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north as First avenue N., badly wrecking homes on First avenue and 
Kemp avenue E.” 
In the issue of the same paper for June 25th there is a brief account 
of the storm at Goodwin, fourteen or fifteen miles a little south of east 
of Watertown where houses and barns were damaged. Some damage was 
also reported at Altamont, about ten miles south of east of Goodwin. 
Mr. Ray stated that a thunder storm was approaching against a 
light east wind. At about 6:30 p.m. some hail fell, after which the tem- 
perature rose and a light east Wind was blowing. About thirty minutes 
after the hail ceased falling, he noticed a great turmoil in the clouds 
and a funnel formed which struck the earth near the South Dakota Central 
roundhouse. (From this point the course of the tornado is indice ited 
on the map shown in Fig. 1.) 
When the tornado passed through the city Mr. Ray was at the Elks’ 
Hall, four blocks north of the path of the storm. He stated that there was 
no wind where he was standing. After the tornado passed the wind 
changed to the northwest and blew hard. Fifteen minutes later a heavy 
shower occurred. The tornado passed through the city in ten or fifteen 
minutes. Mr. Ray had previously witvessed storms of this kind in Iowa. 
Mr. Mitchell, agent for the Rock Island Railroad, stated that he first 
observed the storm over Pelican Lake, about one mile southwest of 
Watertown. It was traveling in a northeasterly direction and was drawing 
up water from the lake. Rock Island train No. 417 was pulling into town 
from the east at 7:05 p.m. The epgineer saw the funnel and backed 
his train hoping to miss it. The train, however, was caught in the storm 
and had twenty-five panes of glass broken and the coaches were unrooted. 
One passenger who jumped from the train was injured by flying debris. 
The storm struck the city at 6:50 p.m. and was twenty minutes in passing 
through the city, a distance of one and one-fourth miles. 
A number of persons corroborated these statements as to the length 
of time required for the tornado to pass through the city. Mr. H. Dietz 
stated that the hail came while a gentle southeast breeze was blowing 
and that there was little or no wind just before the tornado appeared. He 
saw the twister coming like a black smoke and it appeared to be about 
ten feet in diameter at the bottom. There was no rain or thunder or 
lightning accompanying the storm according to his testimony and this 
statement was verified by other persons questioned concerning it. 
There were varying statements as to the presence of more than one 
