River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-07-16
HIGH WIND PLAYS
HAVOC IN CITY

Reservoir Mound, at the north end
of town, should be acclaimed and dec
Grated for its heroic defense Of this
city last Monday night when it held
off what promised to be destructive
twister and made the elements ex-
pend their worst force high in the air
instead of having clean sweep
through the heart of the residential
district.
About $3.50 low, scurrying clouds
from every point swirled into one
dense, greenish mass directly over
Reservoir Mound, hung there, just
barely grazing the top, for several
minutes and then, with roar of
wind. barragc of hail and the flash
and crash of lightning and thunder,
swept south over the city, it's forced
altitude alone preventing it from de-
vastating the entire area.
Telephone and electric lines all
over town and trees in every neigh
borhood were crashed to the ground,
and leaves and branches were strewn
all over.
Only one casualty is reported. A
lady tourist, who, with her husband
was spending the day and night in
Glen Park, was struck by falling
tree and her scalp lacerated SO bad
ly that it was necessary to take four
stitches in the wound. The tourists
were from Illinois, returning to Chi
cago after trip through the east
ern part of Wisconsin. They were
able to leave Tuesday. Their tent
was demolished and their car, in
which they were sitting when the
storm struck, was somewhat batter
ed by falling trees and branches,
About forty Glen Park trees were
felled, and many large branches were
broken off from others.
Every street in the city paid toll
in the loss Of beautiful shade trees
or big branches therefrom, and every
lawn was strewn with broken twlgs
and branches. In one or two in
stances the uprooting of a tree took
a section of sidewalk with it, while
falling branches tore. down electric
and telephone lines on many streets,
cutting off nearly all the service
for a while. Crews were out i'm
mediately and got several circuits
Strengthened out so that service
could be resumed, but many were
without lights and phone until the
following day or two
Harry Browns show tent on the
high school campus was blown down
and considerably torn and much Of
his show property was damaged. 1t
was before show time and none but
employees were there. No one was
injured. The crew put in busy day
preparing the tent and apparatus for
Tuesday, nights show.
The light service was cut off from
the chautauqua tent on the normal
school campus and the play Turn to
the Right" billed for Monday even
ing had to be cancelled. Buildings
in the immediate neighborhood broke
the force of the storm and saved the
chautauqua tent from being torn
down by the gale. In spite Of the
storm large crowd came to the
grounds and waited until it was GER
tain that the play could not be
staged.
Those who claim to understand
storms explain that this particular
wind cloud, forming after torrid
day, was held high over the city by
the mound formation over which it
was assembled, and these mounds
prevented it from sweeping inlmed-
lately down in "twister" form upon
the city.
The storm spent its fury over the
city, and the surrounding country
was visited only by more or less
heavy rainfall, accompanied by COM
paratively little wind.