Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-24
PROVIDE SHELTER :
FOR 1900 VICTIMS
OF SUNDAY STORM
Death List in Minnesota Tor
nado Placed at a.; 10 or
Is Missing.

Fergus Falls, Mimi, June 23.-
Civil committees appointed at mass
meetings under the leadership Of
Gov. J. A. Burnquist have provided
shelter for the l,500 people made
homeless by Sundays tornado. A
proclamation was issued by the gov
ernor calling on all citizens of Min
nesota to raise funds for relief
work.
The death list stood at "A and 10
or IS injured or missing. Adjutant
General w. F. Rhinow reported
l67 injured in various hospitals.
Train service is restored.
Strict orders were issued to SOL
diers on patrol in the ruined district
to guard property in partially
wrecked homes and buildings.
Two more persons were taken
out of the ruins of the Grand hotel
late today, one being still alive. Sol
diers have not reached the base
ment of the hotel into which the
lobby collapsed during the tornado.
Some of the missing may be bur-
led there. it is believed.
Early estimates that the property
damage will reach $l,5OO,000 are re-
vised upward as the extent of the
damage is perceived.
All Churches Down. Z
All the churches were down.
The postofice and library were
badly damaged. The Great North
ern station and freight house
were demolished. The Northwest
ern College building also suffered
severe damage. An elevator of the
Ceres milling company was entirely
swept away. The Fergus Brewing
company building is only a mass of
ru.rs, and the Fergus Falls Sash and
Door Factory suffered the same fate.
George H. Woodhouse of Esther
Vile, Ia. arrived here only few min
utes before the tornado struck, to
take charge of the Grand Hotel,
which he owned. He was killed
under its ruins. More than twenty
large business buildings were en-
tirely ruined and virtually every
building in the downtown business
district suffered severe damage.
Many Of the city's most preten-
tious homes were built along the
shores of Lake Alice and the occu-
pants of some of these are thought
to have been carried into the lake
with the wreckage Of their homes.
Bank President Killed.
A. Brandenburg, president of the
First State bank of Fergus Falls,
was killed in the Grand hotel, where
he had taken refuge from the storm.
Charles Alexander, city attorney.
died at noon from injuries when he
was crushed beneath his home.
First news of the destruction was
sent by a telephone lineman, who
walked a mile out of the city and
sent a telephone message to St.
Cloud. 1t was relayed to Governor
Bufnquist, who Immediately ar
ranged for a special relief train.
Anchored BY Safe.
J. Sheehan and Oscar Carlson,
both of Camp Bell members of the
federal grand jury panel, were in
the Northern Pacific passenger and
freight station when the storm ap-
preached. The station was swept
away over their heads, but they
clung to the Office safe, which the
blast could not bulge, and were un-
harmed.
The hall clock in the Office of the
Grand hotel, a $4,000 structure,
registered 4:s2 when it was recov-
cred from the wreckage, showi ,g
the time the tornado struck Sunday
afternoon.
Fergus Falls is a city of $500, the
county seat of Otter Tail county,
1872 miles northwest of St. Paul, on
|fthe Great Northern and Northern
p,c;Ec r,;1ro,de