. name unknown, injured inter-
nally and body badly cut and bruised; I'M
known child, House of the Good Shepherd
buried beneath debris.
There are many others less seriously
hurt.
Tore Off Two Spans Of Steel Bridge.
The storm tore off two spans of the High
bridge completely as if they had been
unbolted from the rest of the structure and
carted away by workmen. There the bridge
connected with the high bluffs at West St
Paul. and 1t is 1870 feet above the river
This mass of steel was carried to the fats
below, where flying steel Orders and heavy
plankS fell on several small frame houses
Of the fiat jewellers and crushed them COM
pletely.
Underneath the debris of the Tivoli were
found when the storm had passed the
mangled bodies of Lorin F. Hokanson, one
of the employees in the concert hall, and
George Kwenton, one of the audience
The storm then rushed on to the north
east, over the wholesale district, and here
the greatest destruction to property was
wrought. After causing havoc in ST. Paul
the tornado swept onward to MINNEAPOLIS
and its suburbs. Here however, the de-
structlon or property was not so great, al
through telephone and telegraph wires were
torn down in great numbers. For hours
the twin cities were cut off from any com
munication with the outside world
Many Business Blocks Damaged
Across Wabasha street the Empire Thea
ter, two-story brick house Of the same
character as the Tivoh was unroofed and
otherwise badly damaged.
Nearly all of the business blocks on Sd
street between Wabasha and Sibley streets
a distance of five blocks, were damaged
ROOFS were blown off, plate-glass windows
shattered and huge signs sent scurrying
through the air like feathers
The Minnesota Club at tho corpar ~ AR
and Cedar streets, was damaged, while the
Globe office building, a ten-story structure
just across the street, escaped with but lit
tie injury, only a few panes Of glass being
broken.
The Pioneer Press building, thirteen
story brick and steel structure at the cor
ner of 4th and Robert streets, was literally
riddled by the wind and flying debris. Near
ly every window on the south side was shat
tered, part of the cornice was damaged,
and huge skylight above the court was
dashed to pieces. the glass falling like hail
in the corridors beneath.
Printers and Telegraphers Scamper.
There was a stampede among the printers
at work in the composing room on the
twelfth floor, many Of them being cut by
flying pieces of glass.
The Western Union Telegraph Office. on
the eleventh floor of the building. was
flooded by the sheets of rain that came In
through the broken windows, and the oper-
ating force was compelled to make hasty
exit. The general manager of the Pioneer
Press Company states that beyond the
broken glass the building was unchanged.
The wholesale houses on 4th street for
two blocks below Robert suffered extensive
damage.
The Davidson building at the corner or
4th and jackson streets. was unroofe1, the
entire roof being picked up and blown on
top Of an adjoining building. stock or
furs stored in the Davidson building suffer-
ed damage.
The storm then swooped across Smiths
Park, leveling all of the shade trees and
damaged many of the big wholesale build
ings in that section.
Tornado Kills Four at Glencoe.
A dispatch from Glencoe MIMI, last night
says: A tornado struck the townships OF
Rich Valley and Bergen Saturday night,
killing four persons-Mary O'DonneIl. aged
thirteen, daughter Of Patrick ODonnell: the
seven-year-old son of Anthony O'Donneli
and Frederick Gross and his mother-and
destroying thousands of acres of grain ana
many barns, houses and sheds.
The storm extended over many counties.