The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-21
Twenty-Five Persons Killed at Racine,
Wisconsin.
Many Killed or Terribly Injured in
Illinois
Missouri and Dakota Also Suffer Ex-
tensiye Damage.

| OF the cay out did no special damage, except
TO trees. This storm was the edge of tornado
which swept the country two miles south,
veering to the northwest, and destroying q
large amount OF property, houses and sbarns In
lis path.
The cyclone DESTROYED Mr. Hes three farm
| dwellings, three barns aud his brick residence
| Mr.. Wilford's house was destroyed; also that
| OF Mrs English, who was fatally hurt. The
| house, barns and outbuildings OF William Con-
trell was destroyed, but he and his family safe
| ly escaped in their cellar. The houses were
| also destroyed OF William Nostrom Mr., Me-
| Weigh, Hugh Hnghlett and six others At
| Pawson several houses were wrecked aud Mrs
| Ferris was killed. AT Buffalo, Mrs. Shoulder
| was killed and three houses wrecked. Eight
| persons are reported killed at Leitenberg.
RACINE, Wis, May 19-The first cyclone in
| the history Of this section struck Racine at
| o'clock last night, passing through the ex-
| treme northwestern portion of the city, demol-
lshing 100 houses and barns, causing the loss OF
life of about 20, besides 100 more or less serious
| ly injured. The day was ushered in bright
and cool with fresh wind blowing from the
| southeast. Toward noon the sky was overcast,
| and about o'clock sharp electric storm pre-
| vailed, although bat little rain fell. The sun
| again Came out for about an hour. During the
afternoon the temperature was about seventy
degrees.
About O'Clock heavy masses of clouds gath
cred IN the west and portended storm. The
air was oppressivey warm. The cyclone was
announced by breaking of the Clouds which
took on a whirling motion and struck the earth
with noise which might be compared to the
roar OF a thousand railroad trains thu ndering
over bridge. The path of the storm was a
little over half mile long and perhaps a
quarter of mile wide. In this territory here
and there building is left standing. All brick
and frame alike, collapsed, and their sites are
marked oaly by heaps OF debris. Many occu-
pants of houses escaped by seeking refuge in
cellars and other places of comparative safety
but the cyclone came with such lightning
qaickness that many were killed before reach
ing their cellars. In only few cases were the
houses moved from their foundations. Those
IN the center of the storm simply exploded aud
fell in ruins. Some nearer the circumference
were turned around, and ii Is reported some
light articles. such as wagons, were swept IN
to the lake. The cyclone, as it moved from
the city, out upon the waters of Lake Michi-
gan, presented grand spectacle. All the ply
slcisns Of the City responded TO the call for as
sistance. The wounded were conveyed to st.
Lukes acd st. Mary's Hospitals, where they
receive the best of care. The dead were taken
some to the houses of friends and some TO the
Court House
Farther investig Ation early this morning
only serves to swell the list of casualties and
make more sweeping the destruction occasion
ed by the cyclone last night. 1t is now esti-
mated that fully twenty five people were killed
and 100 injured. One hundred and fifty houses
were demolished and had the cyclone struck
the business portion of the city the damage
would not have easily been calculated. At
Western Union junction seven miles west of
Racine, many houses we're wrecked and man
named Webbeo killed
The financial loss BY the storm will not ex-
coed S50,000. The buildings demolished were
principally farm structures, and individual
losses range from $500 to $1,000.
The scene along the course OF the cyclone
is pitifnl and heartrending. News Of this dis
aster was not generally known until morning,
threatening weather which fnreboded another
storm, keeping most OF the people dwelling on
the south side or in that vicinity in their
homes Few OF those who witnessed the phe-
nomenon comprehended its terrible signf
canoe, supposing IL merely a storm like these
which are common occurrences in summer.
As consequence il was not generally known
until this morning that Racine had suffered
calamity without parallel in It's history. Nearly
the entire population OF the north aud west
sides of the river were visited during last even
ing and night The scene among the dead,
wounded and dying was one painful beyond
description. In many instances the surviving
relatives had lost all semblance Of reason and
physicians were not numerous enough TO give
prompt assistance.
