Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1920-06-11
STORM SWEEPS STATE
SEVERAL LIVES LOST. MANY
. INJURED AND MUCH PROPERTY:
~..' LOSS IN TORNADO.

Several people were killed and scores
were injured in tornado which swept
eastern North Dakota and Minnesota
Tuesday between the hours of and 8
p. M, wrecking business houses, dwell
ings, trains, blowing down trees, etc.
The storm seemed to be the worst at
Foxhome, a village about ten miles west
Of Fergus Falls, where seyeral business
buildings, church and numerous
dwellings were wrecked.:.A passenger
train on the Northern Pacific near
Foxholm was hit and -four passenger
coaches wera derailed, injuring more
than hundred persons, several Of them
fatally. f., ;,4.-; sss:
Little Falls, although apparently in
the storm area, suffered no damage
whatever. The wind was very strong
and heavy rain fell but no property
damage resulted. A few miles south
Of town a number of trees were felled
in one spot.
All around Little Falls damage was
caused. At Royalton the roof of barn
was torn off, big trees were torn up
and other damage caused. 1t Bowlus
the roof Of the hotel was torn away,
a number Of chimneys were knocked
down and many small buildings were
wrecked. The lights were put out of
commission there. !:
AT Grey Eagle one fatality resulted,
Mrs. C.. W. *Wilke, ,4aa aged woman,
died from injuries sustained. An ele-
vator at Grey Eagle was damaged. At
Birch lake nearby, every cottage on
the north shore except the Davidson
cottage was wrecked. Mr.. and Mrs.
John Wetzel of Little Fails were in
their cottage at the time and Mrs.
Wetzel suffered slight injuries as the
result of being caught by the wind
while standing in the doorway and
carried outside. In some strange man
ner she was carried under the door
steps, which probably saved her life.
Mr.. Wetzel and Mrs. returned to Little
Falls Thursday morning.
The 3-year-old son of Louis Wolfram,
Ia farmer living on the south shore of
Birch lake, died from injuries received.
The little fellow was on his way from
the barn to the house when tree fell
on him.
No accidents or damage were repo1 j.
ed from Swanville, Burtrum or Randall
At Green Prairie cow belonging to
j. w. Hanson was killed by lightning,
At the Jos. Anderson place, also in
Green Prairie, a hay rack was lifted
from the wagon and carried a quarter
|of q mile into rye field. At Ward
Springs new $4,000 barn was demol.
|ished. AT Mound Lake the W. II.
North cottage was picked up and car.
ried several feet by the wind. The
Lewis and Warren cottages nearby, were
but slightly damaged. Buildings on
nearby farms were damaged, two barns
and a. windmill being wrecked.
Fergus Falls, which was hit by tor.
nado about a year ago, was touched by
this storm but the damage was slight.
Richard H6elmer, II, living on a farm
about' seven miles from Fergus Falls,
was killed when the wall in a barn in
which he sought refuge, collapsed. His
father, Robert Hoelmer, was injured.
William Roder, farmer living near
Gardner, NJ D., was killed when his
house was picked up and thrown into
a field. He was crushed under the
floors.
At Brainerd considerable damage was
caused Several small buildings were
destroyed. The new depot there was
also damaged. 80