THE COTTAGE GROVE CYCLONE
On June 15, 1877, a terrific cyclone visited the town of Cottage Grove, Washington county, Minnesota. We append the correct and vivid description taken from the "History of Washington County:"
"At 9 o'clock p. m. there arose in the southwest a dark and heavy cloud, attended with loud thunder, vivid lightning and a strong wind. The cloud moved forward rapidly; soon the rain began to fall in torrents, when suddenly the wind came dashing with great violence, sweeping everything before it. There seemed to be two currents of wind, one coming from the west and the other from the southwest. These two currents came together in section 22. The stronger current being from the southwest, the storm took a northwestern direction, and did some damage in section 27, taking away a portion of the roof of Ethan Viall's house, and a trunk out of the chamber, no trace of which could be found. A corn cultivator was taken up, some portions of which were never found, while other parts were found two miles from the place of its taking. In section 22, when the currents met, the destruction of property beggars description. The timber in its track was prostrated; fences were torn up and scattered in every direction; E. Welch's house came in the line of desolation; Mr. and Mrs. Welch had stepped out to look after some chickens in which Mrs. Welch was specially interested, and, startled by the roar of the wind, were in the act of returning to the house. When near the door the wind took up the house, bearing it away, and a stick of timber struck both Mr. and Mrs. Welch, knocking them down. When Mr. Welch recovered he had hold of his wife, but she was dead. The stick of timber struck her on the head and caused instant death. The next object in the path of destruction was C. D. Tuttle's two story dwelling, located in the northwest corner of section 26. The main part of the house was torn to pieces and scattered in every direction, while the wing was left unmoved. The family, consisting of six persons, fled to the cellar and were miraculously preserved. The large barn a few rods further on was completely destroyed. Next in its course was Mr. J. C. Tucker's barn, the roof of which suddenly passed along on the breeze. At this point the storm turned, taking a northeasterly direction, and struck the house of Robert Williams, damaging the house and entirely destroying the barn. A horse tied to a girder in the barn was found, uninjured, sixty feet outside of the limits of the building, with the girder lying across him, and the strap still tied to it. Next in line was a small lake in the southwest corner of section 23. It was almost robbed of its treasure. The water and mud was carried a long distance up the bluffs, fifty feet above the level of the lake. Next came the fine house of John Morey, giving a portion of its roof to the excited wind; then passed into the town of Denmark, continuing its destructive course, killing a horse for W. G. Wagner, near the town line. A man known as Michael Schull, a farm hand, was taken up by the wind and dashed against a pile of wood, injuring his brain, causing him to become dangerous. He is now at St. Peter in the insane asylum. The destruction of property was great. No accurate account of the amount of damage done has been compiled. Mr. Tuttle, living in section 26, suffered the most. He estimated his loss at $7,000. His house was situated in a valley surrounded by oak trees, and we would suppose was protected by the strong bulwarks of Nature, and yet house, barn, farming utensils, and machinery were scattered over the country. The next morning sheets of tin two feet square, found in Mr. Tuttle's yard, were supposed to have come from a church in Dakota county. Portions of Mr. Tuttle's house were found miles away."
The same cyclone visited Lake Elmo and did great damage, blowing down the depot buildings, Lake Elmo Hotel and other structures. The buildings and trees of the agricultural fair grounds were destroyed. Some parts of the buildings were carried miles away by the storm.
THE CYCLONE AT WHITE BEAR AND MARINE, MINNESOTA, AND CLEAR LAKE, WISCONSIN
Sept. 9, 1884, a storm arose in Hennepin county and did some damage; continuing to White Bear lake, Oneka and Grant, in Washington county, it gathered force and proved very destructive to life and property. As it passed through Oneka and Grant its path was about ten miles in width. Churches, school houses, dwellings, barns, grain stacks, and fences in its way were either partially or wholly destroyed, and the wrecked property was distributed for miles around. The cyclone passed on over Marine, Big Lake and Scandia, crossed the St. Croix, passed over the town of Somerset, Star Prairie, New Richmond, in St. Croix county, and over Black Brook, Clear Lake, Pineville and Clayton in Polk county and Turtle Lake in Barron, pursuing the usual northeasterly direction common to these cyclones, and disappearing in terrific thunderstorms, in the timbered lands of Barron and Chippewa counties. An eye witness, Mr. Ivory Hatch, of Oneka, thus describes the approach of the storm:
"I was standing near a shed in the barnyard, when suddenly the sky became black and threatening. In about five minutes I saw two funnel-shaped clouds descend and approach each other. I started for the house to warn my family, when, as quick as a flash, I was enveloped in the cloud, and while clinging to a post for safety my grain stacks and buildings disappeared. The storm did not continue over a minute and a half. I escaped almost miraculously without a bruise." The testimony of others in the neighborhood is substantially the same. In the town of Oneka the destruction was worse than in any other locality.
