Friday Night's Storm

From the Pine County Pioneer, August 14, 1896:

On last Friday night a party from this place [Pine City] was invited by the campers to go up to the lake and participate in a dance at the Rescue Island Pavilion. About twenty-five of the lovers of dancing boarded the steamer and hied themselves to that favorite resort. Dancing was commenced at about nine o'clock and continued until 11:30. About 10 o'clock the electrical display in the northwestern heavens was something grand, and those not participating in the merry dance were out enjoying the fireworks, which far surpassed any pyrotechnics that man ever invented. At 11:30 a lunch was served, which lasted until 12 o'clock, when the steamboat whistle warned those who were going back to town that it was time to leave. A storm was approaching very rapidly from the southwest, and the sky was as black as ink, with not a star in sight. The crowd embarked on the boat, and the lines were cast off, Mr. Webber signaling the engineer to back up. But the engineer misunderstood the signal and went ahead, driving the bow of the steamer so far into the shore that it was impossible to back her off. About this time the storm struck the boat with all its fury, and it was only through the heroic efforts of a few that the crowd was enabled to get off the boat, which was at the mercy of the wind and waves. After the people disembarked they ran to the pavilion, but Mr. Bangle stood in the door and told them that the pavilion was no safe place of shelter, as it was liable to be unroofed at any moment. As it was the walls were blown about fourteen inches out of plumb. The crowd then scattered in every direction, some going to the house, some to the barn, and others to the woods. To add to the consternation, the waves dashed clear over the boat, carrying away the smoke stack and the water going down into the fire box caused a sheet of flame and sparks to ascend twenty-five or thirty feet in the air, and the wind drove them against the panic-stricken crowd, and through the crowd into the hay, but about this time it began to rain in torrents, putting out the sparks, so that no damage was done.

After the storm abated, Mr. Webber succeeded in getting his boat afloat, and at about 3 o'clock took all the passengers who wished to leave on the boat, and arrived at Pine City at a quarter of 4. The boat received very little damage considering the way she was dashed around on the rocks. The balance of the party made themselves as comfortable as possible in the house and barn until daylight, when those who were camping departed for their several camps to see what damage the storm had done them, and those from town drove home.

One of the gentlemen of the party during the storm was found with his back to the storm and his legs and arms locked around a large hard maple tree. He said he was afraid he was going to be blown away.