New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-20
FIERCE WESTERN STORMS.
GREAT DESTRUCTION IN ILLINOIS.
MORE THAN FIFTEEN TOWNS vIsITED-wTDEsPREAD
Loss OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.


sound was heard, and suddenly funnel-shaped tor
nado formed aud swooped down on the place with
fearful rapidity. Houses were torn TO
pieces like SO many card-boards ana
whirled through the air. Large buildings were
leveed in an instant. 1t is understood that several
persons were killed and at least twenty wounded
Passing to the. east the storm struck Belvldere,
doing considerable damage. There the wind
changed to the northeast and widened to mile.
Lawrence. small station six miles north of Harvard
was badly damaged and the surrounding country
was desoatcd.
dispatch to The News from Springfield ILL.,, says
the damage caused by the storm last night was
moro appalling than was at first supposed 1t struck
the ground Elijah Hes farm, south OF the june
tion and laid waste three dwellings and as many
barns and outhouses. Mr.. lies house, large two
story brick building, was entirely demol-
ished 1t was occupied by Mr.. Booker. who
was considerably injured. male in
fant was nearly killed. Across the road
from Mr. Bookcr's place, Zebulon Wilfonds house
was swept away but no loss Of life resulted
quarter of mile further to the northeast the homo
of Mrs. English was torn to pieces. Everything
about the place was entirely destroyed Mrs
English was crushed and manglet by the faIllng
timbers but there are hopes of her recovery
The hurricane struck the earth again four miles
east of the city, where the little settlement OF Round
Prairie is situated and played havoc with the hves
and.property of the farmers in that vicinity. The
first farm III the track of the storm was that
OF William Contrell The farmhouse was occupied
by himself his wife and n hired man. They took
refuge in the cellar and there weathered the storm
in safety while tho house, barn, outbuldlngs,
fences aad stock were destroyed. Tho homes OF
William Nostrand, Mr. McVeigh, Henry ilughlctt'
Samuel Ashton. James Trotter. George Ray. Henry
Turley. Henry Farbee and Samuel r. Grubb were
torn down and great damage was done to other
property.
From Round Prairie the storm swept on to Daw-
son. nine miles northeast but doing serious dam
ACE till that point was reached Hero a number of
bouscs were torn down and Mrs. Ferris was killed.
At Buffalo, another little hamlet. Mrs Thomas
Chandler was killed by the falling tlmbers OF her
home. The homes of Michael McDonough Ben
iamin Keck aud others were blown away, but no
other lives were lost.
Another storm is reported TO have struck Just east
of jacksonville and to have pursued anortheastery
course twenty-five miles west OF Springfield II Is
said the little hamlet Of Leitenburg was destroyed
and that eight persons were killed and injured
DrsoIArloN IN MORGAN COUNTY.
JACKSONVILLE, H. May l9-Morgan County
e1perlcnccd last evening the most disastrous wind
storrn known in it's history. In this city there was
considerable wind with rain but no destruction or
life or propcrty On Greasy Prairie eleven miles
south of here the farm houses OF Porter Story,
Alexander Gum. William Brakeman, Thomas
| Kcnslcr. Jesse Carington aud A. WarcuP we're de-
! sfrnv,d and one man. a boy and two children were
| ,llrd aud Others were injured Southeast OF tho
CITY along the line OF the Jacksonville Southeast
crn Railroad, much damage Is is rapor,cu. Nost ~
p,srah the house barn and orchard Of James OHIey
| wer. swept away and his wife and children were
| scuou,ly injured. Al WoOdlawn, where there was
| - .cvcrs tornado attended with fatal casualties
thrcc wears ago the railroad depot was destroyed
,, cars were blown from thc track into atoms, the
| { X being partially torn up.
nine miles north of here the Peoria branch OF the
Wabash Railroad. The sorm-ciond was was
south part of the town OF Liter ana
travelled northeast completely across the Dusi-
nrs. and resident portion OF the place. leNelLhg
four 81 ores two churches. the depot, repair sh"p
aud thirteen dwellings besides nIuting others ana
destroying much other property. Al MIS- uillllh
house her three sons and one daughter were
| Injured and anolher daughter age twenty,two was
condIton S,I,dI from the shock to her whole
system. Another ruined dwelling was may Oh Hei
Hospital here and both are probably fatally injured
| internally. His seyen-month-old daughter was
killed Another of The wounded IS NJ hatGiiins
| tho village blacksmith who was at Mrs. Grli1n
| house James Steyensons house was destroyed
Gr had n leg broken and his wife was killed Mr
and Mrs. John Trotter. an aged couple i9sV tnci'
| lives i'm their wrecked home This makes the mum
| her of killed IN the town five. There are fully NJ
teen persons injured, three of whom Will probably
Nne OF the injured were brought to this city TIM
| uorniup Another wounded man was brought IL
| from Woodawn. where hc was badly cut up ny
falling tlmbers Of the scale, house oi non. oalhue
Woods whose barn was also destroyed. Further tt
the southeast along the track oil tue stoln soa''o
ing farm-houses and barns were IeEeIiou - -
1 -
as fitchfcid. Not far from that place
Tailroad bridge was swept away and passenger
tram on the Indianapolis ana ~, Lou!S ,na rai,
| plunged into rayne. The engineer OF the trait ti
was killed and the fireman scalded, pfoDaoiS
fatally. but none of the passengers wero hurt.
Another Of the Liter sufferers young man man ,u ara
| Liter died this morning making SIX deau theie
| The dead at Greasy Prairie now NUMBER louI-'
man named English a twelve-year-old boy named
| Blakeman and two children IN the Weatroa' lam
Elly making ten dead III TINS county
REPORTS FROM MANY TOWNS
| CrtxTox m MAY l9.-A terrific and DESTRUCTIVE
tornado. seventy-fye yards in width, from IN
southeast passed over a portion OF De WIN COUNT!
last night doing immense damage wherever
stmck II was funnel-shapcd and revolVed VIII
great rapidty Hail fell as large as hickory mus
In all eleven farm houses were utterly wrecked an
the occupants made homeless. Mr.. Bemison nous
was blown out of sight. George L. Chtton' M''
Clifton his wife, and Ollie Clifton age sever
were killed and many were wounded -o r.,
Iittle haby of Mrs BenIson's was blown 40 lee
and picked up badly injured. house occuPie
by family OF six named Mcphersohi was was p'cTe Te
, up and carried about 100 feet anu ulOppou. ~
family miraculousy escaped without serious INJURY
At Joo Blues residence 100 sheep were kllleS i
The total destruction will reach $40 600 at leas
Great trees were WTcnched OH ike corn s'tln'
gnrccs m The courso OF the wind were blown hun
dreds of feet and half mile of telephone wire wa
broken from the poles and carried TWO OF enree nun
,red feet into the tops OF trees ,,,L.
STANTON, ILL.,, May l0-At 10 o'clock last hlgnt
tornado passed about three miles east Oh here toea
ly demoshlng Liyingstons fine farm resdence, eL
| dangerously injuring Mr. Livlngston Other Puilt
ings in the vicinity were destroyed ana olcnaio
were injured A constructloncIew OF about tweHts
t five men the Springfield llnoiS Hous
8 | Railway were camping near Mrs. OllV9s ahous
some of them sleeping IN large harn. All were s.
y riously injured. Mr. Cantwell, the CONTRACTOR AZ
Alya Berre we're instantly killed llttIe glIi, dt
hlta '''o, racoyer Telegrams for aid have bee