Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-03-02
A CYCLONES FURY.
Mount Vernon, ILL.,, a Mass of
Burning Ruins.
Many People Killed and Over a
Hundred Wounded.

Iouis. was visited by terrible tornado at
A.45 p. NJ. Sunday afternoon. A dispatch
says:
n had been laundering and raining for
come time, when suddenly low rumbling
,oise was heard and a black dense cloud that
seemed to touch the earth swept over the
the CITY, and it became very dark
A soon as the cloud passed the
sky frightened and people realized
tho shock and loss they had sustained. Hun
dreds of houses were blown down, ana many
TaonIe were crushed in the ruins. At least
hall of the town IS in ruins. The south
and east parts of the square are com
oIataIv DESTROYED. The large buildings
Known as the Grows block, owned by j. Z.
Murray. was entirely demolished and caught
fire in q short time, and is row burning. The
Methodist Episcopal Church is almost mass
NJ ruins The roof Is entirely gone, while the
lower part is badly dana ged. The BaptlSt
Cburch is also a wreck and beyond all hope
If repair The east end of the public school
6onse is sad sight. The once fine building
is now razed to the ground, and a heap or
bricks and stones are al that remains to
tell the story. Hundreds of houses
are heaps of ruins. and the city
in the tornado visited district presents
a scene of the most horrible devastation and
ruin The town is about two miles long, east
and west, and the course of the tornado TOOK
in about two-thirds sof the east end, the
western portion OF the town escaping. Out or
a
there is none that is not more or less IN
iured while most of them are entirely
burned. or will be, for the fire is raging now
in that street. and unless help soon arrives
the buildings will be doomed. These are all
business houses, and the goods are entirely
DESTROYED The east side of the square
presents even more ghasCly aP
THAT side of the square was also occupied by
business houses, and nothing is saved not a
single building being left on the row. me
north side is badly damaged, but the wreck
here is very light compared to that on
the east and south sides. The damage
to the business part of the town
is so great that it is completely ruined Inc
town looks as though an earthquake had VS.
tied it. The County Court House IS one OF TINS
most complete wrecks. 1t is twO-Story Duild-
Ing and stood in the centre of the square, DuG
being directly in the path OF the TORNADO IS
now utterly demolished. There is no alarm
felt in regard to the records as they are easily
accessible and unless fire should spring
up in the ruins they are perfectly sate
, Twenty nine deaths and over one hundTed
wounded are reported. Many more deaths
are probable, but owing to the confusion an
accurate list cannot be given. The debris is
burning and under it lie men, women and
children, some dead, others injured anu LILO
flames are fast creeping up on them
Children whom mothers are pOwerleeS TO
aid are in the ruins. The shrieks of women,
the groans of the injured, the pleadlngs OF
those piniOned under the burning RUNS NIL
fine air with the waingS of this terrible
calamity. Following IS partial hSC OF uea1
and in iuTed:
S. t. Waters, Mrs. John Waters Ir and
child, Mr.. Cummings, Miss Martha West
%SSa M and W Wife Du'0SM Mrs. on Holco%b
D, F, YearwoOd and wife, Samuel Gueloa Year ear
cell, Mrs. VIM. Jones and child, John
Dobson, Mrs L. E. Egg, Miss Josie Sutton,
John Shew; blacksmith, name unknown; Two
telegraph OPERATORS James See Pear Ta1 a md
brother Chas. Ellis, and Henry Ellis
Mrs Laura Seisenby, Mr.. j: c. Hambrlck
Miss Corinne Hambrick, Mrs Albr1ght'
Mr.. Silicrap, Lizzie Bennett Charles Wehr'
Amanda Berdon, Mr.. and Mrs c. Calvin
Mrs W. H Human and Miss Hambrick
cannot live and others on this list VIII ole;
There will be at least thlrty-hVe deatns anu
the list of injured will probably reach two
Everything that can be done for the
wounded is being done, and the hundreds VINO
are rendered homeless are being locke after
Many families are likely to be destitute e OF
food and clothing, as they have lost all tney
possessed in this misfortune
Nashville came promptly to the rescue,
but the fire is now under control, and III nc
further trouble is expected Inc
city is well guarded by 60 2,
mounted and patrol policemen Inc
was peculiarly distressing Through tne
great heaps of ruins, men, women ana Doys
were struggling in their efforts to reach those
innrisoned beneath timber and bricks. erie:
came from every pile Of debris. LII
some of the streets where the grea
clouds swept with reslstless force
the dead lay in the warm rain whlcf
mingled with their blood. Above the scene
of desolation the sky was red from the con
fagratiOn, and the wind, which was blowing
from the south, was laden with blazing
brands. Such picture appalled, tne s1ouV
est heart.
For hours the survivors Thought OF mourning
but themselves. With flames roaring oennC
and upon all sides of them, there was no aiuer
native but to fee over the bodies or the deaI
and the wounded and the mass OF runs Whici
pinned them TO earth. For an hour IL looked d
though the victims of the blaze would ID
burned where they lay. AS the nlgnt wore VI
the survivors became Drawer ana pIuhge'
into the ruins of the east end, Wnere many
hapless creatures lay grooming ana praying
Torches lanterns. and lamps nlKereu owe
the desolate tract as far as the eye coul'
reach Men and women who had noG ye
removed their Sunday raiment worked noDI-
in the falling rain and wreckage
There was no means of Identifying many
the dead and wounded. All were SO horrloI.
crushed and thickly diStrlbu ted that sonle
the historical searchers bore their own aea
without being able to distinguish CheI
ghastly burden. In some places the easC en-
blocks of houses were blown down as IhouS
they had been made of cards. -,
1t was in this district that the most uIS
treSsing scenes were witnessed. " MOI
families were buried under their roofs Win
vUarDi0O Saua that given by the SUOTH