Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-20
SOME PARTICULARS.
Brick Buildings Leveled as Easily as IL
Constructed of Straws.

bflck buildings Leyeieo as Easily as III
Constructed of Straws.
CHICAGO, February 19th.-A Times spe-
cial from Mount Vernon at about o'clock
this afternoon says: A cyclone struck the
town and killed from fifteen to twenty
people, and it is feared many more than
are now known to have been killed will be
found among the ruins of buildings. A
fire Immediately broke out all over the
city, and spread rapidly, owing to the dam
age done to the engines by the wind.
The storm passed from the southwest,
and had rotary motion. 1t swept down
with fearful force and fury, striking first
just south of the City Hail. 1t then carried
away the third and fourth stories of the
Mount Vernon Mill. From there it swept
on in path 500 yards wide The Meth
odist Church fell just few minutes after
$50 people had left the Sunday school-room.
The Commercial Hotel lost its third story.
Next the wind struck the county Court
house and rendered it leap of ruins. By
rare chance, however, the county records
were saved. The Crews block, in the south
side of the square, was leveled with the
earth, and under it was found the body of
John Crews, owner of the bank, and for
merly of Chicago.
TERRIBLE FORCE OF THE WIND.
The roof and second story of r. L. STRAIT
ton & Co.'S hardware store blew away. A
large two-story brick school-house did not
Withstand thp tarrihla shaol- apy ha+4ar tbor
the smallest house in the track of the
cyclone. The large, two-story frame house
of George Ward was picked up and carried
about twenty feet and left unhurt, while
two brick buildings within one hundred
feet are left in ruins.
The loss cannot be estimated but not less
than half a million dollars worth of prop
erty has been destroyed by the cyclone or
fire in that:neighborhood
The sky has now cleared, and there are
no clouds to give any intimation of the
disastrous storm of few hours ago. 1t is
growing colder, and many of the homeless
will suffer if the weather becomes severe
CLEAN SWEEP FOR MILES
Reports are coming in from the country,
and the storm seems to have swept every
t ing for miles.
AN INCALCULABLE LOSS OF LIFE
And great suffering will follow unless out
side assistance is given Mayor Harnell, who
will give it to the proper committee. A
meeting of business men was held and a
committee appointed to care for the dead
and wounded and protect property as
much as possible. Many who escaped with
their lives have nothing besides. Many
are walking the streets with no homes to
go to.
The north side of the Courthouse Square
is injured considerably. The wounded are
being cared for by physicians in the best
possible manner.
The railroad shops are badly damaged
and great number of houses destroyed
HOMELESS SUFFERERS.
People are out of doors who lived in the
track of the storm The dead and dying
are scattered throughout the city. All the
doors Of the remaining houses have been
thrown open to the unfortunate. Three
fourths of the business portion of the city
is ruined.
The public square is in the center of the
town. The Courthouse is in the center of
the square and the school building is in
the northeast corner of the city. All the
dwellings in that portion of the city are
destroyed, and the ruins of some are still
burning. In all,
FIVE HUNDRED BUILDINGS ARE DESTROYED,
And many others injured. The dead are
now being gathered at the Supreme Court
house, which has been converted into a
morgue and hospital. This building was
also damaged, but not seriously
The latest report shows twenty-nine
dead and about 100 injured, some of whom
will die before morning.
THE INJURED DYING RAPIDLY.
Later reports say that two more have
died. They are Eddie Maxey and Mrs. Col