The sun., 1888-02-23
CYCLONES DEADLY WORK
The City of Mt. Vernon, Ill, Almost
Totally Destroyed by Relent-
less Cyclone.
Five Hundred Houses in Ruins, Where
in the Mangled Victims Slowly
Roasted to Death.
The Death List Already Numbers
Twenty-Seven and Will Probably
Be Increased,

19-This city was visited by horrible cy
clone to-day about LAO p u. 1t had been
laundering and raining for some time, when
suddenly low. rumbling noise was heard,
and a black cloud that seemed to touch the
earth swept over the city, and it became
very dark. AS soon as the cloud passed,
however, the sky frightened and people
realized the shock and loss they had sus-
tanned Hundreds OF houses were blown
down, and many people were crushed in the
ruins 1t is impossible at this time TO esti
mate the loss, but at least one-half of the
town is destroyed The south and east
parts of the square are completely destroyed.
The large building known as the Crews
block, now owned by j. c. Murray. was en-
tirely demolished and caught fire in short
time, and is now burning rapidly. The NJ.
E. church is nearly mass of
ruins The roof and second story
are entirely gone, while the lower
part is badly damaged. The Baptist church
is a wreck aud beyond all hope of repair.
The east end of the public school house is a
bad sight The once mammoth building is
now razed to the ground. and heap of
bricks and stones are all thai remain to tell
the story. Hundreds of houses are heaps of
ruins, and the city in the cyclone district
presents scene of the most horrible desola-
ton and ruin The town is about two miles
long east and west, and the course of the
cyclone took in about two thirds of the east
end, the western part OF the town escaping.
1t is impossible to begin to estimate the
number of houses destroyed, but the number
will run up into the hundreds The large
part of the business portion OF the city
known as the square is totally destroyed
Out of row of buildings about 200 feet
1rtA n less
Injured, while most of them are entirely
consumed or will be, as the fire is
raging now on that street, and unless
help soon arrives will be wholly lost
These are all business houses. and the goods
are entirely destroyed The east side OF the
square presents even a more
CHASTITY APPEARANCE,
for nothing is left there but mortar and
brick This side is also occupied by business
houses. Nothing is saved here; not single
building is left on this row. The north side
is badly damaged, but the wreck here is very
slight compared to that on the east and
south sides The Odd Fellows hall is most
damaged on this side, but none of the build
ings escaped being more or less I'M jured.
The west side escaped more lightly than
any, but the buildings here are also in bad
state, being greatly shaken up. The damage
to the business part of the town is so great
that il is completely ruined. The general
appearance OF the town is horrible to con.
template, and looks as if an earthquake had
visited it 1t is impossible to convey any
idea of how it really looks, and
people who have not seen 1T cannot
The county court house, one of the most
complete wrecks in the city, is mammoth
two-story building, and stood in the center
of the square. but being directly in the path
of the cyclone il is entirely demolished 1t
was an expensive building and an ornament
Tt I'll fn hor obr1i
There is no alarm felt in regard to the
records, as they are easily accessible, and
unless the fire should spring up in the ruins
are perfectly safe. AS your correspondent
writes the fire is dying out, after a stubborn
conflict with men who risked their lives to
extinguish it. All the largest and best build
ings seem to have suffered the greatest The
Commercial hotel is almost completely
ruined, but none of the guests or Others are
injured SO far as known
II is impossible to say what the damage to
property is 1t is variously estimated atfron
$500, 900, to 81 900, OOO 1t is not known
what damage has been sustained in
the country, as no news has been brought
in. 1t will be several days before it will be
possible to tell what the damage really is.
On East Main street, for nearly a quarter
of mile, there Is
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 west end on all SIDES ruins
stare one in the face. j. j. Manton, saloon
keeper, lost heavily. his building being de-
stroyed J. ]. Hiserman, bakery destroyed
and goods lost The wagon and blacksmith
shop of Donner 4 Co., DESTROYED. G. D.
Cook, druggist, building aud goods
damaged. dam The johnson building, n IN
which is the large dry goods store of
Reutcher, Waters & Co. is greatly damaged.
IT, II - Il.
Ferguson's harness shop and Mrs. Waters
millinery store, greatly damaged. Rober &
Smiths building, containing ROBBERS cigar
store and J. j. Gray's saloon. badly damaged.
Johnson's bui ding. containing Sections shoe
store, and J. H. Rackaway's building, con-
tanning g. w. Posts general stock of mer-
chandise, d. H. Wise and Sudspeth & Co. in
s. II. Watson's building, stock anG building
are total wrecks j. F. Watson's building
including Howard Bros & Co.'s stock
of groceries. is totally destroyed. The
bank of G. W. Evans is DESTROYED. G.
W. Morgan's building and jeweiry store
destroyed J. j. PoweIson's house and
furniture store destroyed W. E. Jackson's
harness store and building ruined. The
skating ring is scattered all over town. The
mill of the Mount Vernon Milling company
is badly damaged The other buildings are
not seriously damaged except G. M. F.
Wards building on the west side. which is
almost totally demolished. The loss OF life
is varlously estimated at from fifteen to
thirty. In the destruction of the Crews
building it is surprising that many were not
killed, as the upper story was occupied as a
boarding house. Murray, the owner of the
building, perished in the runs. aud although
great efforts were made to save him, it was
impossible. The storm passed from the
southwest and had
A ROTARY MOTION.
1t swept down with fearful fury, striking
first just south of the city hall. then carried
away the third and fourth stories of the Mt
path 500 yards wide. The Methodist church
fellj usl after $50 people had left the Sun
day school room. The Commercial hotel
lost is third story Next the wind struck the
county court house and rendered it a heap
of ruins By rare luck, however, the
county records were saved. The Crews
block on the south side of the square is
leveled with the earth, and under it was
found the body of John Crews, the owner of
the block, formerly of Chicago. The roof
and second story of r. l. Stratton 4 Co g
hardware store was blown away. The large
two-story brick school house did not with
stand the shock anv better than the smallest
house in the track of the cyclone The
large two-story frame house of George Ward
was picked up and carried about twenty
buildings within 100 feet were left in
ruins. 1t is growing colder and many
homeless will suffer If the weather
becomes severe. Reports are coming from
the country and the storm seems to have
swept everything for miles Incalculabls
loss Of life and great suffering will follow
unless outside assistance is given The may
or, G. H. Harneil, will give it to the proper
committee A meeting of 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
besides Mary are
WALKING THE STREETS
with no home to 60 to. The north side Of
the Court House square Is injured consid-
erably. The wounded are being cared for by
the physicians In the best possible manner
The railroad shops are badly damaged, and
great number Of homes destroyed The
people are out doors who lived In the track
Of the storm. The dead and dying are scat.
tered through the city All the doors OF the
remaining houses have been thrown open to
tho less fortunate. Three-fourJhs Of the
business portion Of the city IL ruined imam