New Richmond, Wisconsin Tornado
June
12, 1899
 List
of Injured Probably Double the Number of Killed
-- Measures Taken for Relief -- Story of a
Survivor
New Richmond, Wis., June
13.-- The tornado that has swept out of
existence this prosperous little city is the
most disastrous in point of fatality ever
occurring in this section. The exact number of
dead is still unknown, but it will certainly
reach one hundred, and very probably will
considerably exceed that figure. As they were
recovered the bodies were brought to the school
house or to the Catholic or Congregational
churches. Thence they are to be taken to the
cemetery, except in a few cases where homes
still stood in which the remains can be kept for
a few hours during which the final tribute of
love can be tendered by the bereaved families.
The bodies were prepared for burial by local and
visiting undertakers, and as soon as identified
were marked and disposed of as their friends
requested.
Nurses and physicians who
had come down by special train, were of great
help, and when the day closed all the seriously
injured were believed to have been cared for.
Those whose injuries were serious, but whose
chances for recovery were believed to be good,
were quickly sent to the hospitals of St. Paul
and Minneapolis, where better care can be given
them. The slightly injured and those whose
cases seem hopeless, were kept here and were
given the best help possible.
Fire Adds to the Horror
A fire company kept two
streams of water pouring on the smouldering
ruins, for fire had been added to the horrors of
the tornado, until the close of the day, when a
heavy rain about extinguished the flames. Some
of the merchants organized private salvage
corps, and managed to save some property,
although the amount was small.
The business portion of the
city covered a space of four squares each way,
and was solidly built of brick and stone. This
entire space was swept clear, foundation walls
and in some places masses of debris alone
marking where the business places formerly
stood. Trees that had lined the streets that
had lined the streets of residence districts
were broken clear off or twisted and uprooted.
The tornado came up the
river from Hudson, where the damage was
comparatively slight. Following the general
course of the river, and the branch of the Omaha
road the storm gained in intensity as it
progressed and was at its worst when it struck
the business district of New Richmond. Outlying
residences in the path of the storm were
stripped of shingles and boards or sides were
blown off or as much frequently happened, were
torn asunder and the fragments were scattered to
the four winds.
The Town Full of People
Trees were uprooted and
roadways blocked, washed away or so overflowed
as to be made totally unrecognizable.
A circus was in town on
Monday, and people had come in from all the
surrounding country to see the show.
After the circus the people
had crowded into the city to do their shopping
before going home. It was at this time that the
storm cloud came up from the southwest.
As soon as the news of the
disaster reached the outside world, help began
to come into the city. St. Paul was the first
to learn of the storm and within two hours sent
the first relief train with physicians, nurses,
supplies, etc. for the people of the stricken
city. A second and third train soon followed
and speedily neighboring cities in Wisconsin
sent in all they could gather. The Omaha and
the Wisconsin Central roads promptly carried
through all the supplies and delivered them to
relief headquarters, whence they were delivered
to the people of the city.
Congressman
J.J. Jenkins of this district arrived
early on the scene and promptly advised
Governor Scofield
of the situation and the need of relief.
The Western Union Telegraph Company notified the
mayor that all messages relating to relief and
the needs of the stricken city would be carried
out free. Hundreds of morbidly curious people
from neighboring cities thronged the ruined town
today and crowded about those whose hearts had
been wrung with anguish.
A Scene of Desolation
The desolate view of the
New Richmond of today is one not soon to be
forgotten. Along the broken fragments of their
homes the people wander helplessly, striving
somewhat aimlessly and hopelessly to get
together what had been left to them. On the
east and west limits of the city many houses
were still standing with little or no damage and
to these homes the occupants welcomed their less
fortunate neighbors and friends, giving them
such aid as was possible and the sympathy that
is so much to stricken souls. The property loss
cannot be estimated at this time and may never
be accurately known. It was almost total, as no
tornado insurance was carried in town and only
in small numbers of place where fire joined in
the destruction of property will the owners be
at all reimbursed for their losses.
It is the average resident
of New Richmond who estimates the loss of life
most seriously. They claim that hundreds are
missing who were buried in the ruins and there
incinerated. One such is
C.A. Nelson, who owned the
Columbian restaurant, located on Main Street.
His estimate of the loss is 400 dead. He says
that when the rainstorm which preceded the
tornado broke not less than twenty persons
rushed into his place for shelter. He positive
that not more than four, besides himself
escaped.
In the Congregational
church fifteen bodies were laid out on the
seats, and through the aisles a throng surged in
search of their dead.
