The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-08-30
PLENTY OF PEOPLE
CARING FOR INJURED
HEARTY RESPONSE WHEN
DISASTER IS KNOWN !.
Doctors and Nurses, Guardsmen
And Others Arc Doing Very
Great Service
Especial to Free Press.1
Tyler, August 23.-Two more
deaths brought the list to thirty
one.

Tyler, Mimi, August 23.-Adjutunt
ieneral w. F. Rhinow, IN command
4 Mankato, PipestOne and Worthing
ton national guard companies here in
charge to tornado relief work, today
issued an order barring all curiosity
seekers from Tyler. The adjutant
general directed that no one be al
lowed to get off a train unless he
has relatives in the village or is cont
ing here to engage in the work of
rehabilitation.
The order was the result of hun
dreds of persons jamming Tyler and
interfering with the relief and rescue
work Automobiles from Iowa, South
Dakota and many other points pour
\ ed into the town all day Thursday,
adding to the confusion while their oc-
cupants helped to consume the none
too large food supplies and took up
needed hotel room.
About twenty five young men who
alighted from the midnight eastbound
train were questioned on the station
platform by the adjutant and other
officers. When they admitted that
their presence was unnecessary all
were compelled to get back on the
train.
The Storm Area.
The area destroyed by the storm
includes a strip starting a quarter
mile west of Tyler at the Hans
Lauritsen farm and continuing through
the city for about eight blocks about
three blocks wide. The tornado
swept across Main street from west
to east, narrowing to block and
half on this street, then widening
again when it reached the residence
section. Had it been made to order, the
gale could not have made a cleaner
sweep Of the business houses. All
three banks, brick and concrete
structures, were destroyed, together
with three general stores, two har-
ness shops, three restaurants, two
pool halls, hardware store, furniture
store and other mercantile institu-
tions There are not more than one
or two stores in shape to do business
and these are without windows front
or back.
Water Pump Started.
The electric light and pumping sta
ton is out of business for some time
as far as lighting is concerned. but
the water pump has been started and
the reservoir was filled today Many
pipes are broken throughout the vii
lage, however, and the system is
working poorly.
Major G. A. Dahl of Mankato, medi-
cal officer of the Fifth Minnesota in
fantry posted signs ordering that no
water be used without being boiled
for twenty minutes.
The major said that with the in
terruption to sewer facilities he fear
ed an outbreak of pestilence should
the water be used without precau-
lions being taken.
The editor of The Tyler Journal,
although his shop was badly dam
aged, dug n job press out of the de-
bris and printed the signs for Major
DAHL
The village is under strict martial
law, no one being allowed in the
damaged area without pass signed
by General Rhinow. Forces OF
guardsren armed with rifles are pa
trolling every part of the devastated
section making sure that there is no
looting and keeping people out of
places where they might get hurt
by falling bricks or timbers.
Debris in Strees.
The center of Main street is piled
high with debris, lanes having been
cleared through it to allow the pass
age of teams hauling away boards,
plaster, brick and all sorts Of wreck
age Tractors also are beir5 used to
clear the street, hauling immense
loads to the dumping grounds.
Anyone having relatives living south
of the Northwestern tracks may rest
assured that they were not injured,
at least in their homes, as the storm
stayed north of the tracks.
The clock in the electric light plant
stopped at exactly 800 p. M, showing
that this was the time at which the
twister struck. After the building
had been partially wrecked, Engineer
ohm Brown discovered that the en-
ines were still running, ana although
re had been compelled to flee for his
fe, he went back inside and shut of
ne power. This act undoubtedly
aved lives, as the streets were fillet
18th tangled power wires.
The telephone exchange was wreck
ed and no phones except those used
by the railroad were working early
today.
Officials at the Key.
Officials of the Northwestern road,
Including superintendent Dickinson
= at Huron and Stewart at Brookings
hurried to Tyler and did great serv-
ice in getting the telegraph lines re-
stored and caring for traffic Both
are veteran telegraphers and tlthough
they had not done any of this work
for years. sat in at the key and sent
scores of messages reassuring loved
ones of the safety of their relatives,
or as the case might be, telling them
of tragedy.
Motion picture theatre managers
no doubt will seize the opportunity to
cry ego to the movies and escape
danger" as a result of the Tyler
storm. The local show house is
about block and half away from
the devastated region and none Of the
200 persons in it were hurt. In fact,
they did not know that anything
serious had occurred until after leav-
ing the theatre.
Theatre Used as Morgue.
The theatre last night was used as
a morgue and was filed with the bod :
lies of twenty nine of the
les of twenty nine victim5 of the