In the track of the storm through Washington county not less than fifty houses were demolished. The loss on each averaged $600, making a total of $30,000. Losses on barns, machinery and stock raised this sum to $50,000. The loss at Marine was computed roughly at $75,000, which made a total of $135,000, not including hay and grain. The entire loss to Clear Lake was estimated at $200,000. Three persons lost their lives, Mrs. P. Burdick, Willie Kavanagh and John Saunders. The Methodist, Congregational and Swedish churches were leveled with the ground. The timber losses were close to $1,000,000; private property in villages, loss near $500,000, and all other losses, such as farm property and the like, in the hundred thousands. The total loss in Wisconsin has been placed at six lives and $4,000,000 in property.
THE ST. CLOUD AND SAUK RAPIDS CYCLONE OF 1886
The most destructive storm yet recorded occurred on the afternoon of April 14, 1886. The clouds were first seen from St. Cloud to gather a short distance over the basin of the Masour cemetery about three o'clock, Sunday afternoon, in dark, overhanging masses. Then sharp tongues of lightning darted down with terrific force, and the storm with all its fury burst upon the doomed cities. The south end, or beginning of the cyclone track, was located two or three miles south and a little west of St. Cloud and its total length was twenty-four miles. The property destroyed amounted to over a quarter of a million of dollars, and the loss of life at St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids was seventy-five. If we include those who died later of injuries from wounds, exposure and fright, we may safely say a hundred.
The first victim of the cyclone was Nicholas Junneman. The cyclone rising, as we have said, over or near Calvary cemetery, for a space of about three hundred yards in diameter the trees were uprooted or twisted off, gravestones were thrown flat, and fences demolished. Crossing over Calvary Hill, in a path about one hundred feet wide, it wrecked the small Catholic chapel and badly injured the crucifix located there. Next in its course was the farm house of Nicholas Junneman which was left a pile of ruins, and Mr. Junneman was killed, while his wife was dangerously injured. The first house struck within the city limits was J. W. Tenvoorde's. Just across the street J. Schwartz's two story brick house was almost wrecked. Here the path of the tornado was about two hundred feet wide, and increased until by the time it reached the Manitoba depot the width was six hundred feet, taking in in its fearful embrace during the length of its course half a hundred or more buildings, which were totally wrecked, moved from their foundations, or more or less damaged. In many instances there was nothing left to show where a house had stood, and the prairie was covered far and wide with the debris of the demolished buildings. Over fifty houses in St. Cloud were totally destroyed and as many more badly damaged. Before striking the river it swerved slightly northward, and thus the costly building blocks and crowded streets in the heart of the city were spared. Had the cyclone veered in its course more to the south, the loss of property and life in St. Cloud would have been incalculable.
Striking the river the cyclone appeared to be almost motionless for a few moments, or moved so slowly as to seem to hang over the face of the water, its huge black column rising toward the zenith. Then leaving the river, this monster of the air struck Sauk Rapids at Stanton's large flouring mill, which was left a heap of ruins. It then took Demeules' store and the Northern Pacific depot, and passed on through the main business part of the place, leaving but one important business house standing, Wood's store, which was badly damaged. Court house, church, school building, post office, newspaper offices, hotels, dwelling houses, all went down under the relentless power of the storm. Streets were blockaded with the wreck so as to be practically impassable. The list of dead out of a village of about 1,000 population included some of the leading county officials and prominent citizens. Amongst them were John Renard, county auditor, and Gregg Lindley, register of deeds; also Edgar Hull, president of the German-American National Bank; E. G. Halbert, of the New York Insurance Company, with whom Mr. Hull had just filed an application for a $5,000 policy, was so badly injured that he died in a few days. The destruction of property in Sauk Rapids was far greater than in St. Cloud, as the business portion of the city was almost entirely swept away. The loss of life was also proportionately greater.