At the Catholic church a
dozen bodies were laid out, and some of them
were awaiting identification. At noon several
other corpses were added to those already
there.
In
John Glidden's
family, only one escaped injury. The family was
in the living room over the store on Main street
when the storm struck. Mrs. John Glidden was
killed. Mr. Glidden, John Glidden, jr., Mary,
aged twenty-four, Charles, aged fifteen, and
Ella, aged ten, were all seriously hurt. Mary
was carried a block from the house, and alighted
at the edge of the mill pond. Many bodies are
thought to be in this pond.
Story of One Survivor
Traveling Man Tells of
the Storm and His Escape.
St. Paul. June 13.
-- After witnessing the terrific war of the
elements, which struck this city at about 6
o'clock last night, the people of St. Paul were
prepared for reports of disasters in outlying
districts. The New Richmond horror was not
generally known in the city until reports in the
morning papers reached the people early this
morning, causing much excitement. The Omaha
railroad started a relief train train [sic] from
here last night with physicians and nurses, in
charge of Dr. Knox
Bacon, the general surgeon of the
road, and another train left early this morning
with additional physicians, telegraph operators
and newspaper correspondents on board. Measures
for immediate relief will be taken by municipal
government, chamber of commerce and similar
bodie [sic].
A dispatch from Stillwater,
Minn., says that J. A.
Carroll, a traveling man from
Portage, Wis., who was at New Richmond at the
time the storm struck, has reached the place.
Mr. Carroll saw the funnel-shaped cloud as it
came up the principal street and took refuge in
the basement of the Hotel Nicholas, which was
completely wrecked, together with other business
house in the city.
Came With Little
Warning
Carroll was in the hotel
just before 6 o'clock. It had been stifling hot
and the air was breathless. A dull rumble broke
the stillness, increasing to a dull roar.
"I ran to the door of the
hotel," he says, "and there was a funnel-shaped
cloud bearing down upon us. The noise of its
roaring was frightful. The blackness of the sky
was indescribable. I shouted that a tornado was
upon us and ran for the basement. It was hardly
an instant before the building was lifted from
its foundation, twisted into fragments and
dashed to splinters.
"Charles
McKennan, the proprietor, was in the
basement with me. I helped take him out with
terrible injuries. We saved his wife also, and
one of his children, both injured. We could
hear his other child crying under the wreck, but
were not able to get to it. One of the laundry
girls was taken from the ruins. I suppose she
was fatally hurt. Not a building is left
standing in the main street, which was well
built of brick.
"The track of the storm
seemed to be half a mile wide. The storm struck
us from the southwest, and its rushing was like
a tidal wave -- nothing could withstand it.
There is not a building left on its foundation
in the main part of the village. Most of them
were twisted into shreds.
"To add to the horror, fire
in the ruins followed the storm. It was night
and there were no lights. There were no means
left for fighting the fire. The only thing we
could do was to battle for the lives we might
reach before the fire cut off escape. I must
have worked two hours in the debris. I do not
know how many we saved. A train was got
together to come to Stillwater for help and I
came with it."
Starts for Relief
Carroll
drove to Stillwater
by team for relief, and a train with doctors
left there at 12:15 a.m. Carroll further says
that the fire followed the storm and that what
is left of the town is being consumed by fire.
New Richmond is on the Wisconsin Central and the
Duluth-Superior branch of the Omaha road. It is
thirty-six miles east of St. Paul and in the
heart of the rich farming section of St. Croix
County. It is near Willow river, on which are
several large saw and grist mills and is quite a
business centre. It is one of the oldest towns
of western Wisconsin and had many handsome
residences. There were two principal streets
crossing each other at right angles, the more
important one running east and west. It was
through this street that the storm passed. The
thoroughfare was three miles long, lined with
trees and made a fine driveway.
Next to New Richmond the
most severe damage done by the storm was at
Hudson, Wis., and also at LaCrosse, Wis. In the
vicinity of the first named town a tornado and
cloudburst destroyed wires, unroofed residences,
barns and outbuildings all along its path.
At LaCrosse it was the
worst known storm in seventeen years. Nearly
five inches of rain fell. The river rose so
rapidly that 400 people living in the lower
portion of the city were driven from their
homes. Over 200 head of live stock were
drowned. Nearly every bridge in the LaCrosse
valley is gone.
At Mankato, Minn. six
inches of rain fell. Winona, Minn., Sparta,
Wis., and other towns in the adjoining territory
are partly under water and much damage done.
