Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-08-16
TORNADO SWEEPS
LA CROSSE.
HIGH WIND ACCOMPANIED BY
BLINDI--G RAIN AGAIN VISITS
RIVER CITY.
LOSS ESTIMATED AT S25O,OOO.
Many Excursionists and Picnic Parties
Are Caught in River, But No Loss
of Life Is Reported.

LA CROSSE, Wis, Aug. 12.-TSpe-
cial. Looming out of a blue sky that
promised nothing but clear weather, the
most severe tornado that ever struck La
Crosse swept through the city at s
o'clock Sunday morning The damage
is estimated at $250,0O0. For fifteen miu-
utes the storm ragged, working havoc to
factories, residences. churches, business
houses, and bringing to earth hundreds
OF beautiful shade trees. The wind was
accompanied by binding rain.
Great Loss of Property.
The places that suffered damage were:
Michel Brewing company, chimney blown
down, loss $4,000.
Lstman flour mill, almost completely de-
StrOyed loss $4,000
German Lutheran church. Il stccple blown
off, loss $1,000.
st. Joseph's Catholic cathedral stceple
blown off, loss $1,000.
William Grams store crushed by falling
tree, loss $500.
John Fuller's store crushed by falling
tree, loss $500.
residence of Frank J. Holmes crushed
by falling tree, loss $1,000.
I. j. Farlan's house unroofed. loss $4oo.
Segclke & Kohhaus Manufacturing com
pany, SmOkeStack blown down and the roof
blown off, loss $500
Norwegian Lutheran church. walls
cracked and cupola turned loss 5000.
Other losses of u minor nature have
been reported, bringing the total damage
up to quarter of a million.
Lawns Are Ruined. ~-s:
ETe"y tree in the yard Of John +.
Bird, superintendent of schools, was
felled or damaged. The house stands in
scene of ruin impossible to describe.
III us ~ III;
uSo9i"lioi p = Eoeii[ ~ ii3t III
ciuuIhS some OF La SfQsSe WeaIthieSt
RESIDENTS: The homes OF \. IL. " lthce,
u. h. Mariner, John Z. Burns, Mary Ii.
Davis. Joseph Gutman, DR.. E. n. Cat
tcrdam, George II. Ray, q. r. MOnta
que, Isador Schilling, Mrs ]. W. Loscy.
Mrs. c. l.. Coleman, John Paul, w. w.
CargiIG, ". $. Cargill, James Vincent,
Il. T.. Edwards l. + EaSton. and many
others are among those damagrd.
The houses in none of these eases arr
damaged to any extent. but the beautiful
lawns, gardens, and groves. the result OF
years of care and expense. are destroyed.
on.o. Co., Co.,.
olhel io"hS Suhel'
Reports from neighboring towns since
communication has been rcoDcned show
that considerable damage was done
though not so much as at La Crosse. At
Sparta, Leon, OnaIaska, West Salem,
AlnuOra, and the country round about.
roofs were taken off and trees torn down,
No reports of loss of life have been re
,'' p0''i'''
Swim to Shore.
The storm struck the city inst at the
time when most of the Sunday excur
siOnists were setting out for the day
The river was lined with rowboats and
other small craft and a great number of
these were swamped Wien the tornado
came suddenly upon the city. \ few
minutes warning was given by the al
most total darkness that prevailed for ::
snort time before the storm Many OF
me eAcursloillSts TOOK advantage OF TINS
anu loWtG 10 ne SHORE; Inc othefS
VIZ cdusnt Win me liIi lo[ce Oh !he
t9filaqo ana only escaped by apahdonlhS
SneiE ooatS ana swimming 10 the river
oanAs' nr:x,., E
mhaoulouS ESCAPES
The escape of the people in st. Jo-
seph's Catholic church and the German
Lutheran church was almost miraculous.
T.. IL