The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-23
tRVSIEED Isy 4 CYCLONE
The Fearful Fate of u Smnil Tow" in
Illinois -Onr-hnifOf Mount Vernon
Blown 1s0wn md :hr Other
Half la Flames n LnrgN
Number OF Persons Nil
cd md Wounded.

town virtually destroyed. a number Of
lives were lott and many pcr:nn. imiur-
cd. Mount Vernon is situated in the
southern part OF the State. about sixty
miles east OF St. Louis in almost Il direct
line.
Reports, apparently we'll founded,
place the NUMBER oi killed at thirty
eight
A dispatch from Evansville, Ind, says
that over 100 VrrsouS were killed in
| the cyclone at Mount Vernon, Ills. Trlc
grams were received this evening at
Evansville, from Mount Vernon asking
sor help. 4 train with two engines WAS
ut once sent, having on board Il surgeon
| and such other as-is,arcc as could b"
hastily gathered.
A special to the Daily Nr~s from
Evansville. Ind, says: The cyclone
struck Mount Vernon, Ills, ut 40 to-
dav from the Northwest, sweeping
around in half circle and lcvrlliug half
the town. The remainder Of tlic place
| caught fire, and ~ there was Il strong
wind blowing, the flames soon got be-
yond control OF the fire department.
a Times Ccntralia, III, special says
| that high SOuthwcstcrly wind has been
| blowing at Ccntralia AL the evening. 1t
| IL feared that damage has been done at
other points besides Mount Vernon. The
latter place is about twenty miles south
east OF Ccntralia.
Above the roar OF the winds could hc
heard the Shricks and gr"ans of the dy-
| ing. Bodies half buried in debris could
| be seen on every hand.
f~nutra lin Snrrill m flp .\rlrS SAYS
| two-thirds OF the town was wiped ont.
Details Of the Disaster.
| CHICAGO, February 20--2 q. m.--Thc
| following dispatch has been received hy
thc Times:
MnrNr VERNoNs. ILL.,. February 49,
| At about . o'clock this afternoon cy-
| clone struck this town aud left II III
| ruins and killed fifteen to twenty pco-
! pie. 1t is feared that many more than
| arc known to have been killed will br
| found among the ruins OF tn" buildings.
Fire Immediately broke out all over
the city amid the ruins, spreading rapid
" owing to the damage done the en-
| gincs hy the wind. The storm passed
from the southwest and had rotary mo-
tion. 1t swept down with fearful! fury,
striking first just south OF the city hail.
| then carried away the third and fourth
stories of Mount Vernon mill. From
| there it swept on in a path 800 yards
wide.
FALL OF A CUrECH.
The Methodist church fell just few
minutes before $50 people left the Sun
day-school room. The Commercial Hotel
lost its third story. Next the wind
struck the county courthouse and rem
lcred it a heap oi ruins. BY rare luck,
however, the county records were saved.
The Crews block on the south side Of
| the square is lcvcllcd with the earth,
and under it was found the body OF John
Grew, the owner Of the block. formerly
of Chicago. The roof and Second-story
of Stra,tcu 4 Co.'S hardware store WAS
blown away. 4 large tw" story brick
| school house did not withstand the terri
| bic shock any better than the smallest
house in the track ot the cyclone.
The large two-Storv frame house OF
Geo. Ward WAS picked mp and carried
about twenty feet and left unhurt. while
two brick buildings within one hundred
feet were left in ruins.
| THE LOSS \ MILLION boi.l,A NS.
The loss cannot he estimated. but not
less than a million dollars worth OF
property has been destroyed by the rH-
clone and fire in that ueighhorhood. The
| skv has cleared and no clouds give any
iniimatiou Of the disastrous storm Of a
few hours ago.
| It is growing colder. and many home
| Il l,,,> na thor hf-
| comes severe.
| THE STORM IN THE COUNTRY.
Reports are coming in from the coun-
| try and the storm seems 10 have swept
everything for miles. lncalculahle loss
Of life and great suffering will follow
unless outside assistance is given 10
| Major G. II. Haruck who will give il 70
! The proper committee.
| CARING FOR THE wNrNnEr.
| A meeting Of business men was held
and committees appointed % care for
| the dead and wounded and (" pr"tcc:
property as much As possible. Many
| PEOPLE who escaped with their lives have
nothing besides. Many are walking the
streets. with no home 10 80 Io. The
north side Of .ho Courthouse square is
| injured considerably. The buildings
were wrecked. except Howard & STRAIT
| tons.
! Onn hundred persons arc being eareN
| for Nv phvSicanS in the best possible
| manner. The railroad shops were badly
| damaged and Srca: many homes de-
stroycd. People sre outdoors who lived
| in the track 0. the Storm. The dead and
diving are scattered !hromS, ont tho city.
| The doors 81 all remaining houses have
been thrown open - :hc less fortunate.
! Thrcc.tonr;hs ct the business portion
ot The CITY is t:lincd financially. The
! public square IS in the centre of The Town
ans! !hc courthouse is in The cc1trc 81
! the soaare. The school ,>uiIGinc is n
/ :hc no7,hca<. par; ~ :hc city. and all
! Dwellings IN tia: portion ~ The city are
f! DESTROYED and IRE ruins ot some are sill
! Nnvning. in all five hundred buildings
src destroyed and Tna0y o!h'ros injured.
IT 1,ASTEN NNl.N FINE MINUTES.
The stor,a Was preceded! by hail. b"t
nW more than five minutes elapsed IN
III the fearful destroyer had Swcp: over
! .hc doomed :own. |: came tloni :hc
SCtli l"P>.. k>!ttii. - NN'S- " & ~ 80 ~
and twisted. and then dashed into
! pieces. tota, wrecks. The Storm passed
i LITTLE south 81 The City Hall. missed
Joe Chances hnu>e. >wep: away he
third ana tonr.h stories ot the MoI!n!
! Vernon mil! and destroyed nearly ever!
aon<a from :I,c mill na;r;h :or space q!
.hor: tivc hundred yards,
The Commercial l!o:c! io<; tIc ;l;rd
story. The entire Wc>t sj:e q! :he
! square was wrecked. The co"!l:y c"nc:-
ao.,st VAS s;7.,cA and !hc hl;l@iaS rc-
| ,?ncc3 - 4 massive pile ot ruins. tn"
clerks Nave worked jm:o tAc records ana
they aCc >SreG.
AN lNCSsNl;>I.S E><A!>H,
Z. :. Nysa escaped in 4 manner A.
r?osi ;ncCcdih,e lie Was $;aA'Ii"& by
! :. {. M:5~&y. II ~: Crews Block. and
! :a}a fi.a - nm. ~: Murray remained
sa6 was l;l,c6. Nyan -:,H w:>t. ana
. finding nc stree; III. q! flying :j1a;,o-
:nn?c,! info 4 doorway. h:l" - IN"