Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-20

$1,000, 900.
EvANsvILLy, Ind, Feb GA special
from Mount Vernon, ILL.,, states that a cy-
clone struck that town about 4:3j p. N. ,
Sunday. The storm came from the north
west, and sweeping round in II half circle,
RACED the town, leveling halt of it, and set
ting fire to tho remainder. High above the
fierce wind could be heard the cracking Of
flames and the groans Of the dying. The
Western Union office was destroyed and all
the wires were broken except one leading to
this city. Assistance was telegraphed for to
Evansville, ann special train with five en-
gnes and reels, also number Of physicians.
was Immediately sent to the rescue. The en-
tire town of Mount Vernon is practically de-
stroyed. The Louisville 81 Nashville shops
are also in ruins. Engineer Cummings, of
the Louisville 81 Nashville railroad was in
stantly killed in the early part Of the storm
The latest reports from the scene of trouble
state that far forty -eght bodies have been
taken from the ruins 1t is estimated that
$50 people are injured Owing to the alb
sence of telegraph facilities it is impossible at
this hour to obtain any list of the killed and
wounded. Relief trains will be sent from
this city and St Louis soon as possible.
The storm is reported as devastating por-
tions of the state of Kentucky, near Norton
vile, but no particulars are obtainable.
| LATER Following a list of killed as far
as known: S. l.. Waters Mrs. John Waters
and child, Mr. Cummings, Miss Martha
Westbrook, Mrs r. Duvey, John Yearwood
and wife, Mrs Hocomb, d. f, Yearwood
and wife, Samuel 7. Yearwood and wife, j.
| C. Murray George Purcell, Mrs. William
Jones aud child, John Dodson, Mrs. L. f.
| Egg, Miss jessie Sutton, John Shew, black
smith (name unknown. two telegraph
| operators, James Pearson
Injured: Mrs. Henry Waters Steve May
and brother, Charles Ellis and Henry Ellis,
| Mrs. Laura Seisenby, Mr.. j. c. Hambrick,
| Miss Cornne Hambrick, Mrs. Albright, Mr..
| Siicrap, Lizze Bennett, Charles Weir,
| Amanda Bsrdon, and Mr.. and Mrs C. Gal
| vim
Before the tornado began it Numbered and
rained for some time, when suddenly a low
| rumbling noise was heard and black, dense
cloud that seemed to touch the earth swept
| over the city, and it became very dark.
| Hundreds of houses were blown down, and
many people were crushed in the ruins. The
large building known the Grows block
was demolished. Tho Methodist episcopal
church is almost mass of ruins. the Bip-
fist church is also wreck The public
school building is razed to the ground
The town is about two miles long east and
west, and the course Of the tornado took in
about twothirds Of the east end; the western
portion of the town escaped. The business
portion of the town is completely ruined.
The place looks as though an earthquake had
visited it. The county court house is one of
the most complete wrecks. As | write the
| fire is dying out, after stubborn conflict to
extingush it. All of the largest and best
buildings seem to have suffered most. The
| Commercial hotel is also completely ruined,
| but none of the guests was injured as far as
known.
The damage to property is variously esti-
mated from $500, 900 to $l,OOO, 900. 1t is not
known what damage has been sustained in
the country. East Main street for a quarter
of mile has hardly house left standing,
and as near as can be ascertained this is the
case all over the city from near the-center to
the east end.
One of the worst OF the many horrors was
that fire burst out so swiftly from the ruins
that many Of the paralyzed people were un-
able to escape They were caught fast in
the falling, blazing ruins, and were consumed
by the flames 1t is thought many have per-
ished in this way
THE LATEST Late dispatches say the
scene In the stI icken city Sunday night was
particularly distressing. Through the great
heaps OF ruins men, women aud boys were
struggling in their efforts to reach thos, i'm
"A. Il. Il
came from every pile of debris. In some
of the streets where the great cloud swept
with resistless force the dead lay in the warm
rnin, which mingled with their blood Above
the scene of desolation the sky was red from
the couhagraton, and the wind which was
blowing from the south, was laden with blaZ-
ing 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 the wounded
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 the
survivors became Drawer, and plunged into
the ruins of the east end, where many hap
less creatures lay groaning and praying.
Torches, lanterns and lamps fl ckered over
the desolate tract as far as the eye could
reach Men and women who had not yet re-
moved their Sunday garments worked nobly
in 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
blown down 10Th haU had
been made of cards 1t was in this district
that the most distressing scenes were wit
messed. Whole families were buried under
their roofs without warning save that given
by the storm cloud as it bounded over the
earth like an immense rubber ball The
wounded lay in the remnants of over 700
houses, and every few moments a dead body,
battered out of all semblance to humanity
was tenderly dragged from its prison and
borne to a place of safety.
The city is ruined financially, not estimat-
ing the incalable loss of life, ami great suffer
will follow if outside assistance is not re-
ceived. 1t should be sent to the mayor, g.
H. Harnell, who will give it to the proper
committee A meeting of the business men
was held and committees appointed to care
for the dead and wounded and protect the
property as much as possible Many people
who escaped with their lives have nothing be-
sides Many are walking the Streets with
no home to go to-
In all 500 dwellings are destroyed and many
others injured. The dead are icing gathered
at the supreme court house, which has been !
converted into receptacle for the dead and
wounded. This building is also damaged, but
not seriously.
The latest reports show twenty mine killed |
about 100 injured, some of whom will die.
The storm came just after the Sunday |
schools closed or there is no telling what the |
loss would have been, as the Methodist and |
Baptist churches wera fatally DESTROYED