Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-08
A STORM SCARE
Exage Grated Rumors of Cy
clones Work and the Damage.
rr0ph etstOwn, JoIyn, Osborne and
other Places Visited, but no Serious
Damage DOne--.The Extent OF the
Destruction.

namn &c DOne--.The Extent OF the
Destruction.
When the ominous clouds gathe red in
the west, at about $50 last evening
and approached the city rapidly, anxiety
was felt by all who saw them, and many
sought places of safety, fearing that des-
tructior similar to that which recently
visited Louisville. was about to strike
the city. But the point which divides
the mouth of Rock river from the Miss
issippi and which has saved Rock Island
from many a cruel blast from the ele-
ments broke the storm. rested its fury,
and the wind laden cloud separated. a
small part going up the Mississippi while
most OF it swept up Rock river,
the two clouds encircleing the
city and concentrating again in
he north and east. Still some
were alarmed lest the city would yet be
doomed. but the storm reunited and set
tied in the east. and gradually disappeared.
The local weather prophet shook his
head, said something about what an es-
cape Rock Island had that time, but with
still more self-sqtisfied air gave warn
ing that there would be more heard of
that storm yet. Aud he was right.
Beyond Denrock, on the Sterling and
Savanna divisions of the c., b & O., the
storm seems to have done the most dam
age, the extent of which, however, was
greatly overestimated at first reports res
ceived late last night and early this
morning, one of which was that Proph>
etstown. in Whiteside county, had been
entirely swept away with appalling loss
of life; another, that Josin and Hills
dale, in this county. had Jared seriously;
that Tampico had been blown to pieces.
and that the storm had left destruction
everywhere in its path. Careful investi-
CATION of all these rumors by the ARGUS
correspondents at the various places, in
response 20 instructions from this office
is attended by the happy discovery that
all have been very much exaggerated;
the storm created panic
AT PRoPHETsToN,
the wind blew furiously, and hail of
an unusual size fell. 1t was about 715
that the storm struck the town from the
west and north, carrying with it cy,
clonic whirling movement. People rushed
into the streets and screamed and prayed
and it was this excitement, no doubt,
struction and death. A number of
buildings were blown down, and the
sides of others smashed IN. The c., B.
Il Q. depot was unroofed and moved
about three inches off its foundation. A
house belonging to Claus Reynolds was
damaged, and the elevator of Olnsteads
Il Math Was blown down No one was
killed, and only five or six injured and
they not seriously. Three freight cars
were derailed and Others blown along the
track.
AT OSBORNE.
At Osborne great alarm was msnifes-
ted as the storm approached. The vari,
Gus looking clouds approached rapidly,
and within a few rods of the McEniry
homestead descended into Rock river,
which flows directly in front of the
under the river like a scoop, coming out
again and lifting the water fully 100 feet
in the air. 1t was gorgeous sight,
though it struck terror to all who wit
messed it. The cloud was apparently
twenty rojs in width, and after its de-
scent into the water it Rugged the river
bank closely as it passed northeast. The
windmill on the premises of j. G. Os,
borne was leveled and a number of corn
cribs were blown down. No other dam
age was done In the vicinity of Osborne.
AT JosLYN
few window panes were broken, out
houses blown down and telegraph poles
and fences leveled. At Hillsdale the
damage was of no more serious nature,
a number OF sheds. corn cribs and fences
being destroyed, but no greater damage
occurred.
In Sterling report gained currency
that hundreds of lives had been lost at
Prophetstovn, and special train of
surgeons and citizens was run down on
the Burlington road; Prophetstown was
well advertised last night. The Chicago
and st. Louis papers speak of the towns
supposed fate in startling headlines, while
dispatches have been received today from
papers as far away as New York City for
full details of the destruction. The real
facts are an agreeable disappointment to
everybody.
An Interesting Case.
In the circuit court this morning Judge