The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-06-25
Over $50 Houses Are
Wreckedor Damaged
Last Evening.
THREE NEAR DEATH
Flight of People to Cellars
Undoubtedly Saved Many
of Their Lives.

OF lnelI Lives.
Watertown, S. D.-(By Associated
Press)--Daylight disclosed wreck
ed and debris-strewn Watertown. The
storm struck first at Birds avenue,
south, extending south to Sixth ave-
nue. and cutting through for sixteen
blocks, leaving the residence section
at Tenth street east and First ave-
nue. south, and running to Fourth
avenue south.
Several large church and school
buildings were, just missed by the
storm, which missed the business por
ton of the city entirely The tele-
phone and electric light wires went
out with the storm and great con-
fusion followed. A score or more were
injured, several possibly fatally.
The storm struck near the South
Dakota Central round house in the
southwestern portion of the residence
section, wiping out or damaging be-
tween $50 and 800 buildings, ma
jority of them expensive homes.
The property damage will run
close to $500, 900. the exact total loss
being undetermined today.
Many Narrow Escapes.
Many miraculous escapes from
death in the storra are reported, some
families escaping from houses which
were completely demolished. Many of
the injured were caught by falling
timbers and limbs of trees while run
ming to places of shelter. Trees were
uprooted and blown for considerable
distances.
The storm lifted the big two-story
barn of John B. Hanton, left it turn
ed upside down on the roof of F. P.
Gould's barn, which was wholly
wrecked.
An incoming, Rock island passen-
ger train was caught in the storm and
all the windows blown ont of the Goa
ches. The only passenger injured,
however waseJack Ryan, who left the
train and tooksrefuge in ditch be-
side the track. He was cut about the
head by flying objects. a I'D
Special Report. l.i o., zsri,,
Watertown, 8. DIZZY long dis
tance telephone "A tornado struck
the southern part of the city of Wa
tertown at 7.401o'clock last evening,
ploughing path two blocks wide and
IS blocks long through that part of
the city, injuring "a people and de-
stroying partly or wholly at least
$50 houses. at a loss of $150,OOO.
That the twister was seen ap-
preaching by most of the people in
its path and that they nearly all
fact that none were killed outright.
AS it was only two of those in the
Easements were injured, according to
reports this morning.
A Typical Twister.
The tornado was typical one, a
great funnel-shaped cloud reaching
down to earth. 1t travelled slowly
and its force was not so great as that
shown at other times by these storms
but it was enough to crush hauses in
the center of its path like so many
egg-shells.
Today the stricken district is one
long stretch of debris, furniture
lumber and household articles of all
kinds spread about in confusion. All
kinds and degrees of damage was
done to buildings. Some were COM
pletely swept away and ground to
pieces Others were partly carried
off, while some were only un-roofed
or turned about on their founda-
tions or torn open. A heavy rain fol
lowed the storm and the contents o.
buildings unroofed or opened by the
wind were thoroughly drenched anc
generally ruined.
One Seriously Injured.
The more seriously injured are a!
follows:
James Hagen, badly crushed
thought dying last evening but bet
ter this morning.
fro ut Ysp11
broken skull.
Infant child of Mrs. Carl Brack
man, fractured skull, in serious con
dition but still alive this morning.
Mrs. Carl Backman, broken wris
and bruises.
F.. M. Gatchell, over 80 years old
badly bruised; thought dying las
night but will probably recover un
less the shock proves too great.
Mrs. F. M. Gatchell, cut about tn
face.
F. S. Thompson. broken arm an
cut in head.
Mrs. F. S. Thompson. leg broken
Mrs. F. M. Fulgum, bruised in tn
body.
Joseph Anderson and son Norman
both cut in the head.
Mrs. Alice Sauter, foot crushed.
Miss Elizabeth Porter, foot badl
injured.
Two Hurt in Cellar.
Mrs. Backman and her child wer
the only ones who went to their ce
lars to be injured. They were foun
covered with timbers and debris an
one of the first tasks OF the rescuel
was to dig them out.
The twister started in at the soutf
west corner of the city and travele
little northeast, through what
known as the ''fats." Most Of tn
houses in that part of the city wei