Evening star., 1950-05-06
| I Dead, Scores Hurt
AS High Winds Sweep
| Nine Midwest States
BY the Associoted Press


of destruction across the Mid
west yesterday. Seven persons were
killed and scores injured
Property damage across a nine
State area was expected to mount
into the millions of dollars.
The violent winds which
reached gusts of 100 miles an hour
in some areas battered the
wea tn er-weary North Central
States all day and into the night.
Tornadoes struck at two areas in
Minnesota.
There was snow. rain, hail and
binding dust. Flood waters
plagued some sections. A huge
low pressure area extended over
the entire North Central part of
the Nation.
The intense storm was over
Northern Minnesota early today.
High winds continued over most
of the Midwest, but the Weather
Bureau said they would diminish
during the day. The storm mod
Grated as it moved northeastward
into Indiana. Michigan and Ohio.
Livestock Losses Severe.
There was widespread damage
to homes. business buildings. auto
mobiles. power lines, poles and
signs. Livestock losses were heavy
in some States.
Three persons lost their lives
in the storm. which swept over
Iowa. Two were killed in Wis
consin and one each in Iebraska
and Texas. Two traffic deaths
in Illinois were attributed to the
storm.
The strong winds whipped
freshly fallen snow across the
western prairie lands of the Da-
kotas and Nebraska. About s
inches blanketed Central and
Western Nebraska early in the
day.
Winds above IS miles an hour
extended through the Dakotas,
Nebraska. Kansas, Missouri, Illi.
nois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wis
consin. Texas and Oklahoma
were about back to normal" after
Thursday nights tornadoes which
killed one person and injured sew
eral others. Tornado winds also
struck Kansas Thursday night, in
juring So.
Temperatures behind the storm
were cool, with readings in the 30s
in the Western Plains. In con-
trast, sultry. hot spring weather
was the rule of the advance edge
of the low-pressure area.
Lake Ports Blasted.
The wind struck down with vio-
lent fury at the twin ports of
Duluth. Mimi, and Superior. Wis.
on Lake Superior.
There was much damage to
buildings. Trees were uprooted,
power lines snapped and plate
glass windows caved in. At least
two homes in Duluth were de-
molished. The damage in Su-
perior alone was estimated at sew
eral million dollars.
The winds. accompanied by
heavy rain, reached velocities Of.
88 m. phi. The main business dis
trict and waterfront areas in Su-
perior were hardest hit by the
storm, which lasted only one min
ute. -Four were injured in Supe-
rior and 13 in Duluth.
The Weather Bureau reported
gusts of more than 100 m.p.h. at
Green Bay, Wis, and several sta
tions in Iowa said winds were
over 80 m.p.h., and 80 m.p.h. in
some sections, including Des
Moines.
Tornadoes which hit near Red
wood Falls, Mimi, and Maple
Lake, Mimi. destroyed several
farm buildings. No deaths or in
juries were reported.
Twelve persons were injured,
two critically, by tornado winds
which ripped near Horton, Kans.
There was heavy livestock loss
and damage to farm homes.
Dakotas Use SnowplOws.
Snowplows were hauled out
again in the Dakotas. Nine inches
of slushy snow fell in Western
South Dakota. Highway travel
was virtually halted in Central
and Eastern North Dakota.
Flood waters threatened Crooks
ton, Mimi, and Grand Forks,
N. Oak. The Red Cross evacuated
scores of families at Crookston as
the Red Lake River rose to 22.2
feet, nearly feet above flood
stage. Grand Forks faced a new
flood. threat from the Red River
after "a hours of rain and snow.
Fire, famed by the high winds,
destroyed 1000 sheep and large
feeding barn at the ST. ,J0SeDh
Mo-, stoekyards. Firemen were
unable to control the blaze. which
was whipped by wind gusts up to
rs m.p.h. Loss was estimated at
S1o5.0 900 by a stockyards company
official.
In Juneau County, Wis. forest
rangers and farmers fought a fire
which burned over some $50 acres
of farmland.
Red River Dikes Break.