The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-22
Cyclone WIPES
OUT MIN NESOT A
TOWN; BIG LOSS
OF LIFE RESULTS
More Than 80 Killed And
100 Injured In Village
Of Tyler
Motion Picture Theater,
Sheltering 200, About
Only One Spared
(Rv Associated Prees.l

-/-+ (By Associated FFGSS.J
Tyler, Mimi, Aug. 22:-Between
30 and 85 persons were killed and
more than 100 were injured by the
tornado which struck Tyler about
10 o'clock last night and tore the
town to pieces in a twinkling. Twen-
ty-seven bodies have been identified.
The tornado tore through the
heart Of the town, sparing only one
building, a motion picture theater,
in which 200 persons were sheltered.
The greatest loss Of life was in a
restaurant, Eighteen persons were
in the place when the brick walls
collapsed. Sixteen were killed and
the other two were seriously in
jured.
said that 125 injured victims was a
conservative estimate. In addition
to the business places, 40 residences,
the hospital, electric light plant and
other buildings were destroyed. .7
The storm ragged until 11:26 p. m.
tand dozens Of victims were pintoned
under debris for, two or three hours
before rescue.
The tornado roared into the city
from the east. Roofs were ripped
from stores and houses; crashing
glass whistled through the streets
der crashes before many residents
realized what had happened.
Destruction of the Tyler electric
plant and the city water works, with
the first shock Of the storm, plunged
the city in darkness. Rain whipped
vfciously across the growing
debris making rescue work imposst-
SbIe, hefore midnight. It was not un-
It'll early this morning that citizens
%kn oS SjntNtyTcT
towns OF the devastation. s ;.r
St Paul, MINI; Aug. 22.-The tor
islado which struck Tyler, seemingly
without warning, was one Of several
severe storms which swept parts OF
minnesota last night. Considerable
damage was wrought at Verde, in
southwestern Minnesota, and one
death was reported. -
DISPATCHES. received by the Asso-
Eiated Press from 'Mankato, Ivanhoe,
.FIorence- and Tracy, Minnesota and
fWatertown, S. D., all estimate the
death list at Tyler, as totalling 35.
The tornado which struck Tyler
aost its force as it travelled eastward.
AT Hastings it assumed the proper
ftions of a cloudburst, where long
stretch OF the Milwaukee tracks
washed out, seriously delaying traf-
3ic. h,.. -...
Two trains Of a large circus, billed
to show at Winona today, were
caught in the washout and will be
unable to give the afternoon per-
Rormance.
"A deluge of rain fell over south
eastern Minnesota, but with slight
damage to crops, which, with the ex-
ception Of corn, are harvested.
y., zr.-. 49, % T,,eo,.v,. 1
Tion received here today by courier
from Tyler said that the cyclone last
might caused the death Of IS persons
and that 135 persons were known to
be injured Tyler and Ivanhoe are
in Lincoln county and Ivanhoe is the
county seat,
Three of five patients in the Tyler
hospital were killed when the build
ing was destroyed. Miss Rose Mel
son, head nurse, made an effort to-
save one Of the patients-failed-an
lost her life. He'd body, buried be-
meath wreckage, was recovered this
morning. There were eight persons
in the building; only two escaped in
jury.
The storm struck the main street
and in swift succession it erunpled
the postoffice, drug store, q bank,
two restaurants and two pool halls
and then destroyed the electric light
plant. Suddenly swerving northeast
ward, it plowed the residence district,
where men, women and children We're
crushed to death or seriously in
cured in their homes. Some were
sleeping when death came. Some
were entertaining friends. Only q
few citizens received warning. Most
OF them fled to their cellars and es~
capped with bruises.
Home guardsnen from Pipestone1
arrived here this morning and as
sisted in the rescue work. Many of
the citizens were removed to- hos
pitfalls in neighboring towns.