The Daily Minnesota Pioneer

A Terrific Hail Storm.

Correspondence of the Pioneer.

RED WOOD AGENCY, Aug. 1, 1854.

Dr. SIR: Some Indians who have just arrived, give an account of an extraordinary and very severe Hail Storm, near the Red Pipe Stone Quarry, an account of which, as stated by the Indians, I forward to you for publication, if you deem it interesting.

On the 25th ult., a party of Sioux encamped near the Red Pipe Stone Quarry, observed a black cloud rising in the northwest, which slowly shifted somewhat to the south, placing it in a western direction from the encampment of the Indians, who were watching its movements with great interest, it being, as they aver, "the most awful looking cloud ever seen." But little thunder was heard as the cloud advanced, and but little rain fell; but a most terrific storm of hail fell about the Indian camp, for some fifteen or twenty minutes, which caused the occupants to have serious apprehensions for their lives.

The hail stones are represented to have been at least one-half larger than a goose-egg. The new elk skin Lodges occupied by the Indians, were literally riddled to pieces; and one of the Indians, who was so unfortunate as to have one of the pieces of hail fall upon his shoulder, is still suffering severely from the injury. Another Indian received a blow on the foot from one of the hail stones, and his foot and ankle are still much swollen from the effects of the blow.

The Indians represent the vegetation to have been completely mashed to pieces, from the fall of the hail upon it. They report the size of the hail to have been far beyond any thing previously heard of, and go so far as to say that, in many places, the hail had very clearly marked the pipe stone upon which it fell.

I can give you nothing in the way of news. The Indians talk considerable about war, and more about provisions. What crops have been planted are looking very well.

S. F. B.