Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-24
FIFTY PERSONS KILLED.
Mt. Vernon, Ill, Swept Bya Storm.
A Cyclone DemOliSheS the Business
Portion of the Town, Causing
Frightful Loss OF Life-The
Injured Beelived to Number
250-Terrible Scenes.

EVANSVILLE, IND, Feb. 2O.-News from
Mount Vernon, III, says q frightful cy-
clone swept over that place about 4:S0
this afternoon, resulting in the death of at
least fifty persons, the wounding of about
two hundred and fifty Others, and the al
most total destruction of tine town. The
telegraph service out of the place was al
most entirely demolished, only one wire
to this city having escaped the general
destruction. AS consequence it is i'm
possible as yet TO obtain anything like
details of the horror.
The storm came from the northwest,
and sweeping around in a half circle,
practically raZed the business portion of
the town. The awful visitation only last
ed few seconds, and almost Immediately
fire broke out in a number of the ruined
buildings. The fire department of the
town was, of course, totally unable to
cope with the additional danger, and an
appeal for aid was telegraphed to this
city. The dispatch received was the first
intlmation to Evansville that the disaster
had occurred.
special train with five engines and a
number of physicians was at once dis
patched to the stricken town. Since their
departure fragmentary dispatches have
been received furnishing some little in
formation regarding the disaster. One
message Is to the effect that forty-eight
bodies have already been taken from the
ruins, which yet partially or wholly con-
ceal many more victims-dead, dying, or
seriously injured. The same dispatch
says the lowest estimates place tho num-
Der of injured at 250, but, owing to the
fact that all press wires are broken, it is
Impossible yet to give list of the killed
or wounded. So far the only person
known to have met death was Engineer
Cummings, OF the Louisville x Nashville
Road. The shops of the company, located
on the outskirts of the town, were among
the first buildings demolished, and Cam
mings was crushed TO death in the ruins.
Reports from across the river in Ken
lucky say the same storm crossed over to
that state, and that the experience of
Mount Vernon WAS duplicated at Norton
vile, small town in Hopkins County.
This report receives indirect confirmation
in the fact that nothing has been heard
from the place named.
Late dispatches say the scene in the
stricken city tonight was peculiarly dis
tressing. Through the great heaps of
ruins men, women and boys were strug
Cling in their efforts to reach those i'm
prisoned beneath timbers and bricks.
Cries came from every pile of debris. In
some of the streets where the cloud swept
with resistlEss force the dead lay in the
warm rain, which mingled with their
blood. Above the scene of desolation the
sky was red from the confagration, and
the wind, which was blowing from the
south, was laden with blazing brands
Such a picture appalled, the stoutest
heart. For hours the survivors thought
of nothing but themselves. With flames
roaring behind and upon all sides of
them, there was no alternative but to flee
over the bodies of the dead and woxnded
and the mass of ruins which pinned them
to the earth. For an hour it looked As
though the victims of the blast would be
burned where they lay. As the night
wore on the survivors became braver
and plunged into the ruins of the East
End, where many hapless creatures lay
groaning and praying.
Torches, lanterns and lamps fiickered
over the desolate tract as fal as the eye
could reach. Men and women VINO had
not yet removed their Sunday garments
worked nobly through the falling rain
and wreckage. There was no means of
identifying the dead and wounded. All
were SO horribly crushed that some of the
hysterical searchers bore their own dead
without being able to distinguish their
CHASTITY burden.
In some places in the East End blocks
of houses were blown down as though
they had been made of cards. 1t was in
this district that the most distressing
scenes were witnessed.
Whole families were buried under their
roofs without warning save that given
by the storm cloud as 1t bounded over
the earth like an immense rubber ball
The wounded lay in the remnants of over
hundred houses, and every few mo-
ments dead body, battered out of all
semblance to humanity, was tenderly
dragged from its prison and borne to a
place of safety.
The following is believed to be partial
list of the dead: Mrs. Eunice Dewey;
d. F. Yearwood and wife; Mary West
brook: Mrs. John L. Waters and child;
Henry Waters; j. c. Murray; Charles
Cummins, engineer; G. W. Parsons,
colored; Mrs. Colonel Copper; Mrs. Will
lam Jones, colore6 and two chill
dren; Sam YearwoCd and wife; John
Yearwood; John Dodson. Among the
wounded are the following: Mrs. l.. E.
Legg; Mrs. Chas. Galbraith, leg broken.
Steve Maxey, leg broken and injured on
the head. Miss Corine Hambrick, badly
injured and expected to die. j. Ham
brick and entire family, injured. Van
Maxey and seven children, injured. Mrs.
Frank Holcomb and Miss Ida Holcomb,
badly injured. Mrs. Albright and d1pgh-
ter, injured.
The storm came just after the Sunday
schools closed or there is no telling what
the loss would have been, as the Metho-
dist and Baptist churches were totally
destroyed.
Everything that can be done for the
wounded is being done, and the hundreds
who are rendered homeless are being
looked after. Many families are likely
to be destitute of food and clothing, as
they have lost all they possessed. Nash
vile came promptly to the rescue and
sent men and fire engines. The city is
well guarded by both mounted and patrol
policemen