The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-02-29
WRECK OF MT. VERNON.


Mount Vernon, Ill Feb. 20.-The cy-
clone that visited this city yesterday
afternoon destroyed nearly three hun.
drcd residences and places OF business
and unhonsed from 200 to l,51l people.
In the fall Of the walls many persons
were buried under the debris and thirty
two were killed, while twice us many
more We're injured, eight of them seri-
ously. Alighting at the Louisville &
Nashville railroad depot, the sight seek
er's the views two-story supreme
court building, few yards from the de-
pot, without dome or roof, slireds of tin
hanging from its side. marking a pivot
around which the storm SCENE to swing,
All else in this direction is untouched
A few steps farther along lisrl sed to the
south west an appalling sight Of devasta-
ton. Il is in this direction that the lab
oring classes had built their little one.
story cottages among the timber, and
here it was that the cloud first dropped
down and in whirling fury twisted huge
oaks from the ground and mashed the
little houses fiat; then, gathering the
clingirg pieces, strewed them broadcast,
tearing down trees and w.ping o 1t land
mlrks. Scarcely can the direction of the
streets be traced. How many houses
were here destroyed is not known, for
nothing is left in place to mark the spot.
In six acres, formerly well built up, but
three houses arr standing in the path Of
the storm, and these are wrecked. Look
ing north eastward across the railroad,
the scene appears more terrible because
the buildings were larger, heavier, and
more compact, and the wave that swept
for 600 yards clean swath, tearing down
fences and trees, piled up the debris on
either side and left only nake ed fence
posts and foundation walls to mark the
sites of residences. There still remain
Oh either side of the path dismantled
frame houses half buried with other
roofs. To the southeast stanl the ruins
of the three story brick -four mill, the
walls stripped down and the machinery
exposed, and on the north, partially sur
rounded by uninjured houses, the crush.
ell Baptist church and the large brick
Commercial hotel, unrooftd and partly
torn down. Six hundred yards farther
on in the course of the storm brings one
to the postoitice corner and in front
stands the court house with its dome
thrown down over the entrance, the
walls cracked and partially tumbled
| down. In the sIprena court yard lie
the tin and timber and n IFS Of al ac mt
buildings. In front of the postoffice,
across Benton street, brick building
vas razed to the ground, and nearly all
to the south and east farll likewise, but
Uncle Sans quarters were scarcely
| touched.
Summing UP, the county building, the
churches, business houses AMI stocks of
goods, aggregate loss of S4l0,O0O fine
residences totally DESTROYED, $3S 600
fine residences injured, $4,000 cottages,
warehouses, barns, etc, Sll5,000; total,
$513OJ0. Other incidentals will increase
| this.
All day long the funeral tramp has
been heard through the town, and every
little while Il body ef men passed down
the street carrying the remains to the
house Of friend to await burial. As
yet, no arrangement has been made for
great funeral. Some of the bodies
have been taken to other towns and some
| into the country