The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-08-23
TORNADO Kills TWELVE
St. Paul and Vicinity Swept b.
Terrific Storm.
PROPERTY LOSS IS 100000

Buildings Demolished, Bridges Dam
aged, and Trees and Telegraph Poles
uprooted-Many Persons injured sy
Flying Debris.
St. Paul, Aug. 22-Death TO II per
sons. injuries tu many others. and de-
strucllOn 10 property both private AMI
public estimated in round numbers ut
81 600. 600 resulted from furious gallo
which tore down the valley OF the
Mississippi from a point somewher"
near the confluence of the Minnesota
and Mississippi rivers near Fort smell
ling. At about that point the fury OF
the elements seemingly divided, and
with a roar descended on the Twin
Cities and their enyirons.
beginning at point below Fort
Smelling there Is the first known eYi-
dcnce that the storm struck with dam
aging effect Il came from the south
west. and bowling in It's fury uprooted
trees and demolished buildings in It's
pathway toward St Paul.
II tore off two spans of the high
bridge as completely as ii they had
been unbolted from the rest OF the
structure and carted away by work
men. There the bridge connected with
the high BLUFFS al West ST. Paul. and II
is $50 feet above the river. This mass
Of steel was carried 20 the fats below.
where flying steel Eirdors and heavy
planks icll ON several small frame
houses of the natdwellers and crushed
them completely None OF the occu-
pants of these houses was hurt, they
having seen the storm coming and
taken refuge IN the caves In the hill
side. where they were safe.
The storm struck the city proper
near the Wabasha street bridge. com
plotely demolishng the Tiyoli theatre.
There was a vaudeville performance on
at the theatre which was fairly well
filled. TWO men we're killed by the
fall of the roof. and about n dozen
persons women performers and oIh-
ers. were buried in the ruins. Many ot
them were severely hurt before they
were cxtrica,cd by the fire department.
which rushed 90 the rescue as soon A.
the storm had abaIed it's fury Across
Wahasha street the Empire theatre,
two.stury brick house of the same
character as the Tiyoli. was unroofed
and otherwise badly damaged.
Nearly all of the business blocks on
Third street between Wabasha and
SibIey streets. a distance OF five
blocks. were damaged. Roofs were
blown off. plate glass windows shat
tered and huge signs sent scurrying
through the air like feathers tn"
Pioneer Press building. history brick
and steel structure. az the corner OF
Fourth and Robert streets, was liter
ally riddlod by the wind and flying
debris Nearly every window on the
south side was shattered. part OF the
cornice was damaged and a huge sky
lirht above the court was dashed 10
pieces. the glass falling like hail In the
corridors beneath, There was STAN.
podo among the printers al work IN
the composing room on the 18th floor
many OF them being cut by flying
pieces of glass.
The storm then rused on 10 the
northeast over the wholesale district
and mere the greatest destruction to
property was wrought After causing
havoc in ST Paul. the tornado swept
onward to Minneapolis and its sub
urbs. Here. however. the destruction
OF property was not so great although
telephone and telegraph wires were
torn down in great numbers. For
hours the Twin Cities were cut on
from any communication with the out
side world
OF the u fatalities. i've OF the vic
tins met death in st. Paul, four at
Waconia. a small station near Min
neapolis. and three al 81 Louis Park.
a suburb OF Minneapolis.