The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-21
MOUNT VERNON IN RUINS.
THIRTY-TWo BODIES DUG OUT OF THE
HEAPS OF DEBRIS.

A Huuarea Bieed,ne victi.s who are stiii
Aiive-Ono Theusaud Homeless People
Desperate Struggle TO Save the Maimed
from the Buruine Ruips-A Large Force
OF surgeons NJ work-Narrow Escnpe OF
- Train-Pen Pictures OF the Havoc.
MOUNT VERNON, ILL.,, Feb. 20.-The black
revolving cloud which fell from a copperlsh sky
in the southwest at 4:15 o'clock yesterday after
noon, and swept diagonally through the city
with q roar like the beating OF a heavy sea
against q rocky shore. left nothing but bleed
ing bodies and heaps Of ruins In its track. For
half an hour before tho cloud dropped to the
earth the atmospheric conditions were such
as to affect both man and beast Rain and hail
fell for fifteen minutes, n then the stiffness
became oppressive. The atmosphere seemed
surcharged with electricity. A peculiar. soft
yellow light fell upon everything, and sparrows
that had been fitting about the streets during
the afternoon suddenly arose to great heights,
and after circling around In the oppressive air
dropped into trees. where they uttered the
most discordant noises.
Meantime the clouds were passing through
an ominous transformation. From q bleak gray
fish color the great pillows became yellowish.
then green. and finally turned a deep copper
hue. During these rapid changes Of color the
clouds became peculiarly agitated. From the
earth. toward which they were speeding with
terrible swiftness. they looked as though they
were locked in a titanic struggle. Persons who
were out of doors watched the elemental battle
with mingled awe and fear.
Such a grand spectacle In the heavens had
never been seen before in the doomed city.
Twisting and rolling like corks In q whirlpool.
the clouds came nearer the earth until their
ragged copper-bordered edges seemed to be
within an arms reach Of the cross-tipped spires
OF the churches.
Ribbons Of fire darted spitefully from the
tumbling. grinding mass, and then one OF the
clouds. more terrible in its aspect than all the
rest, suddenly left the others. and fell to the
earth with a roar that startled every living
thing. Now black as night and filled with in
Vulnerable darts Of electricity. the storm cloud.
with its broad smoke-colored summit buried in
gold, and its narrow base dipping and grinding
over tho earth. swept through the city with a
deafening noise.
Before the roaring cloud the air was choked
with dust and flying bricks and timbers. A
cushion OF air was sweeping In advance Of the
cloud. and as 1t demolished the windows Of
houses and stores the sides and roofs Of the
buildings burst open as though they had been
shivered by explosions from within. The
storm cloud did the rest. 1t caught the tim
bers in it's resistless fury, ground them to
pieces. and then left the wreclage upon the
dead and dying.
TIL search for tho victims was prosecuted
all night, and when morning same thirty-two
bodies had been recovered. Nearly all the
fatalities were in the east end. where houses
were mowed Town In swaths. Scarcely a stick
OF timber remains standing in the path Of the
tornado. and In some places the foundation
stones of buildings are broken and scattered
for 200 yards around. Sturdy shade trees were
uprooted and ground to fragments. picket
fences wore broken az though they had been
sticks OF maccaroni. and small outhouses were
swept out of sight, leaving scarcely q splinter
to mark the place where they stood.
The horrors of last night cannot be exag-
gerated. In the light of the conlagration,
started by the collapse OF the big buildings on
tho square. the east end looked likA q city
rivsn by shot and shell. Faces that were
crushed. and arms and hands that were white
and rigid lay exposed In the plain Of wreckage.
while the air was burdered with tho groans Of
the wounded and the cries Of women whose
relatives were buried somewhere in the WIDE
spread ruin. Surgeons and policemen did
noble work amid these terrible surroundings,
but to the lremen is due the greater honor.
When the cloud had passed from sight in
Vulnerable tongues Of flame sprang from the
wreckage. The upsetting OF stoves started
fires In the remnants Of nearly every home,
and for hours 1t looked as though a frightful
fate awaited those pinioned to the ground.
But the heroism OF the lremen. it is believed.
spared every victim from the flames.
When morning came 1t found the search6rs
still toiling among the ruins. Smoke was ris-
ing above the blackensd ruins OF several build
tnna hut MAN utNnI ranHv fn aYfinnttah thu
flames Whenever they should appear. The dis
mantled Court House, with its massive pillars
and girders strewn about as though 1t had
been shaken by an earthquake. was now a
morgue. A dozen bodies, swathed in white
sheets. lay In one of the rooms OF the great
building. some OF the victims wore relatives
Of prominent citizens whose homes had been
demolished.
Grouped about the bodies were man, mon
and women, whose sobbing sounded peculiarly
distressing In the shattered corridors OF the
big ruin. Apoliceman stood guard at the door,
while undertaksrs fitted in and out OF the
room. The homes In tho west side are filled
with dead and wounded. The wounded. 1t ia
said. number over 100. Streams Of Grape fiut-
ter from the doors OF twelve houses In the dis
trict spared by the cloud.
New features and incidents OF the calamity
are reported every hour. John Msxey's mis-
fortune is overwhelming. Tho cloud tore his
house into fragments. and from the pile Of
timbers and bricks scattered In his dooryard
tho rescuers dragged his seven children. all OF
whom were covered With blood and dirt; Even
MaIey himself did not escape. Fol, an hour he
lay plnioned In the ruins, while all about him
arose the cries OF his children, whom he could
not aid In any way. When the man was finally
released from his prison he was unconscious.
TO the ankles, and his face is badly cut. All the
children, it Is thought. will recover.
Mrs. Albright and her daughter were reading
In their parlor when the roar OF the approach
Ing cloud alarmed them. The girl sprang to
her. mother. Before either could speak the
building collapsed. and mother and daughter
were driven before the cloud In z shower Of
the other in their wild flight. and both were
found In each others, arms a hundred Yards
from the spot where they sat when tho storm
overwhelmed thom. The daughter is still un-
conscious and may die. Tho mother will
recover.
The escape of a passenger train bound for
st Louis was merely due 10 the eccentriclties
Of the cloud. The train lay almost squarely in
the peth OF the destroyer. ana would nave been
hurled from the tracks had not the cloud lifted
Just as II reached tho rails. TIT passengers
were In a panic. They chung to one another.
but all were too scared to scream. The cloud