Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-06-23
An Appeal for Aid.
IOWA IN NEED oF CHARIrY .

DES MoINES, Ia, June 20.-The fol-
lowing appeal for aid has been furnish
ed the associated press, with request
for its publication in al papers.
''To THE PUBLIC:
After two days and nights spent in
traversing the track of the tornado that
swept over the state with such fearful
effect, and from scores of reporters of
the Register and associated press sent to
all parts of it'll find the stricken people
so piteous and so needful of instant and
generous help, that send thiss appeal
to the people of the United States in
their behalf.
The tornado made Il swath of de-
struction through the thickly settled
portion of Iowa, some $50 miles in
length and an average OF q half mile
in width, extending from point south
of Ames, in the center of the state,
and swept in the shape of crescent to
South English, in Keokuk county,
in the southeastern part of the state
We have the names of sixty dead and
five hundred wounded; half of the lat
ter are seriously hurt and probably tif-
ty Of them fatally.
OVER 800 FAMILIES
have had their homes totally destroyed
and there are now at least 500 home
less persons in want The loss in prop
ertv exceeds 100000, and may reach
SO 600 600. In Grinnell alone over
S4U0 600 IN property was destroyed on
none of which was cent of insurance,
as in case of fire. 1t will take at least
$35, 600 to put the people there beyond
need and distress. 1t will take $780,
600 at once to put the wounded people
in condition to be cared for.
1T WILL TAKE A MILLION
at least to keep the sufferers from want
and to help them put roofs over their
heads
Ghe people of Des Moines and Iowa
are responding generously. The citi-
zens of this city have subscribed IS 0t0
this morning, and will make it So. 600
before night, in money, and
also provisions and clothing besides;
but it will take the help OF every
humane city and town in the west,
and of every liberal city and town in
the east, to put comfort and safety
between these people and suffering.
Grinnell is town Of New England
people, thrifty, intelligent people,
and with the lowest rate of crime and
| illiteracy in the state and the highest
rate of intelligence and morality. The
rich towns of the cast will help these
SONS and daughters of New England in
distress and need, in the utt, I calamity
visited on them by the monarch OF the
air, which has killed fifty Of
their people, destroyed 160 of
its homes, MANNED and mutilated
two hundred more of It's people who
will soon die, and all of whom must be
cared for, for months and wiped out
totally nearly half million dollars in
uninsured property. Iowa college has
had all its buildings destroyed, it's
FOUR HUNDRED STUDENTS MADE HOME
LE4S,
and hos suffered loss of SIS 600 Of
uninsured property. The condItion Of
other towns and farming communities
is fully as bad.
All that the people Of Iowa can do
will be done to alleviate the condition
and repair in part the condition Of the
sufferers; but If will take $1,000 600 TO
provide even half way comfort and re-
compense; and the people of the state
who have always borne their share and
| done their part in all national calami-
ties may fitly ask the people of other
communities to hel p them in this hour
of great trial, and / ask my fellows
Of the press throughout the U. s.,
to place these facts before their read
ers, and give their timely help to It's
sufficient purpose of raising and pro-
viding
AID AT THE EARLIEST MOMENT POSSIBLE.
The fury and power of this calamity
were as indescribable, as their mighti-
ness OF strength and their havoc and
power were cruel and complete. Many
| people were bereft of their houses, not
a splinter as large as a finger, not a
shred Of furniture as large as a skein
of silk remaining, and hundreds have
no clothing except the night clothes
] they had on.
Little children, with both parents
| killed, were left wounded themselves.
EVERY CONDITION OF WOE Exists
that most tenderly appeals to the pity
of human hearts. Wounds were in
| fiicted by debris that filed the air like
electric balls of fire that seemed to tra-
verse every inch of space, and
that exploded with such fearfully
fatal effect, that many of the victims
need skillful nursing, even with the
tenderest care. The fury Of the storm,
which was clearly of e'ectric origin,
and which may be described as being
electricity itself, may be understood
from the stttement that at various
places it took up IN its greater spirals
or tunnels, houses a thousand feet high
and took up and carried Large focks o.
cattle through the air for
thousands of feet and dashed them
down dead in heaps. Many
thousands of cattle, horses, hogs and
other animals now lie in the track OF
the tornado already rotting IN the hot
weather. The horror of putrefaction
Ia added to the foul and pervading
odors that are being thrown of By the
millions of tons of drying matter left
| In the wake of the tornado.
THE HORRORS OF THE STORM
are unspeakable.