St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-21
The Town ShPOuded in Gloom
and the Funeral Tramp
Heard All Day,
How the Place Looks After
the Terrible Storm King
Had Passed.
A Scene of Sorrow and Desc
lation That Makes the
Heart Sad.

lowing circular was issued this morn
ing, and is now being sent through the
mails:
Mt. Vernon. ILL.,, Feb. 2O.-To the
mayor and citizens: The city of Mt.
Vernon, H., was visited by terrible
cyclone yesterday afternoon, which car
ried death and destruction in its path.
About thirty people were killed out
right, and scores of men. women and
children are manned, wounded ana
bleeding, and about 1000 people are
made homeless by the disaster. Some
800 homes are swept almost from the
face of the earth, among which are the
county court house, public school build
ings, Methodist and Baptist churches,
supreme court house, rOundhOuse of the
Louisville u Nashville railroad, and
many of the leading business houses are
also total wreck, their contents being
buried beneath the debris. A raging
fire which broke out also destroyed
much of the property which might
otherwise have been saved from the
ruins. We are SOrely in distress. and
are forced to call upon the charitable
people 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 a few business houses that may be
able to supply the demand. Send cash
contributions, if possible, to George w.
Evans, chairman finance committee,
Norman NJ. Ross, secretary.
AFTER THE STORM.
Alighting at the L. Il y. railroad de
pot, the storm seekers attention is first
directed to the twO-stOry supreme court
building, few yards from the depot,
without dome or roof, but ShredS of tin
hanging from its side, marking pivot
around which the storm seemed to
swing. All else in this direction is un-
touched. a few steps further along
disclosed to the southwest an appalling
sight of devastation. 1t is in this direc-
ton that the labOring classes have built
their little One-StOry cottages, among
the timber, and here it was that the
cloud first dropped down and in whirl-
ing fury, twisted immense oaks from
the grounds and mashed the homes fiat;
then gathering the clinging pieces
ing down trees and wiping
can the direction of the streets be
traced, for in this poorer quarter grad
ing had not been attempted. How many
houses were here destroyed is not
known. for nothing is left in places to
mark the spot. Fifteen foundations
still remain. In six acres, fOmerly well
built up, but three houses are standing
in the path OF the storm, and these are
wrecked. On the right and left of the
path the debris plunged like catapults
in homes more fortunate. Looking
nOrtheaStward, across the railroad, the
scene appears more terrible, because
the buildings were larger, heavier and
more compact, and the wave that swept
for six yards clean swath. tearing
the debris on either side, and
left naked fence posts and foundation
walls TO marx the spots OF residences.
There still remains on either side of the
path diSmantled frame houses half bur
led with other roofs. To the southeast
stands the monumental ruins of the
three-StOry brick floor mill. the walls
stripped down and the machinery eX-
posed, and on the uorth, partially sur
rounded by uninjured houses, the
crushed Baptist church and the large
brick Commercial hotel unroOfed and
partly torn down. Six hundred yards
further on in the course of the storm
brings you to the pOstOffice corner, and
iD front stands
THE SHATTERED COURT HOUSE,
with dome thrown down over the en-
trance, the walls cracked and partially
tumbled down, and in the supreme court
yard lie the tin and timber and roofs of
adjacent buildings. In front of the
pOstoffice, across Bunton street, brick
building was raZed TO the ground, and
nearly all to the south and east Jared
likewise, but Uncle Sans quarters were
scarcely touched. The streets here are
broad, but to-day are filled with the de-
bris of the business houses of Bunton
and Washington streets, along the east
ern side of which not one house
remains standing, or even par
TALLY preserved. Unable to thor
Oughly tear asunder the framework of
the buildings, they were mashed and
twisted into useless masses, and the
roofs carried away and the fronts and
rear knocked out. Several brick blocks
OF three stories gave all air of SubStan-
tiality to the streets. The cyclone
ground the walls to level, and the
furnaces set fire to the woodwork and
destroyed the last plank. The Evans
bank, on the corner, exhibits a burning
pit, and the safe cracked with the heat.
Under the ruins yet unearthed, lie the
charred remains Of j. &. Murray, the
owner of the block. Looking to the
south and east from this corner the
spectator VIII see line OF saloons
ware houses and few reputable places
leaning against each other but still
holding together. The wines and
liquors had been swept out, but
THE ENTERPRISING BUMMER
had headquarters and signs up long be-
fore the eXcurSionists began to pour in
or the ruins were clear of their dead.
The reputable portion of this block, a
bakery, caught fire and was consumed.
Other bakeries were wiped out of ex-
iStence, and to-day not loaf of bread
was to be purchased in the town, nor
will such state of affairs soon be RENE
died. However, no one suffers for want
of food, shelter or clothing. Along
Washington street. Just back of the court
house, it was hard to tell just where one
building began and the other left off.
Floors, roofs, sides of buildings and
partitions were shuffied up in confusion
and crushed against the few brick walls
that still remained standing. Every
thing along here was dead loss, not
even the protection of fire Insurance
being available. Bunton street, east of
Washington, was completely blocked by
the walls of Stratton 81 Johnson's fallen
building, from the rear of which the de-
struction of large warehouses and hand
some residences is much like an aban-
doned lumber yard and rubbish lot.
There were buildings here and there