After leaving Sauk Rapids the cyclone struck Rice's, a station on the Northern Pacific road, about fourteen miles from the former village. Some four miles southeast of the station, at the house of a farmer named Schultz, a happy wedding party was gathered, a daughter of the farmer having been married to Henry Friday, chairman of the board of supervisors of Langola. Almost before they realized it the terrible power of the storm encircled them, and in the twinkling of an eye nine of the goodly company were mangled corpses, among the number being the groom, while the bride was dangerously if not fatally injured. The victims also included the Rev. G. J. Schmidt, pastor of the German Evangelical church of Sauk Rapids. The Rev. Mr. Seeder, pastor of the Two Rivers district, was found out on the prairie with both legs broken.
At Buckman, Morrison county, several persons were killed, and six or seven farm houses destroyed. The suffering caused by this most terrible of cyclones evoked the liveliest sympathy, and large contributions of money, food and clothing were forwarded by the citizens of St. Paul, Minneapolis and other cities throughout the State.
G. W. Benedict, of Sauk Rapids, relates his experience in the storm as follows: "I was in the yard at my residence half a mile north of the depot, when I heard a terrible deafening roar, and on looking up I saw what first appeared to be a very heavy black volume of smoke from a railroad engine, but in a moment I realized what it was. The volume of black cloud soon increased to double its size, and had a funnel shape, gyrating in a peculiar zigzag form. Untold amounts of debris of houses, fences and everything above the surface were shooting and flying with terrific velocity from the cloud, which took a northerly direction. The horrible writhing demon of destruction, with its deafening roar, increased in volume and force, and hurled to utter destruction everything in its path, a great portion of which was carried miles in the air out of sight as though but trifles of lightest chaff."
Thos. Van Etten was walking on the street, going home, when the cyclone struck the town, and he was bodily lifted into the air, carried four hundred feet up a steep hill and landed in a street, literally plastered over with mud. A young man fishing near the end of the bridge, on the opposite side from Sauk Rapids, says that many of the houses were lifted high in the air, and did not seem to be injured until they were dashed to the ground, when they collapsed, and the pieces were scattered in all directions. None of the very large number of persons who went into a cellar for protection from the storm were badly injured. The Fink family, the mother and four children of which were almost instantly killed, were in a house which had an excellent cellar, but the family forgot to utilize it. Near the ruins of the Carpenter house is a tree about ten inches in diameter, through which a pine board was driven so that it protruded at both sides of the tree. The property loss in Benton county was estimated at $300,000, and in St. Cloud at $56,000.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Some time in the '50s Messrs. Oaks, Rand, Witham, Carson, and twelve other men were in a tent on the banks of Lake St. Croix, just below the mouth of Willow river, during a severe thunder storm. It was about 9 o'clock P. M. when lightning struck the tent and passing down killed Witham and Carson, and severely stunned Oaks and Rand. The other men were not injured, but, being badly frightened, ran away, and did not return till the following morning, when they found two of the men supposed killed still alive, but dazed and motionless. The two killed were lying close together, while Mr. Oaks lay upon one side and Mr. Rand upon the other. The lightning had struck the men who were killed upon the head, and traversing the body had passed out below the ankles. The current of electricity had passed up the arm of Mr. Oaks and down his body, burning spots the size of a pea, and plowing lines under the skin, the scars of which, after recovery, were raised in welts nearly as large as a whipcord. Mr. Oaks was nearly a year recovering. He says that during the time he lay motionless and apparently stunned he was in full possession of his faculties. Mr. Rand had one side of his body burned to a blister. Prior to this he had been affected with weak eyes, but the electrical treatment there received effected a complete cure.
ASIATIC CHOLERA
Minnesota was early visited by this scourge of the eastern world. It was brought up the river on the crowded steamers and created the utmost consternation, and even panic. No one on board the Royal Arch, May, 1853, can forget the dreadful scenes upon this boat. The first case occurred at Galena, that of a child, and the next at La Crosse, that of a woman, who was put ashore in a dying condition twenty miles above. From thence to St. Paul the boat was a floating hospital, and thirteen corpses lay under a canvas on the lower deck.
