Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-06-14

A Thriving Illinois Town Laid In
= So, u Ruins. ,.,...i4
From Twenty to srwenay -ziyc Per.
/ SONS Killed and Many injured.

Special dispaL h to the Cincinnati Gazette. =,
df;s bsE5ai,s ST. LOUIS. June 8. s
mt. Carmel had abnt 2,5U0 slnhabi.
taats, of an enterprisiRg,i industrious
character, who took great pride their
town. 1t was one OF sthe prettiest pla-
ces Ia Illinois, and was situated on an
-undulating country, somewhat eleva-
ted ebnveD the surrounding prospect.
By reason OF its exposure,7 Ii Has sub
ject to violent storms, but never before
hseiit been visited by any of avery se9
rious natute. 70 Tsfsam Il eli bach
ION Monday afternoon, afew inmates
before the blast came, the people on
tue streetsD were charmed by the.ap-
psarance of large, blue, and dimJclouds
forming in the south and, west, which
clouds at first extended rapidly, and
then gathered into revolving mass.
At the same time a deep rearing wiAd
was heard, which gave the people OF
the town q premonifiDn, of what was to
come. At about one and a quarter
mile southwest OF the town the torna-
do firsi showed its effects, 10
IA heuse was torn in pieces, and It
could be- readily perceived that the
course of the blast WIS directly toward
the town. The air was full o rails and
heavy objects, whirled above hundreds
of feet in the air, snd these In Mt. Csf-
mel who cOmprehended ct all the ns-
ture OF the impending danger, took,
what course scanned best for their safe,
ty.74 There was little time for action.
The blast struck the ltown, tearing its
way clearly, and revolving In 0 course
seemingly about 900 feet wide, and
ieveIing all in its way. ,isa1s saqqss,n
"a Strong buildings were rent apart,
their timbers beipg inextricably min
gled in what seemed but an instant,
and the wonder, among the people to-
day is. not that the list OF the dead and
wounded is 80 great, but that IL was
not greater. sss,. l. WASH ma 5rk
Some of the personal escapes were
marvellous, but the story Of these Is not
vet com plete. Within ten minutes OF
1early $50 business houses and resi-
dences had been destroyed, and fires
were breaking out among the ruins.
The IRE was fous ht as well as could be
by the frightened people, but some
buildings, or what remained OF them,
were completely destroyed. The fire
once subdued, the work Of seeking for
the dead began. In the ruins were
found many living, who to-day are
counted only among the wounded. At
last accounts the sud work was still
progressing, and probably Is yet.
Among the bodies found to-day were
those of Charles Norman, killed In the
Edgar building, and o. A. Edgar, kill
ed at the same place. OF the many
wounded are Mrs. Burton, and child
named Higbee. A Mrs. Poynter was
blown into tree. Messrs. Hsbberton
and Pinkerton, two old men, and oth-
ers will probably die. The number Of
dead is now given as seventeen.
49, sKETCH OF THE TOWN. -
q Mount Carmel Is the county seat Of
! Wabash county, H., IL situated on Q
| high bluff on the west bank Of the Wa
bash river, about fifty miles below
,Vincennes, aud contains population
OFF,, 600. The surrounding country h
4 very fertile, producing large crops ol
Indian corn, and is thickly settled. II
contains four or five, dry goods stores,
drug store, several provision stores
4 &e. The houses are mostly woodeE
! structures. The churches which were
j destroyed were of brick, and cost prob
ably $50, 600 each. The town had beer
visited several times by destructive
/, storms. One in 1865 blew down q,
number of buildings aud destr0ye<
several lives. fH sfra l,r 81