Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-21
HOME AFFAIRS.
A SAD SCENE OF DESTRUCTION AT
MOUNT VERNON.
Sale of Kentucky Trotters-A Crazy
Engineers Wild Freak-Col-
lieries in Operation.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES To THE nrooHD-uNIos. /
THE RUINED TOWN.
Appeal for Help for the Victims of the
Mount Vernon Disaster.

TOWN.
Appeal for Help for the Victims of the
Mount Vernon Disaster.
MOUNT VERNON Qll.), February 20th.-
The following circular was issued this
morning, and is now being sent through
tie mails:
MOUNT VERNON, ILL.,, February Goth.
To Mayors and Citizens The city of Mount
Vernon, ILL.,, was visited by a terrible cyclone
on yesterday afternoon, which carried death
and destruction in its path. About thirty peo-
pie were killed outright, and scores of men,
women and children were MANNED and
wounded, and about one thousand people are
made homeless by the disaster Some houses are
swept almost from the face of the earth, among
which are the County Courthouse. public
| Supreme Courthouse and the round-house of
| the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and
many of the leading business houses are also
| total wrecks, their contents being buried be-
meath debris A raging fire. which broke out,
also destroyed much OF the property which
might otherwise have been saved from ruin.
We are sorely in distress, and are forced to call
upon the charitable of the country for money
and such other timely assistance as they may
| feel able to contribute Money is needed more
than provisions, as there are few business
houses that may be able to supply the demand.
| Send cash contributions, if possible, to George
w. Evans, Chairman of the Finance Committee.
NORMAN H. Moss, Secretary.
A DEsoLATE SCENE.
MOUNT VERNON, February 20th.-Alight-
| ing at the depot attention is first directed
to the two-story Supreme Court building, a
| few yards from the depot, without its dome
| or root, but shreds of tin hanging from its
side, making a pivot around which the
storm seemed to swing. All else in this
direction is untouched. A few steps out
| ward along the railroad discloses to the
| southwest
| AN APPALLING SIGHT OF DEVASTATION.
| 1t is in this direction the laboring classes
| built their little one story cottages among
| the timber, and here it was that the cloud
| first dropped down, and in its whirling fury
| twisted the immense oaks from the ground
and mashed the homes fiat, and then
gathering the clinging pieces strewed them
| along its path, tearing down fences and
blotting out landmarks.
How many houses were here DESTROYED
| is not known, for nothing is left in many
| places to mark the lot. Fifteen founda-
| tions still remain. In six acres formerly
well built up but three houses are standing
| in the path of the storm, and these were
| dismantled. Looking northeastward
| across the railroad, the ruin seems even
| more terrible. Buildings that are larger,
| heavier and more compact were swept, and
| for GOO yards
Had been cut tearing down fences and
| trees and piling up debris on either side,
! and leaving the naked fence posts and
| foundation walls to mark the places of res
! idences
To the southeast stands the monumental
| ruins of the three-story brick flour mill,
| the walls stripped down and the machinery
| exposed. On the north, partially sur
rounded by uninjured houses, is the
| crushed Baptist Church and the large brick
| Commercial Hotel. unroofed and partly
| torn down. Six hundred yards farther in
| the course of the storm brings you to the
| Postoffice corner, and in front stands the
| shattered Courthouse with its dome
thrown down, the walls cracked and
partially tumbled down, and in the Su-
preme Courtyard lie tin and timber and
roofs of adjacent buildings.
THE DESTRUCTION ALMOST COMPLETE.
In front of the Postoffice. across Ban5on
street, brick building was razs4 10 the
ground, and nearly all 10 the south and
eastward likewise. But Uncle Sans quar-
ters were untouched. The streets here are
broad, but to-day are filled with the debris
of the business houses of Bunton and
Washington streets, along the eastern side
of which not one house remains standing
or even partially preserved.
a complete list of the dead and wounded
has not yet been compiled. The property
loss will aggregate nearly one-half million
dollars, and falls heavily upon a lately
thriving community.
A LIST OF THE DEAD.
Some bodies have been taken to other
towns, and some into the country. Fol-
lowing is list of the dead David Year
wood, Mrs. j. T. Waters ar d babe, Mrs.
PncSoll 7 ~
brook, Henry Walters, James Pierson,
Charles Cummings, Mrs. Calvin Cooper,
Geo. Persons and son (colored), Mrs Will
lam Jones and child, Johnnie Yearwood,
Sam YeerwOod and wife, Frank Clightman,
Ada Hopper (colored), Miss Josie Sutton,
John Dodson, Jr, Joseph Shew. Mrs John
Shelton, Mrs. Charles Hutchinson, Miss
Irwin, Nettie Shields. Amanda Reardon,
an unknown man, Mrs. L. E. Legge, Geo.
Jones youngest child
The list of those injured seriously and
slightly IS very large. Several are not ex-
pected to live. An efficient corps of phvsi-
clans and surgeons are on the ground rem
dering all assistance possible.
RELIEF COMING IN.
Cash donations to the amount of 81 200
have been received this evening, and
promises of much more.
TENTS FOR THE HOMELESS
MOUNT VERNON, February 20th.-Ad-
jutant- General Vance and DR.. Rouch ar
rived tonight and have arranged to have
forwarded Immediately a number of shell
ter tents for the use of the homeless until
permanent quarters can be finished
There are many persons who believe that
all the people have not yet been taken from
the ruins, and it is feared several bodies
are in Crews block