Notwithstanding the ghastly freight carried by the steamer, and its sick and dying passengers in the cabin above, kind hearts sympathized and kind hands were extended to help; and the dead were buried and every thing possible was done for the sick and suffering survivors, many of whom died after being carried ashore at St. Paul. What these good Samaritans did was at the risk of their own lives, and more than one, among them Henry P. Pratt, editor of the St. Paul Minnesotian, sickened and died from infection caught by ministering to the stricken ones.
DECREE OF CITIZENSHIP
The first naturalization papers on record in Minnesota are somewhat unique, and for that reason worthy of preservation, and are herewith presented et literatim:
DECREE OF CITIZENSHIP.
Territory of Wisconsin,
St. Croix County.
I, William Willim, an alien by birth, aged twenty-six years, do hereby, upon my oath, make known that I was born in the county of Hereford, in the kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, on the twenty-sixth day of June, A. D. 1821; that I emigrated from the kingdom aforesaid, and landed in New York, in the state of New York, on the first day of October, 1838; that I was at that time a minor aged seventeen years, and that I have since that time resided in the United States of America; that it is my bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States, to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity which I, in anywise, owe to any foreign power, potentate, state or sovereignty whatever, and more particularly all allegiance and fidelity which I, in anywise, owe to Victoria, queen of Great Britain, of whom I have heretofore been a subject, and, further that I do not possess any hereditary title, or belong to any of the order of nobility in the kingdom from whence I came; so help me God.
William Willim.
Sworn and subscribed to before me on this eighteenth day of June, 1847, in open court.
Joseph R. Brown,Clerk of District Court of St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory.
Another oath, such as is now administered, to support the constitution of the United States, was signed and attested in like manner.
BURNING OF THE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
On a clear, cold night in February, 1869, the International Hotel, located at the corner of Seventh and Jackson streets, took fire and was speedily consumed. The alarm was sounded at two o'clock in the morning. The hotel was crowded with boarders, among whom were many members of the legislature, then in session, and their families. The writer occupied a room on the second floor and was among the first aroused. Hastily seizing my trunk I hurried down stairs and returned to assist others, but was stopped by the smoke at the entrance. The guests of the house were pouring from every outlet. A group of ladies had escaped to the sidewalk, partly clad, some with bare feet. Ladders were placed to the windows to save those who had failed to escape in the hallway. Senators C. A. Gilman and Seagrave Smith, with their wives, were rescued in this manner. Many diverting circumstances occurred illustrative of nonchalance, coolness and daring, as well as of bewilderment and panic.
Senator Armstrong tried in vain to throw his trunk from a window in which it was wedged fast and was obliged to leave it to the flames. Judge Meeker came out of the house carrying his clothing upon his arm, having a shawl wrapped round his head, and bewailing the loss of the maps and charts of Meeker's dam. Seagrave Smith tarried too long searching for a senate bill, and narrowly escaped sharing the fate of the bill. Many of the guests escaped in their night clothing, and carrying their clothing with them completed their toilet standing in the snow in the light of the burning building. Considering the rapidity of the fire, and the hour at which it occurred it seemed marvelous that no lives were lost.
GRASSHOPPERS
Minnesota has been visited at intervals by that scourge of some of the Western States, grasshoppers. The first visitation was from the Selkirk (now Manitoba) settlement, about 1838-9. The pests are said to have accompanied some of the early immigrants from Selkirk who came down to the reservation about Fort Snelling. They made yearly visitations and threatened to become a serious obstacle to the settlement of the country. Some seasons they proved quite destructive. In 1874-5-6-7 the state legislature made appropriations to relieve those suffering from their ravages in the western and southwestern parts of the State. There were also large private contributions to the relief fund. One of the acts passed at the session of 1877 appropriated $100,000 for bounties to pay for the destruction of grasshoppers and their eggs. Townships and villages were also authorized to levy taxes for the destruction of the common enemy, and $75,000 was appropriated to furnish seed grain for those who had lost their crops, and $5,000 was voted for a common relief fund. Special prayers were offered for an abatement of the scourge. In 1877, when the grasshopper appeared in myriads again, the governor appointed a day of fasting and prayer for riddance from the calamity. From some unknown cause the grasshoppers disappeared, and have not since returned in such numbers as to prove a plague. These grasshoppers were a species known as the Rocky Mountain locusts.