The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-08-24
A RAGING TORNADO
THAT SWEEPS THE CITY OF
ST. PAUL AND SEVERAL
ARE KILLED AND
~ WOUNDED.

Amounts to Millions-Wire
Service Is Utterly Demol-
ished--The Storm Is .I
Of Short Duration.
Other News.
St. Paul, Aug. 21.-Ssveral per-
sons were killed, number are. re-
ported missing and so 10 100 were
injured, some fatally; business
property and residences were dam
aged to the extent of perhaps ST.
900, 900; The massive steel bridges
across the Mississippi were wrecked
and strained; shade trees were lev
eled and much other damage was
done in St. Paul and Minneapolis
by tornado which broke over the
two cities shortly after 2 O'Clock
last night.
Apparently, the storm was of a
local character, for as far as can be
learned no damage was done in the
neighboring towns. The storm was
particularly severe in the business
districts of the two cities. Wind
ows were blown in and roofs torn
from immense Wholesale warehous.
es and the flood of rain which ac-
companied the storm did immeas-
urable damage to stocks of goods.
Dwelling houses, churches and
Eschools also suffered greatly.
Railroad traffic between ST. Paul
and Minneapolis was complately
cut off. The street-railway of both
SYSTEMS were: prostrated. For hours
after the storm had spent, its fury
it was impossible to get into COM
munication with Minneapolis, the
telephone wires being demoralized.
Rumors of great loss of life were
rife, but on being tracked to their
Ilsourees were found to be incorrect.
/ Practically every building on the
north side of Third street is wreck.
ed. The Habe-Hurst block, a.
tSsventh and Wacota streets, was
|unroofed, and the Economy depart
ment store was damaged TO the ex
tent Of $4,000, at Minneapolis
there was no one killed but many
were wounded.
The storm was Of short duration
Tasting not more than Is minutes
The devastation it wrought was ter
rife. The wind according to tn
, government weather observer, bleV
so miles an hour, coming from th
: southwest, Buildings were unrool
ed and fronts blown in, the cellar
being flooded By the rain whic
came in great waves along with III
wind. Electric wires were pros
] trated and many persons were il
iured by contact with electric wire
An excursion steamer, towing
barge on the river below ST. Pau
:, is reported to have been wrecked
Relief parties ia steam launche
9 have been dispatched to the ,rescu u
>, Il is said thei many lives were los
= there.
, The S.. Anthony elevator
:, Minneapolis WAS leveled. One pc,
: son is reported killed in enc win
of tha House oflhe GOOD Shepher,
>, which was blown down. A lit
d. girl was killed and ten Or twenl
> % women injured. As later repor
:, come in, il is thought the list
- the dead will be materially increa
= ed.
= The Pioneer Press building, a 1
~ story steel and brick structure, W;
~ considerably damaged. The win,
~ ows on the top floors were blown
~ ~ and a number of printers at wol
J" in the composing-room were sc,
- - ously cut'by flying glass. I'll
- . Western Union Telegraph Office {
. the eleventh floor of the Phone
~ Press building was flooded. A
70 immense skylight was crushed
y powder and the court in the cent
- =: of the building was filled with d
-, bris. The work of getting out t,
- Sunday edition was not interfsrr,
- with.
> About 100 residences in vario
parts of the city were damaged
y more or less extent.
rs The tornado came as a climax
g; a day of humidity and warmt
I'll Early in the evening there were
X dications of heavy thunder stor
as with lightning flashing and t
" thunder rolling distantly. Short
d. after 9 o'clock it began to rain Al
then to hail.
III A strong draft of wind came fre
eli the northwest, filing the air wi
debris. Then there was calm
10 a short space, the wind veered
ey the southwest and the tornado v
on in all its fnry., In down-to'