Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-23
SIXTY TO SEVENTY LIVES.
LOST, HUNDRED MORE HURT.
AS TWISTER LEVELS CITY.
Death and Destruction
Lie in Wake of Storm
at Fergus Falls.

FeTguS FaliS. Mlnn-, June 20s
Between sixty ard seventy
persons were killed and more
than a hundred were badly in
jUred by the tornado which
struck Fergus Falls late yes
t,Tday and tore through a large
section of the city, including
the business district. Thirty
eight bodies have been recor-
cred.
Al out 500 stores and residences
were demolished. A score or more
of persons are missing. The prop
erty loss will be several million
dollars. Virtually the entire north
west section of the city is in runs.
1t resembles the slashing arounu a
saw mill Public buildings and
churches were destroyed. Hospitals
are crowded with the victims. It
was said this morning that Fergus
Falls would be able 70 provide re-
lief for its suffering
Soldiers Search Wreckage.
State troops began searching the
wreckage shortly after daylight. 1t
is believed that more than a dozen
bodies are buried in the debris
which was the Grand Hotel. Fifty
persons were in this building when
the tornado came. About thirty of
these victims are dead.
Much of the residence district
south of the Red river is a waste.
Three Storms Sweep City.
Citizens said they believe that
three storms struck the city in
quick succession. Several persons
corroborated statements that three
funnel shaped clouds were seen.
The first apparently struck the
town from the northwest and tore
through the Lake Alice district.
This smash wrecked the Grand
Hotel. The second cloud brought
driving rain and approached from
the southwest. The third swept
over the eastern section from the
southeast.
100 In Hospitals.
Evansville, Mimi, June 2S.-FOr-
ty-seven persons are known to be
dead, $50 are injured and in emer-
gency hospitals, and property val
ued at $6OOO,OO0 is destroyed as a
result of the tornado which swept
through Fergus Falls late yester-
day afternoon. Relief work is un-
der way with plenty of doctors and
nurses on hand. There is a pos
sibility that the death list may
reach so when the ruins of the
Grand hotel have been thoroughly
searched as it is known many
bodies are still beneath the piles.
Special relief trains from the
twin-cities arrived at Fergus Falls
at 6 o'clock this morning
Farmer Killed.
Dumont. Mimi. June 23.-N.ChOl
DidIot, a farmer who lived on the
outskirts of this WALLACE, was killed
last night when a tornado demol-
ished his home. wrecked the pub
lie school building, the Lutheran
church and a half dozen residences.
Several persons were slightly in
jured
Dumont Is south of Gergus Falls.
Asks for Help.
st. Paul. Mimi, June 23.-The
first message from Fergus Fails
came to Governor Bernquist this
morning from Mayor George '.
Frankberg of the stricken city. He
asked for relief. F'rankberg said
the loss of life will be large; that
hundreds of homes and business
blocks are destroyed
Only meager reports were avail
able early today of loss of life and
property caused by a tornado
which swept Fergus Falls last
night. Both telephone and tele-
praph wires are down on all sides
of the city and efforts to reach the
scene of the storm in automobiles
state the roads almost impossible. |
1t is stated that two relief trains /
Hearing doctors and nurses have !
arrived and that other trains 7
hearing additional aid will reacn .
the scene soon
Train Swept From Track.
Railroad officials said they were .
unable to obtain accurate informa-
tion of the conditions caused by the /
storm Efforts to learn the num-
ber of persons injured when Great ,
Northern passenger train No. l,
known as the Oriental limited, was
swept from the track have been
unsatisfactory. Early reports said
that only one girl was injured and
her hurts were not of a serious ma
ture. No mention has been made
of the members Of the train
crews.