Olmsted County - The Cyclone of 1883

 

Saturday, July 21, 1883, was a day that will be remembered long and painfully by many residents in Olmsted county. It was a day that opened on many happy homes and closed on desolated hearthstones. The dreadful hurricane whose visitation had been feared, came at last, leaving destruction and ruin in its path.

About eleven o'clock in the forenoon it made its appearance in this county, in the township of Kalmar, taking an eastern course through the towns of Kalmar, Cascade, Haverhill, Farmington and Viola, in this county, and Elgin in Wabasha county. It is an impossibility to convey any idea of its terrible force; its results must be seen to form an adequate conception of it. Its course was very narrow, not being over 200 rods in width, but instead of keeping a straight line its way was tortuous. The first intimation given of its approach was in a roaring noise, as though a dozen heavy freight trains were coming. During its progress it was so dark one could hardly see, and people had fairly to scream to be heard by others.

Every thing indicates that this was a whirlwind, for, while its course was east, at some places it seemed to blow north, at others south, again east, and then west, as the side of the whirlwind seemed to strike its object. Then it seemed to strike the earth at times, and then rise, as there are places of half a mile in length where there is no indication of even a light wind.

To give some idea of the force of the wind, one incident is recited. At Patrick Olvaney's a two-horse cultivator was in the field. This the wind started, carrying it through a field of barley, up a hill ten rods, and down the other side about the same distance. In its progress it threw the dirt on either side at least 100 feet, leaving as nice a furrow as though it had been done with a man and team.

Mr. John Reed, whose residence was leveled, said he iirst heard a roaring noise coming from the east, and a cloud passed before his house going about 100 rods until it was met by another, when both returned and his house was instantly laid flat.

Its greatest fury was between Mr. E. A. Clason's, in Cascade, and John Klee's. Mr. Grates, his next neighbor east, lost several buildings, and between this and Mr. Klee's the whirlwind followed the road, and there was not a house left standing in its track. Through this valley the wind storm was not over 200 rods in width.

In the woods where it crossed the Zumbro the whirlwind cut a swath of 200 feet wide, and here its force could be best seen and appreciated. . It looked as though a huge mowing machine had been drawn over them, cutting off the tops of trees and peeling off the bark below. The trees were twisted, not broken square off.

The house of Mr. R. Middleton, north of Byron, was blown to pieces, and Mrs. Middleton was instantly killed. She went into the cellar, and the cellar wall fell on her, crushing her to death. Mr. Middleton and a hired man, by the name of Munger, were seriously injured.

George Arnold's house blew to pieces. His daughter's arm was broken and a son had his leg broken. Mr. Arnold had $100 of school orders in his clock, which was blown away, and he found only $40 of it.

John Reed's house was blown down, and Mrs. Reed had her arm and knee badly hurt. Mr. Reed was knocked down and held under a rafter, until he was released. There were three children who escaped injury. Their clothing and furniture was blown away and destroyed. One side of the house with a window in it was blown 200 feet and not a glass was broken.
The roof of Fred Postier's granary and seventy tons of hay were blown away. There were over 1,000 bushels of barley in the granary which the rain that succeeded saturated and nearly ruined.

On the farm of Jacob Grassle a new barn 195x60 feet was swept away, with all his farming utensils.

The brick schoolhouse at Stone's corners was flattened, and part of the roof carried 200 feet and lodged against a windbreak. There were two glass lamps in the schoolhouse that were as carefully set on some boards as though placed there by some person.

Crossing the river, the first place is Mr. Joselyn's. Here an idea of the terrible fury of the wind may be formed. His residence is in a grove of large oak-trees that completely surround the house, some of which are twenty inches in diameter. Many of them are twisted short off, about four feet from the ground, and jn all sides of the house, yet, strange to say, the only injury the house sustained was the blowing down of the chimney and the breaking of a few panes of glass by a limb. Mr. Joselyn's mother had her face quite badly cut by the flying glass.

In all, thirty houses and twenty large barns in this county were entirely swept away, besides immense damage in the aggregate to other buildings. Twenty-three persons were injured and one instantly killed. Twenty families were left destitute.

Prompt steps were taken for affording relief to sufferers. A meeting of prominent citizens was held in Haney's Hall in Rochester, on Monday morning following the storm, and committees were appointed to solicit and distribute funds, clothing, etc. There was an old relief fund on hand of $108.70. The citizens at once contributed $1,321.65, and the county commissioners appropriated $4:70. This, with clothing contributed to the value of $500, made $2,4:00.35, which was at once distributed among the needy. This county also gave large sums for the benefit of sufferers outside its limits, the town of Viola alone sending $500 to Elgin.

 

Source:

History of Winona and Olmsted Counties, 1883

 

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