Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-20
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION.
TERRIBLE WESTERN STORM.
A Town Utterly Destroyed.
Marshfield, Missouri, Swept by the Hurricane
and tho Flames-Sevonty-Five Per-
sons Reported Kjlled-Heart-

MarshfeId, Missouri. Swept BY the Hurricane
and d.tr the IH,1 fiames1ssysnty-Riy ,y % Per-
rending Scenes.
The little town of Marshfield, the capi-
tai of Webster county, Missouri, situated
about 50 miles northeast of Springfield, on
the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad,
was almost wholly DESTROYED by q cyclone
at half past six o'clock on Sunday evening.
Only fourteen buildings were left standing
and these were damaged. The ruins caught
fire, and this element completed the work
of destruction. The loss of life was fear
full. The latest reports place the number
of killed at 7S, and of injured at about
200, out of a population of perhaps little
more than double that number. The same
cyclone swept along the James river, car
rying ruin in its path, and several persons
are reported to have been killed by it near
Springfield. High winds prevailed through
out Indiana, Illinois and Iowa on Sunday
night and yesterday, and furious storm
ragged on the lakes.
Further dispatches regarding the Marsh
field disaster say that at $50 o'clock
furious hurricane struck the place, and
leveled all that part of the town lying
west of the centre square fiat to the ground.
The debris Immediately took fire in several
places, and flames could be seen at some
half fdozen points by passengers on the
train. Forty dead bodies had been taken
out, and many more were supposed to be
buried in the ruins or burned up. There
were also many living still buried in the
debris of the fallen buildings. All the
two, and there was great need of doctors
<n offop1 tho vvounAoI Of ubovn II rac
| said there were some 200.
The train dispatcher at Conway, four
teen miles this side of Marshfield, reports
that he arrived there from Springfield at
II o'clock, and says he found the country
in terrible condition from Northview,
seven miles west of Marshfeld, to the lat
ter point. Trees three feet in diameter
were torn entirely out of the ground, tele-
graph poles were twisted off, and every
| thing was wrecked. The town of Masrh-
field was demolished, brick as we'll as
frame buildings being torn down.
eve did not see" he said, more than
half a dozen people as We came through
that town. The place seemed deserted.
The doctor and nurses who came to our
train from Springfield, about twenty in
number, went from the station alone to
hunt up the people, there being none to
receive them"
A relief train was sent from Lebanon to
Marshfield at daylight yesterday morning
with about fifty doctors, nurses and help
ers, and full supply of provisions, cloth
ing and medical stores, also material for
repairing the telegraph line. The wires
are blown down at different points between
Springfield and Conway, perhaps ten miles
altogether.
Marshfield presents terrible scene of
destruction, less than a dozen houses in
the town having escaped unharmed. The
court house and many other buildings took
fire. At one house two children were
found dead and another badly mangled,
but still alive. The parents could not be
| found. In another case a woman was lost
entirely. She seems to have been boldly
carried away. Tho force of the wind
stripped the bark from trees and lifted
others entirely out of the ground. Tele-
graph poles and wire were carried hum
dreds of rods into the woods and tied and
knotted among the limbs of trees as though
they were cotton strings.
Everything possible is being done to as
sist and succor the wounded, not only at
Marshfield, but at other places. Physi-
clans throughout the country are flOcking
to points most injured, and doing all they
can to alleviate the suffering. Doctors
went from Springfield to the James River
country, six miles south, as we'll as to
Marshtield, and scores of kind-hearted peo-
pie have volunteered as nurses.
| Fifty deaths are reported on the James
river, six miles south of Springfield, and a
great many persons are missing. There
are reports that the city of CRANKY, 100
miles southwest of Springfield was greatly
damaged; also that Warrcnsburg, on the
Missouri Pacific railroad, sixty-five miles
this side OF Kansas City, was badly injured
but the reports have not been verified.
At Decatur, La Place, Ottawa, Warren
and WinOna, the storm was terrific and
much damage was done.
Recent Disastrous Fires.
A fire in Keysville, Mo-, on Sunday, de-
strOyed Mackay's hotel, eleven small frame
stores and two dwellings, causing loss of
| $4,000.
The forest fires in Cumberland, Atlantic
and Cape May counties, New Jersey, are
still burning tiercely. Reports from along
the Camden and Atlantic railroad yester-
day stated that the flames were coursing
on line outside the towns of Hammon-
ton, EllwOod and Egg Harbor.
The Western file works at Beaver Falls
Beaver county, Pa, were totally destroyed
| by fire, with their stock and machinery,
yesterday morning. The fire is supposed
to have been started by sparks from the
| shovel factory. The loss is estimated at
$40O, 600; insured for $125, 900. Over 200
persons are thrown out of employment.