Storm Story from July 1881, Swift Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE:In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormatted by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Judy VanVleet September 2004 ========================================================================= This is a little strange. We got a copy of this article from The Riverside Press dated July 16, 1881. I don't remember if we got this from the Appleton Press or from the Historical Society. Anyway, after the headline, there is either a hole in the paper or someone covered up the beginning of the article, or a picture was covered up. So this appears to just start in the middle of the article. Whatever it is, this is the way we received the article. The "&c." is as printed in the headline. The spelling mistakes as as shown in the article. The Chas. Wrege mentioned was my husband's Great-grandfather – Carl Fredrich Wrege January 14, 1846 to July 11, 1881 His daughter who was also killed was Helena Elizabeth Wrege April 8, 1879 to July 11, 1881 A TERRIBLE CYCLONE Sweeps Everything in its Tack for 40 Miles Men, Women and Children, Killed and Wounded. House, Barns, Machinery, Household Goods, &c., Carried Off and Destroyed. Stock Killed by Wholesale and Timber Uprooted Here the storm seemed to rise, and did not strike the earth again until it had traveled a distance of ten miles and within two miles of Fairfield, a small hamlet ten miles northeast of Appleton. Here two farmers, Messrs. Rosecranse and Comstock were sufferers. Both of their houses were unroofed and wrecked, and all kinds of farming implements scattered over the prairie and destroyed; a plow and pieces of wagon were carried over a mile. Within the next mile Mr. Havuer's place, situate on the west bank of the Pomme de Terre river came in the track of the storm, and although sheltered by bluffs and timber it was of no avail. The house was built of logs, but they were picked up as if light as straws, and no two were dropped in the same place. Mrs. Havner was struck on the head by a log and severely injured. Her daughter was blown 80 rods, and would have fallen into the river but saved herself by catching hold of a guide post that stood on the river bank. Mr. H. was uninjured but two of his horses were blown into the river and drowned; two cows were also killed. One was tied to a large oak tree which the wind gathered up and tore out by the roots. The cow fell into the pit and completely buried. The heavy bridge 100 feet long which spans the river at this point was carried bodily up the stream several rods, and many of the planks were strewn for over a mile. From the bridge the storm persued its course across the river to the little village of Fairfield, which consists of a postoffice, store, blacksmith shop, church, school house, and a number of residences, every one of which without a single exception were destroyed. Geo. Keptner, who lived in a log house and had a frame house neerby nearly completed, was a heavy loser, as both houses were entirely wrecked. Six persons were in the house, who miraculously escaped with their lives by crawling under an old fashioned loom, which kept the timbers from crushing them. Mrs. K. was slightly hurt, and $82 in money is missing together with household articles which were blown away. A milk house which stands within 20 feet of the house shows no sign of the storm. The blacksmith shop and also the residence of Mr. Ferguson were taken up and torn all to pieces, not even a board remaining to show where the buildings stood. His family, consisting of wife and four children were in the house at the time; two children escaped unhurt but he was badly bruised himself, and his wife dangerously injured about the head, their little girl was nearly scalped and otherwise hurt and will probably die, their little boy four years old was blown out into a wheat field and was found next morning in an insensible condition with his back broken. The United Brethren Church, just built, was entirely swept away, and nothing but the stone foundation remains to show that such a structure existed. Truen & Boyle's store was completely crushed to the ground and the stock is almost a total loss. Mrs. Truen and two children were injured in a shocking manner by the falling timbers. The log school house was picked up and carried off, but the floor with the desks standing on it was undisturbed just as the children left them. B. Miller, who lives half a mile east of Fairfield, had the upper part of his two story log house carried away. His sister was badly hurt and for some time unconscious. Following in the same direction for a mile and a half the house of Chas Haben is reached, which was unroofed and badly wrecked. Mrs. H. and a child were also severely hurt. Half a mile farther on Adolph Adler's house was rolled over many times and the out buildings blown to atoms. The family escaped by going into the cellar in the early part of the engagement. At the place of Chas. Wrege, about a mile further east, was enacted the most horrible scene of all. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Wrege, hired man and four children. Mrs. W. ran down the cellar with two children, and Mr. W. and the hired man each picked up a child and started for the cellar, but before they could reach it the house was whirled from its foundation and torn into fragments. The young man was knocked insensible and bruised in a shocking manner, and the child also seriously hurt. The father and the other child were both killed, their bodies being found out in a field lying against a large stone and mutilated in a ghastly manner, their heads crushed and limbs broken and mangled. The large stone was not in the field before the storm. The wife and two children escaped injury. From this place the storm grew less severe but for several miles it did great damage, unroofing houses and sweeping away small buildings, like chaff. William Lunden, Pat O'Neil, Herman Beyers, W. Sholtz and many others living in the track of the storm were heavy losers. The tornado as it swept along was indescribably awful, and the noise was equal or greater to that of a mighty battle, and those who witnessed it would dread a repetition as they would the ending of the world. The first news of the disaster reached Appleton at two o'clock Tuesday morning, and a party started immediately to the relief of the sufferers. The people of Appleton and neighbors of the afflicted settlers are contributing all in their power to the unfortunate people, who are in a deplorable condition, without shelter, food or clothing. Too much praise cannot be given to the kind hearted ladies of Appleton, who so readily gave all their time and substance to aid the suffering by Monday's storm. There were indeed ministering angels. We could make a much more lengthy report but we have neither the time nor space to give it. We append a statement of the losses sustained, as far as we have been able to ascertain them. Geo Cunningham, house etc $1000. James Haveuer, house, stock, etc 800. Geo Kepner, house, mowing machine, etc 1800. United Brethren Church 300. Mr. Ferguson, shop, house, etc 500. Truen & Boyle, stock and building 700. Swift County Bridge 500. Schoolhouse 100. H. Miller, house, etc 250. C. Haben, house 150. Adolph Adler, house, barn, etc 200. Chas. Wrege, house, etc 300. W. Lundeen, granary 50. Pat O'Neil, house 75. P. Langsdorf, house 100. H. Beyer, barn 100. W. Sholtz, granary 50.