Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-17
Suffer from the Results of a Cyclone
which in a Few Minutes Made
Wreck OF the Fairest POr.
tiOE OF COllinsvilIe,
Illinois.
A Little Girl Killed in the Act OF Play
Destruction Of Property - Several
Persons Injured-EXtraOrdin
Freaks Of the Wind-Amus-
ing Incidents.
Illinois.

a zlgzag course with general direction al
most due east, tore through the place. de-
ten buildings, running thirty otn-
ers, and causing more or less damage 10
five residences and business houses
in all. 1t came without premonihon. The
storm had not nearly as forbid
ding an aspect as that of last week, which,
though of trihing consequence, comparative
ly speaking, bore much more threatening
appearance. In fact, the terrible display OF
natural power was completely unheralded by
any premonitory signs of disaster. very
light rain was falling, just sufficient, luckily,
to keep the bulk of the people within doors,
when suddenly in the northwest was heard
sound which bore so strong resemblance to
an approaching train that many OF the chill
dren were heard to remark, previous to the
full exhibition of the cyclones force, that
car was off the track and making Tor the
town. The strange noise was followed by an
indescribahle scene of confusion. Every
where that the cyclone reached in the full
ness of its power it lifted movables from the
ground and carried them whirlIng through
the air, and as if the available material in
the way of trees, and such light woodwork
as is common In couRtry town,
were not sufficient to work its will
upon, it tore down house after house which
lay in its path, those which lay most
fully in its way being laid low with the
ground, while others suffered more or less
severely. The whole thing was over in a
couple of minutes, when the whole town,
with one accord, poured into the street, and
united in forming scene of
IA INDEsCRIBABLE EXCITEMENT
and confusion. Fathers at their work away
from home, some of them injured and bleed
ing from contact with the debris of fallen
buildings, rushed through the streets to-
ward their homes to learn whether they had
beeen spared and whether, if any injury had
occurred to them, their wives and childreh
had suffered In the wreck. Mothers, whose
children were from home, ran wildly to and
fro, calling out the names OF their darllngs
and Historically begging for information IN
regard to them from each passer-by. The
districts which bad felt the force of the cy-
clone more lightly than others gave up their
occupants, who crowded with one accord into
the various centers upon which its power had
been most fully exemphfed, and where COM
mon ruin was terribly apparent. This scene
lasted for several minutes without abate-
ment the shrill fury of the wind which,
though nothing compared to the phenomenal
display which had preceded it, adding to the
general terror. Finally the excitement died
away somewhat, and the appearance
of the mayor, DR.. Wadsworth and
several other prominent citizens
had the effect of assuaging the turmoil.
Quletness began to resume its sway, when
word arrived that the families of John Rey-
nolds and Pat Doner were buried in the ruins
of the house, and the parents were crying fol
assistance. A rush was Immediately made
to the spot, and the work Of rescue was i'm.
mediately begun. The house, only the con-
fused remains of which were to be seen, We:
originally double tenemi Mt building, owned
by G. l.. Roberts, and occupied by the fan i
lies Of Patrick Doner and John Reynolds
Twenty stout pair of hands went to work with
- a.,
ing, among which it was said Reynolds CIR
and Doner's boy were caught. 1t was a dis
heartening search, every movement of thu
| timber sending volume of plaster into tht
| air, and making the quest more difficult
| Finally one of the workers shouted joyfully
Here's your boy, Doner, at the same tint
lifting a six-year old youngster tenderly from
| beneath -..-.-
of shingled roof, part of which tore the little
| fellows pants as he was moved from thj
spot. The boy was unconscious, but a dash
of water across his face brought him to, anC
he was carried to doctor g., where it was dis
| covered that his leg was broken, but tina
otherwise ne was unipjured. No such gooC
luck was in store for poor Reynolds. Furthel
research among the ruins discovered the
dead body of his little Annie, crushed out o
| all resemblance almost to the little girl O
eleven years, who a-quarter of an hour beiort
had been playing about the house In sight o
her mother. The scene which followed thu
terrible discovery was pitiabie. Men anC
] women who minute before had found NJ
| theme but their own small disasters to tall
| about, sobbed aloud when watching the ter
rible grief OF the bereaved parents, who be
| tween them carried the remains of their chile
| into house two doors OFF, and which, though
SO close to the scene of the cyclones fulles
power, was uninjured. Further rumors o
fatalities gained currency and in
| duced search among the ruins o
| othes domiciles, but happily they re-
suited in no further discoveries of a like ma
| ture. When it became thoroughly under
stood that the misfortune which had befaller
| the Reynolds family was the only one il
| which the hands of death had appeared, tht
excitement began to die away and specula-
| tons arose as to the extent of the disaster
| The Globe Democrat correspondent, afte
| viewing the rescue of little Doner and the
| discovery of Annie Reynolds's body, went tx
| the west end of the town and followed tbs
course OF the cyclone, gathering information
as he went'of its work and the way 1t accom-
plished it. In passing through Main stree
in a westerly direction, to the point at which
the cyclone first struck the town, the evI
| dences of the phenomenon s work seemed K
| grow more astounding at every step. 1t wa
| not scene OF universal destruction; on TIA
contrary, the force of the cyclone seemed {,
| have been applied in a most fantastic manner
| its damage striking with terrific force in on
| spot, then passing over to another, where /
| seemed to have trifled with the objects in it
] way, and
AGAIN swOoPING DOWN
and tearing everything before it. But though
evidences of its failure to harm were here
terrible aspect of those spots where It's swa,
had been untrammeled. Nothing seemed Il
have come anliss to it In its widest freaks
Roofs of houses, garden fences, plank walks
trees, fower-po summer-houses, sheds
| these lay scattered round in the streets an(
in yards to which, properly speaking, the!
were foreign by block or more.
INTENSE EXCITEMENT REIGNED
| during the storm in the one story brick build
| ing owned by F. P. Beidler and occupied by
w w. Nelson as a carpenter shop and resi-
dence. The family, consisting of Nelson, hi
wife and two children, were sitting in tht
residence part of the house when the storm
| fell upon them and sent roof and wall crush
ing in upon them. Nelson received terrible
blow from falling rafter upon the side o
| his head, and a brick struck Mrs. Nelson OF
the right shoulder, robbing the right arm o.
all power. Disabled as they were, the couple
| thought only of their young ones who were
with them among the ruins, and they imme
| diately set about their rescue. They accom-.
| plished this with greater ease than they haze
anticipated, as soon as the dust cleared away
but
BOTH CHILDREN WERE FOUND
to be injured, the baby being cut slightly on
the scalp and the little girl in the eye ano
groin, the latter wound being at last accounts
in all probability, fatal one. Again the
storm seemed to have shown decided incli-
nation to stay its ravages for space and Leap
skyward to gather strength for a fresh on
slaught. This 1t inaugurated after, leap of
about block, upon the buildings owned by
G. Niedenberger and c. A. Singletany s mil
lnery establishment, on the corner of Semi
nary and Church streets, which were badly
damaged, the stock in the latter place being
seriously mixed up, the total damage being
estimated at seven hundred and fifty dollars.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH .
near by was generally shaken up, the princi-
pal damage being done to its plastering and