The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-07-04

the opinion that the entire building
would have to be torn away. About
five cars of grain were in the bins
but none of it was damaged The
elevator was covered with sheet
metal, and this is scattered for a
quarter of a mile. The main struc-l
ture of the building was erected by
the Hubbard and Palmer company
about twelve years ago, and was
used as cleaning plant. Since this
time it has been taken over by the
Kasota elevator, and two additions
built on either side The two addi-
tons were torn apart about four feet
from the middle building.
Tall Smokestack Unniured.
The engine house was not injured
in the least, and the smoke stack
which stands 103 feet in the air was
not touched. No one was i'll the
warehouse at the time the storm
struck, SO no injuries are recorded.
The nightwatchman, Louis st. Peter,
had just made his rounds through
the building when the storm struck
about 1880 a. M, and as he passed
outside, the building was crushed
| like an eggshell. Had he been
few moments later he would prob
ably have been found in the mass OF
broken boards and piled-up machinery
| this morning The upper part of the
machinery and all the gears, pulleys'
and elevator apparatus is piled up
in the ruins. The pully perhaps
four feet in diameter, over which an
endless chain of elevator buckets is
operated, hangs about half way down
the side of the building, suspended
only by the strength of the elevator
chain.
Coal House Unmolested.
Less than hundred yards from
the building, and directly in what
seems to have been the path of the
twister, stands coal house, un-
touched. Not so much as single
. is blown off. The office of the ele-.
vator stands just across the Omaha
tracks, and little out of the path
of the cyclone. 1t was not injured.
Several trees were blown down in
the village of Kasota and window
was blown out of the Dewey house
but this is practically all the other
damage done. Between Mankato juno
ton and Kasota several trees have
been uprooted but no buildings were
damaged. At ST. Peter some trees
were also blown out of the ground
and few windows smashed.
1t cost in the neighborhood OF
100000 to erect the elevator, and
its capacity was about 100000
bushels.
John J. LaDue, manager of the
elevator which was demolished, says
that the company will not rebuild
1t will probably be entirely torn
down and removed in this way from
the Omaha tracks.
Barn Was Destroyed.
A barn belonging to G. c.. johnson
who lives east of Kasota was de-
stroyed by the wind, but all the stocf
was taken out of it without injury or
loss. Mr.. Johnson had no tornado
insurance. Around Kasota severa'
chimneys and number of shade
trees were blown down Telephone
lines to Minneapolis and ST Paul
were all blown down and there was
no connection from Mankato after
the storm commenced. One wire OPP
Grated by the Consumers Power com
pany into Kasota was struck by
lightning and the line was out of
order until this morning.
I Mankato did not suffer seriously
from the storm The awning on the
west side of George E. Brett's store
store was torn off, but other thar
that no damage was done. The
Northwestern telegraph line from the
freight depot to Kasota was temper,
arily out of order this morning.
Storm in ST. Paul.
st. Paul, June ga heavy cleo
trical storm broke over st. Paul and
vicinity at 1:30 a. m. today, attended
with high winds and rain. For al
most an hour the lightning flashes
maze the down town streets almoS
as light as day with the frequency
and brilliancy of the discharges.
While asleep in their apartments at
| 22S West Seventh street, Mr.. and
Mrs. Grant d. Spicer were enveloped
in cloud of SCOT and ashes cas-.
from the chimney by bolt of light
ming, which entered at the house top.
after it first had struck an iron pipe
and passing along this, had blown
into fragments all the chimney caps
of the roof
Several bricks were loosed from
the basement portion of the fiue.
The two were awakened by the
shock, and then felt the cloud of
lust settling down on them. Neither
was injured, except for the temper
ary shock. Mr. Spicer said that the
damage would be small
Was in Minneapolis, Too.
Minneapolis reported heavy
storm, but no accidents had come
to the notice of the police and fire