Numerous victims were rhled in blankets
while anxious relatives ran in every direction
TO secure medical aid There seems 70 be a
disagreement as TO the number of killed (which
has been given from 10 TO 30. Mayor Irish
says - dead are reported Three or four per-
sons are missing and it is asserted that some
were blown into the lake, where the cyclone
| ended, and OF course any such will not be found
| till they rise to the surface
| JERsEYvILLR, ILL.,, May 19.-The storm yes
| terday evening at Grafton demolished several
| buildings.
| SHIPMAN, Ills, May ia cyclone passed
through this section yesterday doing great
| damage. number of persons are 0rted
| seriously injured aud one dead. The storm
came from the southwest passing half mile
NJ nj laGaa and of D..f.
view, and covered space of about quarter of
| mile in width.
| ALTON, ILL.,, May 19.-The storm here last
night was heavy but did no great damage. AT
| Grafton, few miles north, much damage was
done. All the derricks OF the Grafton Stone
| Quarry Company, we're destroyed together
| with five engines and several houses. The
| loss is very heavy. Three houses in Shinn
| Hollow, near Grafton, belonging to Denny
| Shay, John McVeight and Michael Griner,
were totally wrecked. Mrs. Gaines was killed
and her husband is supposed to have been
| thrown into rayine and killed and his body
| washed into tue river. A daughter Of Denny
| Shay had a leg broken. The storm was also
| severe az Edwardsville. Mrs. William Maxey
| OF Alton while going from her fathers house
| near Edwardsville TO a neighbors, was killed
! by being blown against tree. The roof OF
the court house was blown off.
! ST. LOUIS, Mo-, May 19.-The storm that
| passed over Grafton, Shipman and other
| PLACES ln liiluOl6 ldSb n1Enb seems 10 nave
| come direct from the west. When first heard
| OF 1t was at Jonesburg, Mo-, where 1t crossed
| the Wabash liailroad, leveiling several houses
| in the town with the ground, killing one lady.
In the country Telegraph wires were broken
and no details have yet been received.
SHIPMAN, ILL.,, May 19.--Later reports from
| Piainview show more destruction Of property
| and loss vi life than was at first indicated. A
| man named Miller and bis wife and four chill
| dren and several other persons are said to have
been seriously injured. The damage 10 prop
| erty Is extensive.
| JACKSONVILLE, ILL.,, May f9.--Morgan coun-
| ty experienced last evening the most disastrous
wind storm known in its history. In this city
| there was considerable wind and rain, but no
destruction Of life or property. On Greasy
prairie, eleven miles south of here, the farm
| houses of Porter Story, Alexander Gum,
| William Blackman, Thomas Keusler, Jesse
| Darlington and A. Warcup were destroyed
| and one man. hoy and two children we're
| killed and three were injured. Southeast of
| the city, along the line of the Jacksonville and
Southeastern Railroad mnch damage is report
| ed.
Near franklin the storm was fearfnlly de-
structve. AT Pisgab, the house, baru and
orchard Of James Oxley we're swept away, aud
| his wife ard children were seriously injured
At Woodlawn, where there was a severe
tornado attended with fatal consequences, the
railroad depot was destroyed and cars were
blown FROM the track into atoms, the track
| being partially torn up. MOBt OF the cyclone,
however, was some miles north OF here on the
Pennsylvania branch of the Wabash Railroad.
The storm cloud was In the shape of column
and struck the south part OF the town and
travelled northeast, completely across the
business and residence portion OF the place,
l levelliDg four stores, two churches, depot a
repair shop and thirteen dwellings besides In
juring others and destroying much other prop
erty.
| At Mrs. Griffin's house her three sons and
one daughter were injured End another daugh.
ter, aged 22 was killed. She herself was in a
dangerous condition from the shock TO her
whole sy stem Another ruined dwelling was
that Of DIR. s. Griffin, who with bis wife are at
the city hospital here, and both probably fatal.
ly injured internally. His seven months old
daughter was killed. Another Of the wound
ed 10 Mr. Hutchins, the village blacksmith
who was at Mrs. Grifn's house James Stew
enson's house was destroyed. He had leg
broken and his wife was killed. MIR. and Mrs
John Trotter, an aged couple, lost their livei
in their wrecked home. This makes the mum
ber of killed in the town five. There are fully
fifteen persons injured, three OF whom will
probably die. Nine of the injured were brough
to this city this morning. Another wounded
man was brought to Woodlawn, where he wal
cut up by falling timbers Of the scale house O