Faribault, Minn., Elroy,
Viola, Rockton and Tomah also suffered severely
and have the same story to tell of flooded
cellars and streets, heavy damage to crops,
hundreds of head of cattle drowned, numerous
washouts on the railroads, bridges washed away
and wire communication paralyzed.
Dead, Missing and
Injured
List Increasing and
Fatalities May Exceed a Hundred
New Richmond, Wis. June
13. -- The list of dead is gradually
increasing, and tonight it seemed that one
hundred might be the minimum estimate of the
dead, while the list of the injured will reach
and perhaps exceed 200.
A partial list of the dead and injured follows:
MISS ABBIE WILLIAMS, caught in wreck and burned
to death
MRS. GRAINTON
MRS. WARD GOULD
GEORGE STOCK
Fourteen unidentified bodies lying in the
Congregational chruch
WILLIAM CALLAHAN, farmer
MRS. JOHN GILLEN
MRS. J.M. SHADY
_______SHADY, boy
WALTER FARRELL, eight years old
Unknown man, burned to a crisp
Unknown man, head completely severed, supposed
to be a circus man
MRS. G. HERD, of Boardman
CHARLES REED, of Boardman
THOMAS M'CHOE, eighteen years old
OLE GUNDERSON, farmer
MICHAEL HEFFERNON, farmer
_______BROCKHARDT and three children, BERNARD,
JOSIE AND ESSIE
CORA BUTLER
D.M. BARRETT
MILLIE HAWKINS
EVANGELINE HAWKINS
MARY HAWKINS
WILLARD WELLS, city marshal
ELLEN M'GRATH
EDGAR STACKS, bridge inspector
THOMAS M'CABE, teacher
_______FARRELL, son of Thomas Farrell
VERNE TAMBDEN
Unknown Laundry Girl
ELMER JOHNSON
ROSE BROOKE
MRS. ROSE BROOKE
THOMAS CARRICK, druggist
ANTON SEGARD, teacher
M. HOLLENBACH, agent of the Omaha road
A.T. CUMBERLAND
PATRICK WELLS, farmer
TIMOTHY NOONAN, of Stillwater
BARTON, NICHOLAS
BROCKBANK, BERNARD
BROCKBANK, ESSIE
CAREY, ED, of Erin
CLOUGH, EMMA, of Emerald, Wis.
EARLEY, KATIE
MRS. GILLESPIE
HOLLENBECK, ARCHIBALD
HARRINGTON, WILLIAM
HUGHES, WILLIE
JOHNSON, WILDA
KINNETT, MARY
MONAHAN, MARY
MORGAN, CHARLES, (colored)
NEITG, JOHN
OLSEN, EDWARD
OLSON, ADA
OLSON, NELS
OLSON, SAM
OLSON, MRS. SAM
PETERSON, MISS, maid
SCHRAD, MRS. and three children
STEPHENSON, MRS. MARGARET
TAYLOR, __________
Sixteen Unknown Dead
Dining Room Girl, name unknown
EARLY, ANDREW
EARLY, LIZZIE
FRALEY, JOHN
GILMAN, MRS. JOHN
GUNDERWON, MRS. OLE
GRATTON, MRS. SALLIE
HENRY, JOHN
HEFFRON, PAT
HEFFRON, MIKE
HAWKINS, MRS.
HAWKINS, WALTER
HAWKINS, MILLIE
HAWKINS, ANGIE
HAWKINS, FRED
HALLENBECK, MASON
HALLENBECK, FRANCIS
HENNESSY, little girl
HICKS, J.B., grocer
HURD, MRS.
JOHNSON, J. ELMER
KEATING, PATRICK, fourteen years
KELLEY, child
LAMBDIN, VINNIE
LEWIS, MRS. HENRY and son
LEGARDE, ANTONE
LINK, MRS. JOHN
MARTIN, T.P.
M'GRATH, NELLIE
M'GRATH, LILLIE, aged 5
M'KINNON, KATE
M'CABE, THOMAS
M'GRAW, RUSSEL, four years
M'HENRY, PAT
M'HENRY, MIKE
M'NALLY, TOM
M'CLURE, MRS. JOHN
NOONAN, TIM
NOONAN, KATE
NEWELL, TURNER
O'CONNEL, TURNER
PADDEN, NICK, head severed from body
PATTON, JOHN
PORTER, DWIGHT, farmer
ROWE, THOMAS
RING, GUSTA
RING, GEORGE
ROSEBROOK, ALVIN
ROSEBROOK, MRS. ALVIN
STACK, GEORGE
STACK, MRS.
