Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1900 — RUIN RIDES THE WIND. [ARTICLE]

RUIN RIDES THE WIND.

A Terrible Storm Sweeps 'Across the State of Wijiconain. A mighty windstorm swept over Sheboygan, Wis., Monday afternoon, wrecking eight large buildings and 200 dwells ing houses. The pecuniary damage is estimated at $300,000, That no one was killed seems almost a miracle. The wind wrecked buildiug af s ter building with the greatest rapidity, and there was little warning of the approach of the storm. The people in every case were out of their houses before the storm struck and those who were struck by flying debris were only slightly injured so fur as is yet known. In the fucTorses the employes were in many eases bruised and cut by wreckage. The storm started in the western part; of the city and swept down to the south side and off into the like, it was two miles wide and wrecked everything iu its path. AU wag over in ten minutes, although it seemed hours to the pauicatricken people. All the morning the clouds were banking up. At uoon it was intensely hot and dark as night. Artificial lights were necessary in the buildings. A few minutes before 1 o’clock the storm broke, a terrific wind coming down suddenly from the northwest. People were thrown down and fences nud signs htirled hundreds of feet.

The roof of the large warehouse qf tho Crocker Company was blown off and thrown against the largo factory. The buildiug was wrecked and the large stock of chairs was left without protectiou from tiie rain. The roof of the malthouse of the Konrad Schrieier Brewing Company was lifted from the building and carried over 150 yards nnd thrown into the street. It was carried over the huge ventilator of the brewery. The American Folding Bed Company’s plant was demolished and the sheds in the A. Zeinbal & Son’s brick yards were blown down and the bricks scattered in every direction. The storm strnck tiie South Side Lutheran Clftlrt.i and the steeple was blown down upon two residences, smashing in tiie . Tii<> Fcnrrth Ward school house, a beautiful building, was completely wrecked, one side aud the front being blown in. causing the roof to fall, crushing the floors down into the cellar. The plant of the Optenberg & Sonneman Company was partially wrecked. Several freight cars standing on the Northwestern Railroad tracks were blown over on their sides. The street car barns were wrecked and cars were smashed to pieces. The electric wires wore nil blown down. Tl.e lent of tiie Dentry horse and pony show was torn from the ground and blown away. The animals were freed and ran panic-stricken-through the city. The following suffered heavy losses; Henry Tillmann, Herman Dehue, Otto Zoerns. Thomas Atkius, Gustav' Roehborn, William Gold.- The large frame Monse of Herman Dehne was lifted off its foundation and thrown against that of Henry TiUmanu. Other houses demolished, turned, twisted or blown completely away wore those of Hgorx-Sdudixiem. Henry Tillmann, Charles Kotz, Otto Jaeras. Zimbal & Sons' brick kilns and barn, Gustave Rochborn’s house, Mattoon Manufacturing Company’s tramway, the houses of Mrs. William Miles, Mrs. Leath. Thomas Atkins, Fred Mueller's barn and the bouses of E. J. Stanton, William Groh and Emil Clarenbach. These structures were ruined and 150 more were more or less damaged. Much Damage in Oshkosh. Oshkosh and Winnebago County underwent a severe electrical and windstorm. The damage is surprisingly light considering the violence ot the elements. For more than an hour the rain descended in a flood, and the lightning played prnnks. A barn, a dwelling house aud a blacksmith shop were struck by lightning, and the first destroyed with all its contents. Scores of trees were uprooted. From the country a vast total of damage is reported to growing fruit, especially apples; but most of the grain is out of the way. Tiie rain relieved a very hot aud dry period.