Grand Forks, ND Tornado Damages Much Of Town, June 1887

A TORNADO IN DAKOTA.

FIVE PERSONS KILLED, SEVERAL INJURED, AND BUILDINGS WRECKED.

Grand Forks, Dakota, June 17. -- This city was visited with a destructive tornado yesterday afternoon. The storm came from the west and traveled due east. Twenty-five or more buildings, including the Catholic Church and the University of North Dakota, were blown to the ground. The laboratory and museum in the university were almost totally destroyed, besides hundreds of smaller dwellings, store houses, and sheds. The following were killed outright:
MRS. FOLLET and her mother, MRS. DAVIS.
CORA STARBIRD, aged 12 years.
A Man named GUMMERSON, in East Grand Forks.
The seriously injured were:
MRS. A. STARBIRD and Child.
MRS. E. TIERNEY and two children.
MRS. J. ANDREWS and two children.
MRS. TALTON and two children.
MRS. GUYOT and daughter at the University of North Dakota.
In East Grand Forks 14 business buildings were destroyed. Both bridges across the river were swept away. The total loss is estimated at $100,000. The storm was local. The train from the north was blown from the track about four miles out, and rolled over a couple of times. No one was killed, but many werer seriously injured.
During the storm last night HALVER LELAND, of Walle Township, was killed. The storm is reported quite severe at Manvel and Ardook, where buildings were blown away. The ANDREWS family had their house torn to pieces and carried 100 feet. E. TIERNEY'S house was overturned and his wife injured. The children were carried 150 feet and not hurt. One of them, aged 6 years, was carried across the railroad track and lay there during the whole storm. C. A. MYERSTROM is dangerously hurt about the head.

The New York Times New York 1887-06-18

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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!