STACK, THOMAS
SHRADER, MRS.
SHRADY, infant
SHAW, _________
TALLMADGE, CHARLES T.
WILLIAMS, MRS. ABBIE
WILLIAMS, little girl
WELLS, PATRICK, farmer of Erin
WELLS, WILLARD, city marshal
WELLS, STEVE, fourteen years
Three unknown men
Missing:
JOHN PATTEN, druggist
W.W. BIXBY, undertaker
MR. CAREY
MISS MCKINNON
J.B. HICKS
BROWN, WALTER
EARLY, PADDY
GOHEEN, PAT
PRYOR, JOHN
WILLIAMS, HAZEL MARIE
Some of the Injured:
E.N. TAFT, scalp
J.B. HURLEY, Wisconsin Central Agent, food
crushed
MRS. COSGROVE, eighty-four years old, bruised
and cut
MISS JOSEPHINE ROSCHEIM, slight
MRS. CORA ROSCHEIM, slight
FRANK JENNINGS, leg broken
FRED LEPOINT, both legs broken
MRS. BROCKBAND, hip crushed
JOHN WELLS, severe, temple and head
OSCAR OBRASE, arm broken
JOHN WELLS, a farmer, back hurt
WILLIAM LAVELL, leg broken and head cut
MARY MCGRAW, slight
GEORGE CRAW, scalp
JANE EARLY, slight
MRS. GEORGE C. HOUGH, severe
J.L. RUTTY, face and head, slight
______ HALL, ribs broken, severe
JAMES PHILLIPS, serious
BRIDGET PHILLIPS, serious
STEVEN HAWKINS, hand crushed
DR. KNAPP, slight bruise
MRS. KNAPP, slight
CHARLES WELLS, leg broken and body bruised
JOHN GILLEN, leg broken and body bruised
MARY GILLEN, serious
CHARLES GILLEN, severe
WARD GOULD, serious
MRS. GOULD, slightly
MRS. HOLLINBUT, serious
ASSISTANT POSTMASTER LAMBDIN, serious
MRS. JOHN MCCOY, leg broken
MISS BROCKBANK, leg broken
FRED FOSTER, fireman, head and arm injured
G. GARDINIER, seriously injured
MRS. E. WELLS
SARAH DUNBAR, seriously injured
JOHN BARRETT, head injury, cannot live
MRS. SCOTT, mother
MICHAEL SCOTT, son
EDNA MCMAHON, cannot live
HENRY LEWIS, blacksmith, badly hurt
VIVA LEWIS, badly bruised
WILLIE HOPKINS, head injured, serious
H.C. HALL, rib broken and internal injury
HANS JOHNSON, internal injuries
JOHN FYBERG, internal injuries and scalp wound
PETER HENRY CHRISTIANSON, painter, badly hurt
WILLIAM LAVALLE, ribs and leg fractured
MARTIN STROMMEN, shoulder injured
FRED DAY, Chicago traveling man, badly bruised
MRS. JOHN MCMAHON
THOMAS BALL
ED LOTH, slightly
JOHN LOTH, not seriously
MRS. JOHN LOTH, severely
JOHN CLARK
MRS. JOHN CLARK, severely
Eight CLARK children, all frightfully bruised
E.B. SCOTT, nose broken and arm sprained
FREDDIE EARLY, twelve years old, skull crushed,
probably fatal
J. WALSH, injuries about head and body, ribs
fractured and badly bruised
JOHN MCCONYE, president New Richmond bank, leg
broken
______ MITCHEN, Portage, Wis., with circus,
probably fatal
R.B. HALL, with circus, ribs broken and internal
injuries
CHARLES HART, with circus, severely
FRANK SEAVEY, band leader with circus, slightly
R.B.F. GOLLMAR, with circus, slightly
HENRY LEWIS, badly cut about head
MISS LEWIS, arm broken
WILLIAM KELLY, severely
MRS. MICHAEL KELLY, severely
WILL MCNALLY, leg broken
MILES MCNALLY, leg broken
LEONARD TAFT, badly hurt
MRS. O'DONNELL, Ceylon, Wis., slightly
THOMAS HALEY, Stanton, leg hurt
BERTHA MCKINNON, slightly
LILLIE KLOSTERMAN, St. Paul, severely
RAY STONE, slightly
H.W. STARR, jeweler, arm broken
EDNA MCMAHON, probably fatal
BERTHA BEEBE, broken wrist
PAT NEWELL, skull crushed, probably fatal
MIKE NEWELL, three ribs broken
TOM NEWELL, seriously
CORA ROSEBROOK, probably fatally
JOSEPHINE ROSEBROOK, very serious
BENJAMIN POWELL, seriously
LILLIAN LIVINGSTON, slightly
MRS. RICHARDS, slightly
MRS. WILLIAM MCGRAW, badly bruised
MRS. ISIDORE GERMAINE, serious gash in side
M. SCOTT, hurt on head
MRS. SCOTT
WILLIAM MCGRAW, head cut
JAMES FINNIGAN, dislocated hip
ARTHUR LANE, Turtle Lake, slightly
JOHN BARRETT, slightly
HENRY BASTIANS, seriously
JOHN WELLS, seriously
_______ LAVELLE, seriously
MARY PETERSON, seriously
H.B. FOSTER, arm and head cut
JAMES VAIL, seriously
JOSEPH KERSCH, thigh laid open
Thinks Two Hundred Dead
Reporter from St. Paul
Tells of the Devastation
St. Paul, Minn., June
13. -- A reporter of the Dispatch who went
to New Richmond, Wis., last night on the first
relief trains returned this morning and fully
confirms the reports of the dreadful calamity
which visited that place about 6 o'clock last
night.
