The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-02-25

dismantled by flying brick and timbers,
tifty wards south OF the court house the
storm seemed to De AT It's height.
On the corner of Washington street
and the public square was the Crew
block. "A ihree-stury brick building,
eighty feet front, occupied by the
Evans bank, II grocery and II saloon.
Tins building was thoroughly dcmol-
ished, and taking fire, all intlammable
material WAS consumed. The owner
of the building, K. G. Murray, was
caught in the falling walls and was
crcmuted- Ed Harnal, wife and small
boy were in the basement, having
taken refuge from the storm, and were
buried by the walls, but the man bur
rowed his way Il of the ruins, max
inc a passaYe for his wife II child,
and then made an effort to eXtinguish
the flames. This fire WAS intensely
hot and at noon to-day the bricks gave
of the heat of q furnace. Across the
street, on Washington, was u row OF
twO-story frame aud brick buildings.
The brick buildings were caVed In and
the frames were crushed out OF shape
against each other. Near the corner
TO the south were a lot of groggeries
and frame structures which served as
warehouses and dwellings. The storm
played havoc here and then turned the
place over 10 the flames, which cOn-
su,ned the last plank. These fires and
the crushed brick buildings leave a
path which gives a good view of the
| destruction. Stores, dwellings, mills
and storehOuses went down in Il gen.
erai mass and left the streets obstruct-
ed. The storm was over in three
minutes. and the brave people rushed
out of their safe retreats and unframed
homes to give assistance to he needy
The flames shot up with devilish
audacity and the fire company, aided
by citizens who had organized in
squads, began the work OF rescue.
which was carried out systematically.
The mayor filed his place admirably,
and in short order called for assistance
from the neighboring towns Fire
engines and physicians were wanted
and Centralia, Ashley, Nashville aud
Evansville, Ind, responded generously
and quickly. The citizens threw open
their houses to the homeless and their
bedrooms became hospitals, while the
worthy nurses turned expert nurses.
What was left OF the supreme court
building was turned into a inorgue.
The relief secretary has been i'll COM
munication all day with the large cities
of the country, and a formal and sys-
tematic appeal will be made to all
persons to assist the deInoralized city
in Its affection, which is indeed beyond
parallel in this country in the devasta-
ton of %oyclones; those of western
Missouri, Jamestown and Washington
Court House, o., not equalling In total
destruction the loss at this place. The
morning trains brought II host OF
excursiOnists who came to see, to ren-
der aid and to comfort stricken friends.
Nearly 900 strangers tired the streets
amazed at what they see and hear.
The town is full of reporters, and tho
dreary tale is repeated time and again.
Artists are on the sceue, sketching the
ruins, and the pencil In a hundred
hands is jotting down the facts and
stories from a thousand mouths.
: Operators have been busy ut the ticker
all night and day, their force having
been greatly reduced by the death OF
two OF their number in the destroyed
city. Mount Vernon is u beautiful
little city of 1000 inhabitants and ia the
county seat OF Jefferson county. 1t Is
considered one of the most thriving and
beautiful of Southern Illinois cities.
Its streets are broad and well lined
with shade trees and the residences are
trim and homelike. Ii is situated on
the Louisville u Nashville road and is
seventy eight miles from st. Louis
The surrounding country is rolling,
=, aud is partly prairie and partly wood
! land. Cyclones, or heavy storms, have
!. never before visited this region and It
, was considered safe from any such de-
structive element.
The following circular was issued
this morning and is now being sont
through the mails:
Mt. VERNON, Ill Feb. 20, 1888.
To the Mayor ana Citizens:
The CITY OF Mount Vernon, Illinois,
: was visited by q terrible cyclone on
. Yesterday afternoon which carried
Z death and destruction In its path.
9 About thirty people were killed out
! right and scores of men, women and
8 children are manned, wounded and
bleeding, and about 1000 people are
made homeless by the disaster. some
three hundred houses are swept almost
, from the face of the earth, among
, which are the county court house
public school buildings, Methodist ant
, Baptist churches, supreme court house
. the round house of the Louisville 4
> Nashville railroad, and many of thu
leading business houses are u tota
wreck, their contents being buried
beneath the ruins. A raging fire
which broke out, also destroying mucl
OF the property which might otherwis'
- have been saved from the ruins. W.
q are sorely in distress, and are torca'
to call upon the charitable people o
the country for money, and snch othe
= timely assistance as they may feel abb
~ to contribute. Money is needed NOR
, than provisions as there are a teV
business houses that may be able I
u supply the demand. Send cash COZ
~ tributions, il possible, to Geo. W
~ Evans, chairman finance committee, q
Norman II. Moss, secretary.
~ Summing up the county building
~ churches, business houses and stock
80 OF goods aggregate II loss OF S4lO ,OoU
" the fine residences totally destroyed
sss, OOO; fine residences injured, $40 ,OOI
10 cottages, warehouses. barns, etc
.1o Sll5, 900, y total of $57S,00O. Otht
no iucidenials will increase this.
-, All day long the funeral tram
has been heard through the tow
:, and every little while II body OF me
- passed down tho street carrying r.
mains to the home OF Il friend to ava
oi burial. as yet no arrangements hay
been made Tor q general tuner
n Some of the bodies have been taken
other towns, and some into the cou
~ try.