The following appeared in the Rock County Weekly on July 25, 1884:Beaver Creek TownshipOLD CHRONICLE’S REPORTIt was after 2 o’clock P.M. Monday when the gathering of the clouds in the north west gave the first indications of an approaching storm. Gradually the clouds continued to gather toward a common center gaining in darkness till their blackness was intense, and lowering toward the earth, the sky in the meantime, in the vicinity of the cloud assuming a greenish tint. Slowly this storm cloud approached until its rumbling noise could be distinctly heard, but it was after 3 o’clock when preceded by what appeared to be a huge volume of dust and mist which advanced with a rotary motion apparently destroying everything in its pathway, it suddenly burst upon our village with a roar of fury and a deluge of rain. In an instant boards and other debris were flying in the air; out houses of all kinds blown over or dashed to pieces, and the pieces hurled against the sides or through the roofs of dwellings adding to the confusion and terror of the inmates: windows were blown in with a crash and the interior of the house deluged with water; chimneys came down with fearful racket and the bricks went whirling in the general confusion.Two cars standing on the side rack were upset; two grain warehouses were lifted from their foundations and carried several feet upon the bank; the building in the rear of White’s store was torn to pieces and Knudtson’s stable badly demoralized. One door was blown from the depot building. The old hotel occupied by the families of Mr. Mather and Mr. Ness stood for a few moments then racked over toward the East each moment threatening its entire destruction. The doors becoming tightly wedged, the inmates escaped through a window. The two ladies with six small children were caught by the wind and prostrated in the middle of the street, but finally succeeded in reaching the residence of Mr. White. Charley Cox’s wind mill was blown part way over but remained standing.Considerable damage was done otherwise and several narrow escapes reported, but fortunately no loss of life or serious injuries. Col. White had a close call. Accompanied by a girl who he was taking to a neighbor’s in the country, he was overtaken by the storm while passing the farm of Squire Humphries, and sought shelter in the granary, tying the horse to the building outside. The first gust of wind tore the building from the foundation, driving the inmates out in the storm in fear of their lives. They managed to reach the house in safety, where they found the family very much frightened, Mr. H. being absent at the time. Endeavoring to return to unhitch the horse, the colonel was lifted from his feet by the wind and deposited in a hay stack. Finally succeeding in getting to his horse, he had just got the tugs loosened when the building went to pieces burying the whole outfit in the ruins. The colonel don’t know exactly how he got clear and reached the house, but it is certain that he escaped with a few slight bruises. After the storm was over the horse was got out alive and apparently uninjured but the buggy was a total wreck.From the country comes reports of damage to buildings, grain, hay, stock, machinery, etc. Mr. Hardwick had his barn destroyed and one colt killed. N. Snook’s suffered considerable loss, the roof of his new barn was carried away and badly racked; granary and contents destroyed, machinery ruined etc. The barn of A.B. Price was blown all to pieces and most of the pieces lost; three horses in the barn were uninjured. His granary was torn from its foundation and moved several feet. John Brietson had taken refuge in the building, leaving his horses tied outside. When the building began to move John skipped for the willows and the horses ran the other way. A strict search failed to discover any trace of the animals until last evening when they were captured near Rock Rapids. J. Merkel’s and J. Marshall’s new barns were moved from their foundations. Mr. Walker’s stable was torn to pieces and in addition to other damage a seeder was carried three quarters of a mile and the pole driven in the ground ten feet. Joseph Stearns, before the storm, was better fixed in regard to barns and other farm buildings, machinery etc., than a majority of our farmers, but everything was swept away but his house. No one in the track of the storm but what suffered some damage. Scores of buildings, which want of space will not permit us to particularize, were blown down; grain in field and granary destroyed or injured, and hundreds of tons of hay blown to the winds, but with all our losses the people of this vicinity have cause for thankfulness in view of our exemption from loss of life and serious injuries. The storm lasted about half an hour. It had no form of a cyclone, but blew steadily all the time, and although the worst storm ever experienced in this part of the country, was no worse probably than has been reported from different sections of the United States at various times during the last three years.(To be continued)Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156. Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.