The pretty little town is
almost totally wiped off the map, and of its
2,500 inhabitants, 200 lie dead amongst the
ruins of their homes; about 1,000 are injured,
many fatally. Scarcely two score escaped
without injury of some nature. Inhabitants of
the village felt no alarm until about 5:30, when
heavy dun-colored clouds gathered on the western
horizon and soon spread over the sky, gradually
growing denser and darker and presaging a
tornado.
Great alarm prevailed
shortly before the storm broke and refuge was
sought in cellars, wells, caves or other
underground structures that promised safety.
The wind began blowing with terrible force.
Trees were broken off short
by the force of the gale, which struck the town
full in the center, and in ten minutes awful
destruction had been wrought. The largest brick
blocks crumbled like eggshells. The lighter
frame structures were whisked away like so much
straw and many houses were carried for blocks
and dashed to the earth.
Five hundred buildings, the
finest in the town, were wrecked and when the
storm had passed, about the only structures of
any note left standing were the Catholic and
Baptist churches.
Not a residence was left
uninjured.
Lumber yards went up in the
clouds, the huge planks being sliced into
shingles. A large iron bridge over Apple river
was blown into fragments and the parts
distributed along the banks a half mile away.
Two large iron safes were
caught up and carried a distance of a block.
One of these weighed 3,000 pounds.
Within a space of a few
blocks a hundred bodies were counted. Legs and
arms were missing in many cases. One body was
found with the head clipped off.
Not all who sought refuge
in cellars escaped. In some cases houses
collapsed and those in the cellars were
entombed. To add to the horrors of the
situation fires started by overturned stoves,
and many wounded, unable to drag themselves out
of danger, suffered death by burning.
A circus was in town and
farmers had gathered to see the show. A few
minutes before the storm struck many who had
just come from the circus, rushed to a brick
building close at hand. This building was
destroyed. It is difficult to say how many
perished there.
At the Nicollet hotel
guests were at dinner. All sought the cellar.
So far as known most of those in this house were
saved.
As nearly as can be
ascertained the storm first struck at a place
called Catfish bar, a short distance below
Stillwater, and laid waste the entire country
from that point to New Richmond.
Three Hundred Coffins
Order Sent to
Minneapolis for That Number
Minneapolis, Minn., June
13. -- The through Wisconsin Central train
succeeded in reaching here this morning, having
come through New Richmond at an early hour. The
tracks were all clear save where the contents of
a lumber yard were scattered over them.
Conductor
Gavin says
he took twelve refugees to St. Paul with him.
When the train came through the air was so full
of smoke from burning buildings that it was
difficult to tell the extent of the disaster.
The central part of the town, however, was
wrecked. A fire engine had arrived from a
neighboring town and was doing its best to check
the flames. There was no medical assistance at
that time, one of the local doctors having been
killed and the other had both legs broken. The
railroads had brought in large numbers of
visitors for the circus and Gavin says there
must have been from 2,500 to 3,000 people in
town. He brought an order for 300 coffins, but
this, of course, was simply an estimate of the
possible dead by the local relief committee.
The Nebraska State
Journal, Lincoln, NE, 14 Jun 1899
Transcribed by
Heidi Kreutzer. Thank you, Heidi!
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