Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-02-23
Over 0ne-half of Mount Vernon,
ILL.,, Destroyed by a
Cyclone.
Fire Breaks Out in the Ruins and
Adds to the Horror of the
Disaster.
Scores Of Persons Killed and
Hundreds Estimated to
Be Injured.
Public Buildings Ruined and Resi-.
dences DestrOyed-LOss Over
$1,000, 900.

Evansville CInd.) special to Chicago News,l
AT 4:50 p. m. Sunday cyclone struck
Mount Vernon, ILL.,, from the southwest.
Sweeping around in half-circle, it leveled
half the town to the ground. The remain
der caught FIRE. and as there was strong
wind blowing the flames soon got beyond
the control Of the fire department. The
situation was a startling one. High above
the whistling of the wind and the fierce
cracking of the flames could be heard the
shrieks and groans of the dying. All over
the ruined part of the town could be seen
bodies half buried beneath the ruins. The
survivors who realized the terrible destruc-
tion fully set to work like giants. The
Western Union Office was burned, and
nearly all connections we're destroyed.
The tornado came from the southwest,
and the whole southern portion OF the town
was leveled, the northern portion remaining
intact, but threatened every moment with
flames. So far there are thiity-tive re-
ported killed. About $50 were wounded.
Among the dead known are:
Mrs. Russell Dewey Mrs. John U. Walter and
babe, Henry Waters, David +. Yearwood and
WIFE. wife: John g: MnTrayi, Ch9rles Cummings: "a, an
engineer, MarY MebJDrOOk, james BehrbOns
Mrs. Holcomb, DIR. John Yearwoo1 and wife.
Samuel Yenrwood and wifo, George Purcell,
Mrs. William Jones and child, John Dodson,
Miss Josie Sutton, John Shew, Mrs. Col. Cooper,
Eddie Massey, s. j. Waters, George Pierce, Mrs.
i. +. Legge, blacksmith. name not known
Those known to be fatally injured are:
Lawler Z. Leggo. Mrs. Henry Waters, Miss
Laura Lisenby, Charles Ellis. Mr. and Mrs. &.
Galbraith. Charles Wier, Mr.. and Mrs West
brook Amanda Bearden. w. II. Hinman, Ii zie
Bennett, j. G.. Hanbrck, Charles Pool, Miss
Corinne Hanbrick, Brownlow Hawkins, Mrs.
Albright, Henry Ellis, p. Lillicrop, an engi-
neer; Joel Howard. Mr.. and Mrs. Calvin.
The following are reported hurt, but not
fatally:
- Kelly, a brakeman. hurt in back. knee
and left foot; - Allen, night telegraph oper-
ator, bruised and cut about the head; - sar-
geant watchman, slightly; - Covington, en-
gineor, slight; Lansing, fireman, slight.
The south portion of Mount Vernon is
the newest part of the city, and has many
large and fine buildings. The court house
has not been injured, but it stands alone.
All about it is ruin and desolation, and 1t is
now being used as a hospital for the
wounded. Many suffering srcutiy.
Four men in the Evans bank were i'm
prsoned in the ruins of the building and
burned to death. Their cries Of pain and
distress were agonizing, but no one could
reach them.
The path of the cyclone is scene of
destruction. Not house is left standing
on the east, west, and south sides of the
public square. OF the fifty business houses
only six are left standing and the debris is
burning. Under the burning debris lie
men, women and children, some dead,
others injured, and the flames are fast
coming upon the poor creatures whom
others are powerless to aid. Add TO this
the shrieks of the women, the groans OF
the injured, and the pleadings Of those pin
ioned under burning ruins and you will
have some idea of this terrible calamity.
A partial list Of the business houses de-
molished is as follows: George w. Ev-
ans Il Co.'s bank, and the stores of Huds :
peth 4 Co., Louis Rober, Howard Bros. a.
Co., II. A. Ryan, Stratton q Co., Hill,
Williams & Co., ]. E. Ferguson q Co., A.
G. johnson, A. b. Cox, Powlson & Co.,
Jackson & Co., G.. w. Morgan, and Maxey.
Westcott & Swift. No goods were saved,
and the debris is burning. The saloon Of
Ellis Il Guthrie and j. j. Manion are
wrecked and burning. The Commercial
Hotel is bad wreck. Every church in the
city is totally destroyed, except the Pres
byterian and Catholic. Over 500 dwell
ings were totally destroyed and some
burned. The loss will not fall short of
81, ,0OO, 900. People here will suffer If out
side help is not forthcoming.
Mount Vernon special TO Chicago News
The cyclone which struck Mount Vernon,
ILL.,, Sunday afternoon was preceded by hail,
but not more than five minutes elapsed
until the fearful destroyer had swept over
the town. It came from the southwest,
but the rotary motion was present and
buildings were wrenched, twisted, and then
dashed TO the earth q total wreck. The
storm passed q little south of the Casey
hill, missed Joe Chances house, swept
away the third and fourth stories of the
Mount Vernon mill, destroying nearly
mill north for q space of about
FIVE hundred yards. The Methodist
Church fell, and only few minutes
before the building fell 257 people
left the Sunday school The Commercial
Hotel lost the third story. The entire west
side of the square was wrecked. The
county court house was struck and the
building is a massive pile OF ruins. The
clerks have worked into the records and
they are saved. The Crews building, on
the south side of the square, was leveled
to the earth and under it was found the
body Of John G. Murray, the owner of the
block, formerly Of Chicago. Howard Bros.
& Cos grocery store was blown down and
the roof and second story of II. l.. Strait
ton n Co.'s hardware store we're blown
away. while two-s story frame hotel adjoin-
ing IL was uninjured.
Across toward the northeast portion OF
the city swept the storm, and q number Of
people we're killed and the school building
blown down. This building was a large
two-story brick, but it did not Withstand
the terrible shock any better than the
smaller houses in the track of the cyclone.
The large two-s story frame house of George
Ward was picked up and carried about
twenty feet and left intact, while two
brick buildings in hundred feet were left
in ruins.