Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1908-07-02
DEATH AND RUIN IN
PATH OF TORNADO
Seven Killed in Storm Which
Wrecked Village of Clinton,
Minnesota.
SOUTH DAKOTA TOWN IN RUINS

Graceville, Kim, June 80. - Seven
dead, eleven badly injured and sixty
more or less injured and a property
loss of at least $145,00O is the record
of a tornado which wrecked the viii
lage of Clinton Saturday evening.
The storm covered an area of 800
yards wide and four miles long, and
a tour along the path of the stolm
yesterday showed desolation as con-
plete as it is possible to picture.
People who have experienced other
tornadoes say that this left the most
complete ruin in it's wake Of any in
their experience The marvel is that
SO few were killed and that the list of
injured isn't longer.
Havoc is Complete.
Coming to the village of Clinton the
real havoc is seen. All the southwes.
corner of the town is absolutely clean
ed out. Thirty-three houses were
completely destroyed and twenty-five
practically ruined.
itself to the people of Clinton. About
200 have to be cared for. The medical
aid is sufficient, as the doctors from
Graceville and Ortonville have been
in constant attendance for over TWEEN
ty-four hours. They have every case
handled in the best shape. But all
the clothing and property of those
whose homes are ruined are gone, and
the rest Of the village Is so small That
it is not able to give sufficient help.
The neighboring towns have resp ond-
ed magnificently, but 1t is not enough,
and something will have to be done to
help put those people on their feet.
Pukwana Almost Wiped Out.
Mitchell, S. D., June 30.-The little
town of Pukwana, in Brule county,
about fifty miles west of Mitchell,
was nearly wiped out Of existence
Saturday night by tornado, which
covered territory about quarter OF
a mile wide and did damage that will
take long time to repair.
The storm struck the place about II
o'clock, when the town was sound
asleep. 1t came with terrific force,
lasting about five minutes, but the
damage was awful The tornado came
from the northwest, leyeling houses in
its pathway.
Not House Escapes.
Between twelve and fifteen stores
and residences were entirely destroy
ed, and there is not house in the
town that was not wrecked to some
extent. People rushed from their
homes in panic, but they had no
place to go, and the darkness made
the disaster seem more severe than il
was.
Two large elevators were blown
down across the track, covering a
freight car. The depot was practically
wrecked, and the main track of the
road was c'osed to traffic for the day.
Crop Is Ruined.
Accompanying the tornado was a
hail and rain storm. The hail covered
section of country aobut three miles
wide and what the tornado failed to
do the rail storm finished. The entire
farming country passed over by the
hail storm was ruined, hardly a yes
tige of the once promising crop re-
naming to tell the story when the
light Of morning revealed the fearful
waste.
No One Hurt.
Telegraph and telephone wires were
wrecked in the storm and the Town
was cut off from outside communica-
tion except Sunday passenger tram
service.
Throughout all the storm there was
not person injured, which is consid-
cred miraculous on account of tie
flying debris through the darkness.
The damage to Pukwana is very large.
but no estimate could be secured OF
the loss entailed from the storms.
Small cyclones were reported about
ten miles east Of here, but the dam.
age was slight.