St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-06-23
A Terrible Cyclone.

A HUNDRED OR MORE PEOPLE KILLED, !
AND A GREAT MANY WOUNDED.
A cyclone swept through central
Iowa Saturday night, and half the
town of Grinnell is in ruins, while sew
eral other settlements in the vicinity
suffered seriously. At least IL persons
were killed at Grinnell, and enough
more at other points to make IA total of
100 or more. A great number were
injured, five or six ut Grinnell being
reported as unable to live through last
night. 1t is feared that the number of
deaths at Grinnell will yet reach 10.
The surgeons have reported that the
wounded exceed $50, and that the
number of houses destroyed or ruined
is between 40 and $50. The total loss
of property is now estimated mt 5000,
600. The path of the tornado was
about % miles long and half mile
wide, extending five miles northwest
of Grinnell and 20 miles southeast.
The accounts of the first appearance
of the cyclone do not agree, but it APP
pears that a deep roaring sound was
first heard proceeding from funnel
shaped cloud coming from the south
west. Sweeping to the northwest cor
ner of the town it Frustrated huge
trees in its pathway, taking houses
and barns, leveling both to the ground.
c. Pitman's house was completely lev
eled, burying beneath it Pitman, his
wife and their three children, his wife's
sister and her little baby. The three
years-old girl Hattie was taken out
dead. The boy Harry l0years old,
was fatally injured and Arthur slight
! ly hurt. Not far away was the resi-
dence of Mr.. Lewis and wife, an old
man and woman, who were both kill
ed. From here the storm pursued Il
ZigZag direction to the north of the
city, when after wiping out the finest
residence portion of the city, it swept
toward the college. The west build
ing was dumped into a heap of lath
and plaster and broken timber, bury
ing beneath it eight students who
roOmed therein, all of whom were af-
terward eXtricated more or less iniur-
ed, and one died. The east college, a
five story building, was unrOofed, and
Il fire followed. And so the work of
destruction went Oh the details of
which are horrible. The scenes around
the ruins are heart-rending. Families
are wandering over the ruins of their
homes in a dazed sort of way. The
engine-hOuse, where II of the dead are
laid out, presents sight that brings
back army days. The other dead are
around in the wrecks of their homes,
where enough is left for shelter, or
have been sent to the houses of their
friends. Nearly every person in the
track of the tornado complains of in
iuries or shows the marks in bruised
and battered faces. Mrs. GriswOld,
mother of E. Griswold, and woman
visiting there, now lie dead in the
home of A. j. Preston. The cyclone
passed over Malcolm at $50 Saturday
night, and five dead have been found
and the wounded are numerous. Five
of the best business houses are demOl-
ished, including the Gazette Office and
both churches, and One-third of the
dwelling-hOuses i'll town are fiat or
badly damaged. The cyclone extend
ed far around, destroying everything
in its path. All is excitement.
A special train from Des Moines
reached Grinnell at $40 Sunday morn
ing with II physicians on board from
DesMoines, Colfax and Kellogg. A
committee has been organized to assist
the sufferers and they ask aid.
A man and his son were blown into
a well at Malcolm. The father climb
ed up the pump stock, pushing his
child before him.
SERIOUS TEMPEST AT KANSAS CITY.
The severest and most destructive
wind and rain-stOrm that has visited
Kansas City, Mo-, in years occurred
between | and , o'clock Saturday
morning. The velocity of the wind
was estimated at 90 miles per hour.
The rainfall was heavy and the light
ming terrific and Saturday morning the
city presented a frightful spectacle.
Not "a single square in the town escap-
ed the fury of the storm. The streets
in every quarter were strewn with
signs, awnings, limbs of trees, roofs
and debris of all descriptions. Scarce
ly an exposed building in the city re-
manned whole, chimneys being blown
II down, roofs taken off, and in many