Daily Republican., 1888-02-21
THE ILLINOIS oYoLoNE.


Details Of tho Devastation at Mount
Vernon 800 ResIdenees and Basi-
ness Pisces Destroysd-i,s 800 Peopls
Homeiess.
MOUNT VERNON, ILL.,, Feb. 10 -Tbe
cyclone that visited this city yesterday
AFTERNOON ut o O'Clock destroyed nearly
$50 residences and places of business.
and unhoused from 1900 TO 1900 people
In the fall OF the walls many persona
were buried under the debris, and
thirty.hve were killed, while twice as
many more we're injured, eight or ten
SO seriously that their recovery is des
paired OF. Preceding the destructive
wind was heavy fall Of rain for half
an hour, which drove oil the inhsbI
tants TO shelter. This was followed hy
. slight hail storm, accompanied with
lightning, and then the furious blow
struck the south western portion of the
oily, uproohng everything In It's path,
taking diagonal course through the
enslnese part ct the city, unroofnK aud
dismantling thelsupreme Court build
ing, near the Louisville and Nashville
depot, and skipping along TO the
Methodist aud Baptist churches, cav
ing them into worthless mAsses
AT one point the destructive element
jumped upward and missed several
stores and reaidenoes, bu. soor pounced
down again and began q career of I'M.
parAlleled ferocity and destruction,
tearing down heavy brick buildings,
wrenching and twisting frame struc.
lures out OF sem blAnce, and making n
useless mass OF solid blocks. The mas.
sive court house that occup .es the pub.
lie square In the centre OF the city was
literally torn to pieces, the walls being
twisted and crashed. The tower was
lifted and dropped TO the westward and
demolished the handsome pillars that
supported 1t.
On the corner OF WashIng gton stree,
and the public square was Crew'l
Block, three story brick building,
eighty feet square, occupied by Evans
Bank, grocery, and . saloon. This
building was thoroughly demolished,
and then, taking fire, all the infismmA.
ble material was consumed. The
owner OF the building, 4. q. Murray,
was oaaght in the falling waIls. He
was crernated. Ed Hannal, wife, and
small boy, were in the basement, hav.
ing taken refuge from the storm, and
were buried by the walls, bu; the man
burrowed his way out OF the ruins,
making passsRe for his wife aud
child, and then made an effort to ex.
tinguish the flames.
This hTe WAS intensely hot, and al
noon to-day the bricks gave the heat oi
furnace. Across the way on Wash
lugton street WAS u row of two stor y
frame buildings with an occasional on
Iof brick. The brick buildings were
eaved in and tho frames were crushed
out Of shape against each other. Neal
the corner to the south were a lot oil
groRReries and frame structures WI hich
served o. warehouses and dwellings
The storm played havoc here and then
turned thu place over 10 the blazeg
which consumed the lAst plank. These
fires and the crushed brick buildings
leave Path which gives a good view
Of the destruction. stores, d welllnRs
milla aud stOrshouses went down In tht
general EGsB and lett the streets OBJ
istructed.
Tho storm was over In thIee minutes
and the brave people rushed out o.
their safe retreats and unhArmed homeI
TO give assistance TO the needy. The
tameB shot up with devilisa mendacity
and the fire company, aided by the citi
zens, who had organised In squads, bs
gan the work Of rescue, which was car
ried on systematically. The mayor
filled his place admirably, and In ahori
order had called for assistance from
ne.Shboring towns.
The citizens threw open theIr houses
to the homeless, and their bedrooms
became hospitals, while the worthy ma.
irons turned expert nurses.
| Tho citizens, IS soon as the mi ured
had been released from their perllout
positions and the wounded turned over
to the care of the physicians, held q
meeting and organized permanently
The City Council acted promptly and
appropriated $500 for immediate relief