Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-02-24
A WINTER CYCLONE.
ANILLINOIS TOWNDESTROYED.
Fire Adds Horror to the Disaster.

!
THE REMAINDER SWEPT ny
FLAMEs-.MANY PERSONS KILL
ED AND INJURED.
CHICAGO, Feb. ia special die
patch to the Chicago Times from Mt.
Vernon, ILL.,. says: AtabOut5 O'Clock
this afternoon cyclone struck this
town and left it in ruins, killed tif-
teen to twenty people, and it is tear.
ed manv more than are now known
to have been killed will be found in
the ruins of tho buildings. Fire
Immediately broke Ont all over the
city amid the ruins, spreading rap
idly, owing to the damage done to
the engines by the wind.
The storm passed from the south.
west and had a rotary motion. 1t
swept down with fearful fury, strik.
ing first inst sonth Of the City Hall.
then carried away the third and
fourth stories of the Mount Vernon
mill from there 1t swept on in a
path 800 yards wide. The MethO-
dist church fell Just few minutes
after $50 people had left the Sun
day school room.
The Commercial Hotel lost its
third story. Next the wind struck
the county courthouse and made it
a heap of ruins. BY rare luck, how.
ever, the court records were saved.
The Grew Block, on the south side
of the square, is leveled with the
earth, and under it was fonnd the
body of John Crew, the owner of
the block, formerly Of Chicago
The roof and second story of STRAIT.
ton & Co.'s hardware store was
blown away. The large two.stOry
brick schOOlhOuse did not Withstand
the terrible shock any better than
the smallest house in the track of
the cyclone. The large two story
frame house of George Ward was
picked up and carried about twenty
feet and left nnhurt, while two brick
buildings within 100 feet were left
in ruins.
The loss cannot be accurately es-
timated, but not less than a million
dollars worth of property has been
destroyed by the cyclone and fire
in that neighbOrhOOd.
The sky has cleared and no
clouds give any intimatiOn of the
disastrous storm of few hours
ago. 1t il growing colder, and
many homeless people will snffer If
the weather becomes severe. Re-
ports are coming in from the cOun-
try, and the storm seems to have
swept everything for miles. lncal-
culable loss Of life and great suffer
ing will follow unless outside rs
sistance is given.
A meeting OF business men was
held aud committees appointed to
care for the dead and wounded and
protect the property as much as
possible. Many people who es-
capped with their lives have nothing
besides. Many are walking the
streets with no homes to 90 to-
The north side of the courthouse
square is injured considerably.
The wounded are being cared for
by the physicians in the best posi-
BILE manner. The railroad shops
were badly damaged and great
number OF homes destroyed. The
people are outdoors who lived IN
the track of the storm. The dead
and dying are scattered throughout
the city. All the doors of the re.
naming houses have been thrown
open to the less fortunate. Three
fourths of the business portion Of
the city is rnned financially.
The public square is in the cen
tire of the town; the courthouse is
in the centre of the square; the
school building is in the northeast
corner of the city, and all the dwell.
lings in that portion of the city are
DESTROYED, and the ruins OF some
are still burning. In all, five hun
bred buildings are destroyed and
many others injured.
The dead are now being gathered
at the Supreme Courthouse, which
has been converted INTO "A hospital
for the dead and wounded. This
building is also damaged, but not
seriously. The latest reports show
90 dead and about 100 injured,
some of whom will die before morn
ing.
Still later reports say two more
have died and number Of the
wounded are dying.
A number of men who were
struck by falling timbers, and
whose names cannot be learned at
present, are reported badly injured
and dying. The storm was pre-.
coded by hail, but not more than
five minutes elapsed until the fear
fol destroyer had swept over the
doomed town. 1t came from the
southwest. Buildings were wrench
ed and twisted, and then dashed to
pieces, total wrecks.
Twenty-seven dead bodies have
been taken from the ruins and two
hundred aud fifty are injured and
missing.
The Times's Centralid, Qll.) spe.
cial says a high sOnthwesterly wind
has been blowing at Centralia all
the evening. 1t IL feared that dam
age has been done at other points
besides Mount Vernon. The latter
place il about twenty miles south.
east OF Centralia, and about sixty
miles east Of st. Louis. 1t has
population of 1000.
A destructive storm is reported
at Nortonvlle, Ky.
MOUNT VERNON, ILL, Feb. 20.
The cyclone that visited this city
yesterday afternoon at . o'clock de.
stroyed nearly 800 residences and
places of business, aud unhOused
from l,200 to 1000 people. In the
fall of the walls many persons were
buried under the debris, and thirty.
five were killed, while twice as
many more were injured, eight or
ten so seriously that their recovery |
is despaired OF.
Committees have been appoint.
ed to solicit aid for the stricken
families, and will make a general
appeal for contributions. All trains
to-day broght numbers of visitors.
-