The Worthington advance., 1888-02-23
CYCLONES DEADLY WORK
The City of Mt. Vernon, I'LL, Almost
Totally Destroyed by Relent-
less Cyclone.
Five Hundred Houses in Ruins. Where.
In the Aan9led Victims Slowly
Roasted to Death.

The Death List Already Numbers
Twenty.Seven and Will Probably
Be Increased,
MOUNT VERNON, ILL.,, Special Telegram. Feb
19-This city was visited by q horrible cy-
clone to-day about 4:45 p. N. It had been
laundering and raining for some time. when
suddenly low. rumbling noise was heard.
and black cloud that seemed to touch the
earth swept over the city, and it became
very dark. As soon as the cloud passed,
however, tho 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
ruina 1t is impossible at this time TO esti-
mate the loss, but at least onc-haf Of the
town is destroyed. The south aud 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 wreck and beyond all hope of repair
The east end of the public school house is !
bad sight. The once mammoth building is
now razed to the ground. and a heap of
bricks and stones are all that remain to tell
the story. Hundreds of houses are heaps of
ruins, and the city in the cyclone district
presents a scene of the most horrible desola-
tiOn 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, hut tie number
will run up into the hundreds The large
part of the business portion Of the city
Out of a row of buildings about 200 feet
long there are none but are more or less
injured, while most Of them or, entirely
consumed or will be, as the fire Is
raging now on that street, a,d unless
help soon arrives will be wholly lost.
are entirely destroyed The east tide Of the
square presents even q 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 a single
building is left on this row. The north side
is badly damaged, bur the wreck here is verv
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.
1ngs escaped being more or less injured.
The wesJ site 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 horrbe to con.
template, and looks AS if an earthquake had
Visited visit it. l. LIS ,s Impossible to convey any
people who have not seen 1t cannot
form any idea OF its horrors
The county court house, one of the most
complete wrecks in the city. is a 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. It
was an expensive building and an ornament
to our county 1t will have to be rebuilt
There is no alarm felt in regard to tho
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 stubborn
conflict with men VINO risked their lives to
extingush it Al! the largest and best build
ings seem to have suffered the greatest The
Commercial hotel Ii almost completely
injured 80 far as known.
II Is impossible to say what the damage to
property is. 1t is variously estimated at from
$500 600. to 81 600. 600 1t is not known
the country, 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 o quarter
OF a mile there IS
HARDLY HOUSE LEFT
standing, and as near as can be ascertained
this is the case all over the city. From near
nn a S16n 1ino
stare one in the face. j. j. Manton, saloon
keeper, lost heavily, his building being de-
stroyed. j. j. Hiserman, bakery destroyed
and goods lost The wagon and blacksmith
shop OF Donner Co., DESTROYED. c. D.
LOST Hotel Of R. A Perry Perry fadrs Gadly
damaged. The johnson building, IN
which is the large dry goods store Of
Reutcher, Waters Co. is greatly damaged.
The drug store OF Hill. Williams dry goods.
| 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: b Rnckaway's building, con-
tanning G: W Posts general stock of mer-
chandise, D. H. Wise and Sudspeth L. Co. in
| s. a. 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
OduA VI u. W. EVauS Is destroyed II.
W. Morgan's building and jewery store
destroyed J. \. Poweson'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.. NJ 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. and although
great efforts were made to save him, it was
| impossible The storm passed from the
| southwest and had
ROTARY NOTION
! It swept down with fearful fury, striking
first just south Of the city hall. then carried
away the third and fourth stories Of the Mt
Vernon mill. From there it swept on in a
path 500 yards wide. The Methodist church
felli 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 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 If
! the block, formerly of Chicago The roof
and second story of r. L. Stratton l. Co. 8
hardware store was blown away. The large
! stand the shock any better than the smallest
house in the track of the cyclone. The
large two story frame house of George Ward
! was picked uD and Carried nbOut twentv 2