Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-08-26
KILLED BY A TORNADO.
Section of St. Louis Visited by
Terrific Wind Storm.
FAIR is HIT.
Utah State Building at Exposition
Wrecked-Storm Crosses River
Into Illinois.

nado swept across the northern part of
this city late yesterday afternoon, carry
ing all before it like chaff. 1t destroyed
property valued at 100000, killed two
persons as far as known, and injured
fifty, many of them seriously; almost
wrecked the north front of the Utah
state building at the fair grounds, shat
tering all the windows OF that side; de-
molished street car crowded with pas
sengers, all of whom miraculously es-
capped injury; piled dozens of telegraph
poles IN heaps in the streets; played
havoc with shipping along the river
front in the path of the storm. and
thence crossed the river, where it spent
in little towns and killing one woman
and lnjuring other persons.
Storm Was Unexpected.
So sudden was the furious visitation
that few persons had time TO prepare
themselves to meet it. Hundreds ran
panic-stricken through the streets and
sought safety in cyclone cellars in the
neighborhood.
The path of the tornado was well
marked. Wrecked buildings showed
where the wind had swept Trolley cars
were overturned and buried beneath
mass of telegraph and trolley poles. The
roofs of houses VERIFYING about the street.
Tall chimneys of factories were blown
over, crushing roofs and injuring the en-
plOyes of the plants.
Darkness Adds to Panic
Darkness settled over the entire dis
trict affected by the tornado, and this
added to the panic. Many superstitious
persons imagined that the world had
come to an end and began praying in the
streets. The wind spent most of its
force along the river front, and jumped
over the Mississippi, tossing boats about
One ferry boat came near swapping
and the passengers were thrown into q
state Of terror. 1t was ON the Illinois
side of the river that the storm seem2d to
gather in fury. Madison, Venice, and
other small towns suffered from the fury
of the elements.
Seemed Like a Gigantic Arm.
When the tornado struck st. Louis IL
began its work OF destruction about five
blocks west of the river. 1t was about
a block and a half in width, and when
it swoOped down upon the district watch
ers who saw it approach declare that II
was like a gigantic arm and that it
reached out, grasping the objects lying
in its path and twisting them about like
straws. After it had swept down to the
river it seemed to bound clear across the
water to the Illinois side.
Boats Suffer Severely in Storm.
A number of boats were on the river
and they suffered from the violence of
the storm. Several skffs were over
turned and the occupants thrown into the
water. and even staunch ferryboats were
so tossed about that it seemed as if they
must sink.
In st. LOuis proper no bad effects Were
felt from the storm. 1t grew suddenly
dark and rain fell, but there was no in
dicatiOn that a tornado was raging near
by. However, after few minutes it be-
gan to be seen that n severe storm was
devastating the northern portion of the
city and before n call for help was sent
in from the district, fire engines ambu-
lances and patrol wagons were rushing
to the scene. The work Of caring for
the injured was begun Immediately anG
many of them We're taken to hospitals.
Dead and Injured.
The dead:
JOHN ELLINGTON.
Partial list of the injured:
Jacob Harmeste. shoulder dislocated.
William II. Linham, cut
Edward PapisOn, badly cut.
Girtwood Powinski, burned by live wire
seriously.
William Fouche, leg broken.
Louis McCuilin leg broken.
Herman Sauerwine, aged 10; arm broker
and crushed: will probably die.
William Bigger, bruised.
w. ii. Iargan, cut ana bruised.
William YOrlcke, leg broken.
Six employees in Niedringhaus rolling mill:
not seriously; names unknown.
Thomas III. SOmmers. cut on face auG
body.
Jacob Haemerle, cut and bruised on right
arm and shoulder.
w. Fricke, scalp wound and injuries OF
right leg
Fred Polinski, righthand burned by live
wire.
William Dickhoener, cut on elbow.
Storm Comes Without Warning.
A shower passed over st. Louis earlier
In the day, but there had been no rain III
North st. Louis. The sky had cleared
and the atmosphere had become very
murky and hot when citizens in NORTH
st. Louis noticed q dark cloud approach
ing from the southwest.
Suddenly, and without the slightest
premonitiOn, an arm seemed to shoot to
the ground like gigantic cable, twisting
and turning. The end touched the grounC
at Nineteenth and Angelrodt streets, anC
with incredible swiftness and force swept
east along Angelrodt for ten blocks, then
turned north and swept three blocks along
Broadway, when it jumped eight blocks
northeast to the foot of Brennan street
and the river, where considerable proper
ty along the river front was destroyed
Utah State Building Damaged
The force of the storm blew in the
north windows of the Utah state build
ing at the worlds fair grounds and rain
did damage to the carpets and tapestries
estimated at from $50 to 5000.
A calm settled over the city inme6i-
ately after the storm and no rain fell
Ambulance9 were rushed to the scene
and fire departments responded from ala
directions. The storm was seen from ST.
Louis proper and ambulances and fire
men were speeding on their way long be
fore messages asking for assistance were
delivered by messengers. The telephone
wires were all down and telephone COLL
munlcation was cut off.
A terrific thunder storm broke over
st. Louis early last night and rain fell
I'D torrents, accompanied by heavy vino
The weather bureau reported that 81
Of an inch of rain fell within ten min
utes and the velocity of the wind was
ffty-two miles an hour.
Tornado Toys with Ferry Boat.
The tornado then jumped to about the
middle of the river and encountered fer
nv boat, which was turned and tossed
about but was not sunk. Leaving the
ferry. the capriciOus tornado once mort,
jumped and struck the Illinois shore near
Madison, where it demolished several
dwellings, the Liederkranz hall, and blew
works. killing John Ellington.
Severe damage was done also to b,;ild
ings in Venice and Granite City, which
adjon Madison, and number of persons
were injured.
MANY remarkable eScaDes from death