The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-08-26
MINNEAPOLIS HARD HIT.
Two Persons Killed and Enormous
Property Damage Sustained.


was visited by the most furious and
history. Hundreds of buildings were
badly damaged, all the great wire
systems were paralyzed, and thou
sands of beautiful shade trees de-
stroyed. Two persons were killed
and many more or less seriously in
jured.
The storm threatened long. the
clouds gathering about 6 o'clock, and
increased rapidly in fury until $50,
when separate storms, which a
gathered from north, west and east.
met with a roar above the center OF
the city, and
Fell in CIoudburst and Tornado.
For three minutes the wind blew at
the rate of ninety. miles an hour. and
rain and hail fell in torrents. Most of
the widespread damage was wrought
in three terrible minutes, during
which roofs and church spires, walls
and chimneys fell; windows in nearly
every business block and thousands OF
residences were sent crashing inward,
admitting tons Of water; poles and
wires fell, pa~ralyzing the service OF
telephone and telegraph. trolley and
electric lights.
The center of the storm was in the
downtown districts, and there IS
Scarcely a Business Block
in the district bounded by the river
and Thirteenth street, and Hennepin
and First n south that did not
lose windows, signs or a portion OF
it's roof.
Nicollet avenue and Sixth street
seemed the center of destruction. and
the scene in the rain-swepe, deserted
streets was appalling. Tons OF plate
glass crashed onto the pavement
from hundreds of windows, chimneys,
flying fragments of roof, and signs
dropped from the upper darkness onto
the sidewalks and were carried along
by the wind.
In the big stores, crowded with
panic-stricken shoppers, pandimonium
reigned, as the breaking windows
Gave Free Entrance
to the terrific wind and rain. The
crowds rushed for the basement stair
ways, children were roughly jostled,
women tainted or became historical,
and every establishment was the
scene OF a separate panic.
Thousands of dollars damage vas
wrought to the Glass Block and the
Guaranty Loan Building.
Nearly all the plate glass windows
Of the former were smashed, and the
rain, in almost a solid mass, blew
completely through the building, ruin
ing beautiful fabrics, goods and fur
nishings Of all kinds.
The mammoth skylight OF the Guar
anty Loan building
Plunged Down Twelve Stories
through the interior court, and ton
upon ton of water flooded halls and Of
fees.
The new addition to the city hospi-
tai was completely destroyed, the
probable loss being in the neighbor-
hood Of $50, 900. The operating
was also demolished, entailing a loss
of $4,000.
A span was torn away from the
Tenth avenue bridge and dropped
into the river below.
The Garden theater, with its tents
and seats, is mixed in one mass Of
confusion. The performance was in
full sway when the mighty burst of
wind struck the canvas and col
lapsed it.
Streets Become Impossible.
In many Of the streets after the
storm, broken glass was shoveled
away like frozen snow, and thorough
fares which had been made impassi-
BILE were roped of and closed to
traffic.
Many of the fine residence districts
Of the city suffered terribly. but the
greatest and %irreparable damage was
done to Minneapolis beautiful shade
trees. Thousands of them were brok-
en- of or twisted up by the roots, and
several streets, celebrated for their
beautiful trees, are left bare of foliage
and shade.
The south side Of the city suffered
most Hardly a tree is left standing
along. Portland and Park venue and
the entire side of the city is a
Mass Of spIintered Trunks,
fallen wires, broken windows and
damaged churches and homes.
Lightning struck several houses in
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