The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-21
RoDIEs REcoyEnEI,.

specavely, and said TO De daughters or one
Caltnpka, We're passing the bri ok building cor
ner OF High street and Douglas avenue, whom
it fell, and they have not been seen since.
NEAR ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.
ROCKFORD. ILL.,, May. 19.-Rockford
had a close cali yesterday by wind and rain
stornrthat soon merged into a terrific cyclone.
There appear to have been two storm-clouds,
one from the west the other from the east
The latter passed over the eastern portion OF
the city, and met the one from the west north
of the city, the result being destructive tor
nado. In the southern part of this county
and the southern part of Wisconsin, the
rain poured down in vast sheets, and the
wind accompanying the storm damaged
property to yet unestimable amount The
lives lostare also yet unknown. Largo houses
and barns were lifted completely of their foun-
dation aud whirled through the air without the
least effort
this vicinity. A large farm house, containing
husband, wife and children, was lifted from
the ground and hurled rods away killing the
occupants and tearing the structure to pieces
The worst OF the storm WIS at Liter, sta
ton on the Peoria branch of the Wabash, nine
miles north.
At first the storm was seen approaching the
place from the west about 6 - D. M Mr. J.
b. Griffin says. that they were just closing their
store when he saw the cloud, which was in the
shape of a pillar column, coming towards the
LOWIi- IAe naSIllX nnlSleQ CLOS Hg ND, and
sought his mothers house. While there the
blow came with terrific force, but lasted only
about one minute. The direction was from
southwest to northeast, sweeping right through
of Liter In those fateful sixty seconds
fully three -fourths OF the buildings
in the town were completely demolished,
Frustrated as if crushed by a direct
blow from overhead. The whole area OF
the storms track was strewn with the timbers.
brick and debris of the ruined structures, but
the saddest part of the story is the loss of life
aud the manning of human beings. In that
moment of time households were stricken with
losses that cannot be repaired in this life
The killed. The. names of the dead are
MI. John Trotter, aged about rs. Mrs. John
Trotter, his wife; Miss Agnes Griffin, aged y;
Mrs Mary j. Stevenson, aged about 65; Lily
Griffin, aged months.
The wounded are: DR.. s. Griffin, wounded
about the head and internally; has been I'M
conscious ever since; Mrs. DIR. Griffin, leg
broken, and, like her husband, still uncon-
scious; j. b. Griffin, brother of Dr. Griffin,
right arm broken and slight wound in head;
the injuries of D. s. Griffin, another brother,
left leg broken; Miss Nellie Griffin, sister,
left arm broken: Mrs. Sarah Griffin, mother
Of last three general shock to system John
his skull crushed, and pieces
of the bone have been taken out yet
he is not thought to be mortally Injured;
leg broken; - Liter, young son of Jonas
Liter, injured in the head and not likely to
live. q
There was general destruction of trees.
chimneys and signs The storm
struck the south edge of the town, COM
pletely running everything in the central |
and southern portions, nearly three-fourths of !
the place The railroad track was so piled |
with lumber and debris that the train could |
not be brought to this city until this morning |
Very fortunately some one had presence Of |
mind enough TO warn the train as it came into |
Liter from the north, or there would have |
been wrecked train and more loss of life and |
injuries.
AT SPRINGFIELD.
SPRINGFIELD, H., May 19.-Spring- |
field has had its cyclone 1t struck near the |
limits on the southwest about o'clock last |
evening and passed ever the junction of the
Wabash and Chicago & Alton towards the
carrying destruction in its path. Its
course was nearly along the line of the
Wabash, but its fury was chiefly spent in the
vicinity of Rochester, a little hamlet southeast
Of this city On the Ohio & Mississippi railway.
Comparatively few people in Springfield no
iced the great fuunei-shapped cloud in its APP
oroach from the southwest or its progress to-
wards the northeast, but the rumors of the de
fastation it wrought were on everybody's lips,
Gnd telephones. telegraph wires, and carriages
oaded with physicians and surgeons were
brought INTO requisition to ascertain the details
md look after the condition of several whom
hese earliest Inmors named as victims.
The particulars were slow coming in, and
{ Was not until nearly midnight that anything
lefinite satisfactory could be known CON |
,erning the storm and its work.
The force of the tornado first developed two
niles southeast of the city, where number of
houses are blown down or badly damaged The
iouse of Mys Mary English was completely
Demolished, and Mrs English was badly hurt
The house and barn of John Brooker at Round
'rairte were wrecked, and infant child is
eported 10 have been instantly killed. 4
oung man named Van Nostrand was killed in
lis house, which was demolished.
Persons who have arrived from the nearest
'oint of the disaster report The destruction
omplete and appalling. There were many
MIRACULOUS escapes and the casualties are
rnite1 in number, probably below the first re-
orts. Witnesses of the storm-cloud say it
7as electrical in character, the customary fun
el apparently being mass of flame Barns
nd houses were swept away from their foun-
atoms and splintered vestige of them be
lg lett on the premises. In once instance
even persons were in two-story brick dwell
az, which was carried away bodily, while
he Inmates all escaped IN safety, one
bid being hart III the head aud a man
seeiyinS bruises in the back from bricks from
le walls Trees were uprooted and broken
II along the entire track OF the tornado 1t |
$50 plowed up the ground for a long distance
nd showered gravel from the river bottoms
yer ii large extent of land, in some cases
lastering the earth with debris entirely for
IA to the neighborhood.
One bog caught IN the storm was blown To
~ earth and his clothing literally covered
it'll small stones and powdered wood. which |
ere attba driven into the cloth.
LATER
The Calamity at Round Prairie, four miles
sst of this city, liz awful In small compass
ght residences are entirely gone A Mr.
arbTsce was killed at tho residence of Snper-
IGOR Grabb. and Mr. Van Nostrand was
Ataily hurt and has since died Two of Mr.
ms and back. Mrs Jane Van Nostran6 was
ortally wounded. Maggie Vim Nostrand's
lenider WIS broken and right thigh fractured
mn Van Nos rand was hurt about the head
enry Huglett was injured in the back Others
hose names are not learned also suffered in
1Fles less serious.
AT CLINTON.
CLINTON, H., May ia terrible cy-
one passed over this vicinity last night, doing
! immense amount of damage to property
I'd killing several persons. The wind tool
course, and followed up s..
'eed, in this county, on which line many
,sises were utterly destroyed About six
lies south of Clinton the wind tore down a
'nse killing Peter Clifton, his wife, aud an
year-old daughter, and fatally injuring
lother child family named Bennison were
Jured seriously, and members of many other
miles whose names could not be secured
ere more or less injured The damage was
ry great ]
MAcoUPTN COUNTY
Sr. Louis, May ia special to the ,
faom Stanton, III: At 10
Io