, 1888-02-23

/ dH''HH lnt TlIIS OI InN D'lIIllhss, FIre IN.
! ne'iintely broke out nll over the city AMID
the ruins. spreading rapidly, owing To- the
damage done tO the engines by the wind
The sturn, Iassed irutm the southwest and
had rotary motion. II swept down with
fearful force and fury, striking first Just
the third aud fourth stories Of the MI Vrr-
non mil, FrOR there II swept on In path
[ $40 yards wide. The Methodist church fell
iew minutes alter 450 people had left the
Sunday school room. The Commercial
hotel lost its third story Next the wind
struck the county curt house and rendered
~ heap "fruins. BY rare luck. however,
the county records were saved. Crews
block ON the south side Of the square Is
leveled with the earth and under II
was found the body Of John Crews,
owner Of the block, formerly of Chicayn
lncalculable loss of life and great suffering
will follow unless outside assistance Is gwen
to Mayor q IL. Harnell, who will give it To
the proter committee A meeting OF btsi.
ness men was held and Committees appoint.
ell tn care for the dead and wounded aud
protect property ~ much A. possible.
Many who escaped with their lives have
nothing besides Many are walking the
streets with nu home 10 yo TO- The north
side of Court House square Is injured con-
siderahly n" buildings were wrecked cx.
crpt Howard Il Stra,tons The wounded
are being cared for by physicians IN the
hest pnssiblc manner. The railroad shops
are badly dariaved. and great humber Of
homes destroyed,
People ARE out OF doors who livei in the
track oi the stornl. Dead and dying ARE
scattered throughout the city All doors
Ot the remaining houses have been thrown
uIeu to the less fortunate. Threp-iourths ot
the busiiiess portion of the city is ruined
financially. In all five hundred buildings
are destroyed aud many others injured
The dead are bring altered ut the supreme
court house which has been converted into
hospital for tse dead and wounded. This
building is also datnuvsd bnt not seriously.
--latest reports show 10 dead and about 100
injured, sume of whom will die this uurn-
ing. still later Reports show that two iuore
have died. They are Eddie Muxey and Mrs.
Colonel Cooper. A number OF wounded
are dying. A number of men sttucs bs
falling timbers whose names cannot be
learned ut present are reported badly in
jured aud dying. The storm was preceded
10y hal, but not more than hve minutes
Elapsed until the fearful destroyer had
swept over the doomed town. IT. came from
the southwest. Buildings were wreuched
and twisted and then dashed TO pieces, TO.
tai wrecks. The storm passed sOuth.Of the
city hall, missed Joe Chaney's house, swept
away the third aud fourth stories Of The Mt.
Vernon mill and destroyed nearly every
house from the mill north for n space Of
about 500 yards. The Commercial hotel
lost its third story. The entire west side -
the square is wrecked. The county court
house was struck and the bnilding reduced
to II massive pilr oi ruins. The clerks have |
worked into the records and the nre saved.
Henry Ellis was covered by the brick of
tins building and ESCAPED by "a iniracl-. He |
WAS covered up aud Chas Ellis. his brother, |
was seriously injured. Il. Ryan
escaped in a manner almost
incredible. He was standing by Murray in
Crews block, and told him To ruii hut |
Murray remained and was killed. RYAN |
ran west and hnlirg the street full of II, ,ng |
tiuhers Jumped into doorway, and held |
10 the latch, aud the building aIaii,st which
he was standing fell around hin,, but lie rs
capped untouched, A. b. C"x's store q. w.
Morlans jewelry store, Maxey, West &
Switt's store, and JHcksons saddlery sture |
are all in ruins ON the south side of the
square.
TIE south portion of Mt. Vernon is the
newest part ut the cIty and has many large
aud fine buildings. fhe court house has
not been injured but stand, alone. All
about it Is ruin aud desottiun aud it is
now being used us II hospital ior the
wounded. Many are suffering greatly.
IL is now thought that the horthrrn por-
tion ot the town will escape the fire, which
is confined to the east, sonth and west
sides, and is being fought man
fully. A petlIetc incident o' the
disaster il the iact that the operator
at the MI. Vernon end of the louisville u
Nashville iinr whose name il Irarwouu,
hu- an unclaimed cousin dead in the ruins,
and the pnor fellow, who i~ heart bursting
with grief, Is sitting nnniuly AT his post -
duty. -Four men in II hauk were inprson-
eel in the rooms aud burned 10 death. Their
cries ni pain aud distress were agunizing in
the extreme, bnt nothing cUnld reach them.
Their names could not he obtained.
Twenty.one physicians joined the relief
train from Evansville. EN- route. They ar
rived shortly b''fora midnight.
AT II. M the fires are under control. and
only occasional rroars of the dying and
the broad track made by the cyclone tell
the catastrophe.
1t j. growing colder, and many helpless
people will suffer II the weather becouies
severe. Reln'rts are coming in from the
country, and the storm seems to haye swept
everything tor miles.