The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-07-08
Damage Is Estimated At
Above $500
.TREESTORN FR0MEARTH
S gns CrumpIed Up and Store
Front Shattered BY the
Heavy Blasts

when trees were uprooted, wires
knocked down by the force OF the
wind, some roofs blown OH. chimneys
demolished and other damage done.
The sky had been clear all day and
I'D to about six o'clock in the even
ing when threatening clouds began
TO come up from the south and urht
of toward the west IN the dlrection
of New Ulm. The Wlnd winch mag
been steadily blowing from the south
suddenly veered to the west at eight
O'Clock anu dark low hanging clouds
quickly overspread the sky from that
direction mailing II very DARK; "A
few moments later the wind broke
from the west, striking the city with
great force and accompanied by
heavy downpour OF ram. Things Ger
fanny looked serious for time with
heavy signs crumpling before the
WIND, ana branches OF trees and other
light material lying with the WIND.
Inc height or the sLolm couIa not
have lasted more than fifteen minutes
lu,t during that time raised haFock In
many parts of the city.
AS laI d. Ca. Dc - Gfneu the udui
age from last nights storm was large
!! Ill TIE immediate vicinity OF Man
kato While there was nigh Wlnd
over at Kerns the direction from
which the storm came, there was not
aerial damage done there. The
wind did seem to drop down in North
Mankaro. however and did consider
able damage in the way OF uprottlng
tees, leveling wires etc. One strange
freak of the storm was that in East
Manhalo there was scarcely any wind
Sibley Park north to about Columbia
Park on the north end was directly
in the path of the wind.
Heavy Loss To Phone Company.
Trees falling on telephone wires
caused upwards of $500 damage to
both the Tri- State and Citizens tele
phone companies plants, and ii will he
perhaps a week before the lines will
be gotten back to tneir normal con-
dition. Over one thousand telephones
were put out Of commission in Man
kato and immediate vicinity during
the storm. Manager P. NJ. Ferguson
of the Citizens company, stated TO
The Free Press this morning that all
toll lines out Of the city will be work
ing at least temporarily this evening.
He respectfully asks the patrons of
the company to have patience, for
he has had a large rev Of men out
the entire night making repairs.
Everything in the power of the COM
pany is being done TO make the re-
!; is as fast as possible, and Mr..
al telephones working again in three
y. foCr days, temporarily at least
The Tri State company was hard
hit on Owatonna Street from point
on west Front street to point east
OF the Milwaukee tracks. 1t became
necessary last night 10 cut the Tri-
State wires on the entire lead in or
das. ~ LOT fhn
train proceed to Mapleton. The Cti-
Gems telephone company were forced
to use the same tactics on the ST.;
Peter road crossing of the North
western and Omaha tracks. where the
entire lead was cut to permit the
passenger trains to enter the city.
The havoc to the wires at this point
and in fact in all parts of the city
was due to large trees falling on the
wires. The Citizens telephone com
pany was also hare nit in North
Mankato and along Poplar street, in
fact along the river front According
to the statement of both Frank Gauth-
Ter, wire chief of the Citizens Tele-
phone company, and P. NJ Ferguson
manager of that company, West Man
kato and the section of North Man
kato directly west were in the direct
path Of the storm, and were the hard :
est hit. Hundreds OF trees were up
rooted in those sections of the CITY.
Reports, from Kerns, received by
the telephone company, state that
while there was a high wind accom-
panied by heavy cownpour of rain,
there was no material damage in that
section. What was true at Kerns was
also true at Good Thunder. Mapleton
also escaped the fury OF the wind.
Could Not Beat Storm.
A party returning from st. Peter
last evening ran into the fury oil the
fore crossing the Northwestern track
They were running fast trying to get
into town as were other cars, when
che storm struck with all its force. II
was impossible to see an inch in front
OF the car and the wind rocked the
car from side to side. Luckily the car
was heavy enclosed one, which far
Cd much better than the Ford in back
OF 1t, which had the top ripped off
and was turned completely around in
the road. The man driving II resides
at LIE Sueur and was hurrying to one
OF the local hospitals, having received
q call that his wife who Is receiving
treatment here was very Ill. Branches
were flying In all directions and II
was not long before wires began tc
fall on the cars. After the storm abat-
ed somewhat the Sedan managed to get
free from the wires and proceeded on
Its way, only to be stopped by an
other party Of tourists from Minnea-
polls, who stated that more wires
were down and upon investigation II
was found that about seven poles were
down and a regular network of wires
were across the road. and also across
the railroad track. The bluff road was
The only salvation. and the cars which
Numbered FIVE in the party turned
around and carefully drove into the
city over the blum road Tree and
branches were down aicng the road
and enc fieid of corn looked as though
someone had moved the tops off the
stalks, and still anolner was laid fiat
Besides the sheets of rain that fell
= that was much hail mixed In with it
There Was General UpheavaI.
The chimney on the residence OF
Thomas Cummings Of LIE Hitler was
Blown Of during the storm and q
humber of trees blown down. Other
barts OF the village suffered in a like
manner: One of the chimneys on the
Thomas Warrenson residence in West
Manhate was blown OF. A residence
Under construction by Chas. Selleck
lust west Of the Milwaukee tracks on