The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-02-23
Nearly 300 Residences and Business
Houses Destroyed.
Between 1900 and 1900 People
Rendered Homeless. :.
Thirty-five Deaths Recorded and
Twice as Many Injured.
The Ruins Take Fire and Finish the
Havoc Completely.

unhoused 200 to 1 800 people. In the
fall of the walls many persons were
buried under the debris and thirty-five
were killed, while twice as many more
injured and eight or ten so seriously
that their recovery is dispaired of.
Preceding the destructive wind
was heavy fall of rain
for half an hour which drove
all the inhabitants to shelter. This
was followed by slight hail storm,
accompanied with lightning, and then
the furious blow, which formed into a
the southern portion of the city, I'M
roofing everything in its path. Then
taking a diagonal course through the
business part of the city, unroofng
and dismantling the supreme court
building, near the Louisville &
Nashville depot, and then skipping
along to the Methodist and Baptist
churches caving them into worthless
masses. At one point the destructive
element jumped upward and missed
several stores and residences, but soon
came down again and began q career
of unparalleled ferocity and destruc-
ton, tearing down heavy brick build
ing, wrenching and twisting frame
structures out of semblance, and max
ing a useless mass of solid banks the
massive court house that occupies the
public square in the center of the city
was literally torn to pieces, the walls
being crushed. The tower was lifted
and dropped to the westward, and de-
mOliShed the handsome pillars that
supported the entrance. This was the
extreme point to the north that the
storm reached, although the business
block in which is the Mt. Vernon Ma
\ al ~
were somewhat dismantled by flying
bricks and timbers. Fifty yards south
of the court house the storm seemed to
be at its height. On the corner of
Washington street and the public
square was Crows block a
three story brick building eighty feet
front occupied by Evans bank, 3
grocery and saloon. This building
was thoroughly demolished then
was consumed. The owner of the
building, r. G. Murray, was caught in
the falling walls and was cremated.
Ed. Haunel, wife and small boy were
in the basement, having taken refuge
from the storm and were buried by the
walls, but the man burrowed his way
out of the ruins, making passage for
his wife and child and then made an
effort to eXtinguiSh the flames. This
fire was intensely hot and at noon to-
day the bricks gave of the heat of
furnace.
Across the street on Washington street
was a row Of tWo-StOry frame and brick
buildings. The brick buildings were
caved in and the frames were crushed
out of shape against each other. Near
the corner to the south were lot of
groggerieS and frame structures which
served as warehouses and dwellings.
The storm played havoc here, and then
turned the place over to the flames,
which consumed the last plank. These
fires and the crushed brick buildings
leaves path which gives good view
of the destruction. Stores, dwellings,
mills and stOrehouses went down in
the general mass and left the streets
INSTRUCTED. The storm was over in
three minutes, and the brave people
rushed out of their safe retreats and
unframed homes to give assistance to
the needy.
The flames shot up with devilish en-
nifty and the fire company, aided by
citizens who had organized in squads,
began the work OF rescue, which was
carried out Systematically. The mayor
| filled his place admirably and in short
order had called for help from other
towns. Fire engines and physicians
we're wanted and Centralia, Ashley,
Nashville and Evansville, Indiana. re-
sponded generously and quickly. The
citizens threw open their houses to the
homeless and their bedrooms became
hospitals, while the worthy matrons
of the supreme court building was
turned into a morgue and at noon the
| following incomplete list of dead was
| furnished by the Mt. Vernon Register:
Frank Clightman, blacksmith, AL
bion, Ill; David YearWood and wife,
constable; j. C. Murray, Mrs. Russell
Dewey and daughter, Mary Westbrook,
baby, Charles Cummings; engineer;
Mrs. Col. Cooper, Mrs. VIM. Jones,
James Pierson, telegraph operator;
| George Pearson and son 1coloredl jan
itor Of the school house, body still in
the ruins; John Shew. and Mrs. L. Z.
| Tegg.
| The citizens, as soon as the injured
had been released from their perilous
positions and the wounded turned over
| to the care of the physicians, held a
meeting and organized permanently
| The city council acted promptly and ap-
propriated $500 for immediate relief
/ MOUNT VERNON, ILL.,, Feb. 20.-The
/ following circular was issued this morn
| ing and is now being sent through the
mails:
| To the mayor andcitizens:
| The city Of Mount Vernon, ILL.,, was
visited by . terrible cyclone on yester-
destruction in its path. About thirty
people were killed outright and
scores OF men, women and
children are manned, wounded
and bleeding, and about one thousand
people are made homeless by the dis
aster. Some 800 houses are swept al
most from the face of the earth, among
4 mi. oh f1ef h
lie school buildings, Methodist and
Baptist churches, supreme court house
round house of the Louisville s. Nash
vile Railroad, and many of the lead
ing business houses are also q tota
! wreck, their contents being burie(
beneath the ruins. A raging fira
broke cut, also destroying mucl
have been saved from the ruins. W.
are sorely in distress, and are forces
to call upon the charitable people o
the country for money and such othe
timely assistance as they may feel abb
to contribute. Money Is needed NOR
than provisions, as theus are few bus
mess houses that may he able to suppl
| II possible to George w. Evans
chairman finance committee; Norma
III. Moss, secretary.
] 0The following list Of losses has bee
compiled so far; supreme court build
ing, uurOofed; county court house, de:
. trOyed; Method ist Church, torn to fra
mentS; Comm ercial Hotel, unroofe(
Baptist Church, demolished; B, v
Cost. store blown in; Porter & Bond
J drug store. destroyed; Major JAIME
Hitebceckas residence and phi
togra %h establishment destroys
Jerry 1.aylor's residence, RUNE
Niema6as restaurant and baker
wiped On t; Maxey. Wescott & Swi1
, general nerchandise and machfner
blows ~ zay. $40, 900; w. z. Jackso
! harness store. roof on and Ennshe