Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-22
half the Town of Mount Vernon 8
Mass Of Ruins.
The Ruins Catch Fire and Many People
Cremated Alive.
A Number Of People Killed and Over
Hundred Injured.
The Remaining Buildings Turned Into
Hospitals For the Wounded.

CHICAGO, February 19.-A special to the
Daily News from Evansville, Ind, says:
A cyclone struck Mt. Vernon ILL.,, at 4:5O p.
NJ. to-day, from tho northwest, sweeping
around in half circle and leveling half the
town. The remainder OF the place caught
fire, and as there was a strong wind blow
ing the flames soon got beyond control of
the fire department. Above the roar of
| the wind could be heard the shrieks and
groans of the dying. The bodies hall
buried in the debris. could be seen on every
band,
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
ST.. LOUIS, February I9.-The following
is list, as far as now known, of the killed
and seriously wounded:
Killed-Mrs. Russell Dewey, Mrs. John
M. Walker and baby, Henry Waters, Da-
vid F. Yearwood and wife. John c. Muir
ray, Mr.. Cummings, an engineer, Mary
Westbrook, James Beaver, Mrs. Holcomb,
DR.. John Yearwood and wife, Samuel Year
wood and wife, George Purcell. Mrs. VIM.
Jones and child, John Dodson, Miss Josie
Sutton, John Shew, q blacksmith, name
not known.
Fatally iniured-Lawler E. Legg, Mrs.
Ellis, Mr.. and Mrs. C. Galbraith, Charles
Weir, Mr.. and Mrs. Westbrook, Amanda
Beardon, w. H. Hinman, Lizzie Bennett,
J. C. Hambrick, Chas. Pool, Miss Corinne
Hambrick. Brownlow Hawkins, Mrs.
Albright, Henry Ellis, Mr.. Millieron, Joel
Howard.
PARTICULARS OF THE STORM.
CHICAGO, February 19.-A Times special
from Mount Vernon, ILL.,, at about o'clock
this afternoon says cyclone struck the
town and left it in ruins. It killed fifteen
or twenty people and it is feared many
more than are now known to have been
killed will be found among the ruins of the
buildings. A fire Immediately broke out
all over the city amid the ruins spreading
rapidly, owing to the da mage done to the
engines by the wind. The storm passed
from the southwest and had q rotary
motion. 1t swept down with fearful force |
city hall, then carried away the third |
and fourth stories of the Mt. Vernon mill. |
From there it swept on in path 500
yards wide. The Methodist church fell
just few minutes after ESQ people had |
left the Sunday school room. The Com |
mercial Hotel lost it's third story. Next |
the wind struck the County Court House
and reduced it to hep ~s s.-s-ns.
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.
INCALCULABLE LOSS OF LIFE
and great suffering will follow unless out
side assistance is given Mayor c. H. Har-
nell, who will give it to the proper COM
mittee. A meeting of business men was
held and committees appointed to care for
the dead and wounded and protect prop
erty as much as possible. Many who
escaped with their lives have nothing be-
sides. Many are walking the streets with
no home to go to. The north side OF the
Court House Square is injured considerably.
No buildings are wrecked except Howard u
The wounded are being cared |
for bv physicians in the best possible man
ner. The railroad shops are badly damaged
and great number OF homes destroyed.
PEOPLE ARE OUTDOORS
who lived in the track OF the storm, and
the dying are scattered throughout the
CITY. Ali the doors of the remaining houses
have been thrown open to the less 1Qrtun-
ate. Three-fourths OF the business portion |
of the city is ruined financially. The public |
square is in the center of town. The court |
house is in the center of the square. The |
school building is in the northeast corner |
of the city. All the dwellings in
hat portion of the city are destroyed
and the ruins of some are still burn. |
ing. In all, five hundred buildings
are destroyed, and many Others
Injured. The dead are now being gathered
at the Supreme Court House, which has
been converted into hospital for the dead
and wounded. This building also ls dam
aged, but not seriously. The iates' re,
ports show twenty dead and about one
hundred injured, some OF whom will die
this morning. Later reports say two more
have died. They are Eddie Moxey and
Mrs. Colonel Cooper. A number OF the
wounded are dying. A number OF men
struck by falling tinlbers, and whose names
cannot be learned at present, are reported
badly injured aud dying. The storm was
PRECEDED BY HAIL
but not more than five minut elapsed
until the fearful destroyer had swept over
the doomed town. 1t came from the
southwest. Buildings were wrenched and
twisted and then dashed to pieces, total
wrecks. The storm passed south OF the
City Hall, missed Joe Chaneys' house,
swept the third and fourth stories OF the
Mount Vernon mill, and destroyed nearly
every house from the mill north for
a space of about five hundred yards
The south portioo OF Mount Vernon is The
newest part Of the city. and has many
large and fine buildings. The Court House
has not been injured. but stands alone. All
about it is ruin and desolation, and 1t is
now being used as a hospital Tor the
wounded. Many are suffering greatly.