The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-04-03
STREWN WITH RUIN.

STREWN WITH RUIN.
Death and Devastation Marks the
Cyclones Path In Louisville.
oeventy-Flvs Persons Killed Outright.
and Hundreds Of Others wonndsd-
Tho Loss to Property II Esti-
mated at $4,000. 600.
THE DIsAsTER AT LOUISVILLE.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 2o.-A cy-.
elono struck Louisville at 1880 o'clock
Thursday evening. It entered tho.
southeastern portion of the city ati
Eighteenth street and swept ! path
ave blocks wide diagonally, reaching in
. ragged line to Seventh street. demol-
ishing hundreds Of buildings. It II now
pretty definitely known that seventy
i've persons were killed and great
many others-over hundred-injured
The property loss is estimated i y. oOo.-
OO0
Probably the greatest loss Of life oc-..
CURED ct the Falls City hall, which was.
In the center Of the tornado. In the,
lower rooms Of the hall were dfty or
seventy-five children, with their mothers
and other relatives, taking dancing
lessons There were at least l25
persons on the lower floors, and
seventy-nve moro attending > lodge
meeting on the upper door when
the terrible wind swooped down on tho
building. The entire structure In less
than i've minutes was shapeless mass
Of brick and mortar, burying 200 help
less victims, of which number few
escaped uninjured
Crushed and blackened ruins marked
the spot where stood the splendid, large
Union depot, at Seventh street and the
river. When the crash came Louis
willie Southern train had just come in
and another was ready to pull out, but
both were caught by the falling mass
and both were crushed into shells.
The Understand man, William Geisel.
was instantly killed by the falling tim
bcrs and six other persons were injured,
but none fatally. Owing to the speedy
removal Of the bodies last night the
names Of the injured could not be
learned, but some passengers are
thought to be among the number.
The following official statement has
been promulgated by the committee on
relief organized at Fridays session Of
the Board Of Trade.
ITO the Isopis: The calamity thst has over
taken the city Of Louisville BY the cyclone Of
Thursday night about o'c.ock spread over Q
territory OF our city covering . space Of
ground about 400 yards wide and three miles
in length through the business and residence
portions OF our city. The loss Of life Is in the
neighborhood 1t is believed, OF seventy live per
sons and the loss to the city by the calamity. In
damage to houses and goods, Is believed not to
exceed eeOOnO00. While tho calamity is .
great oae our citizens feel able to cope with II
and arc not cast down. but will st once proceed
to repair and resume In the channels now in.
terrupted. In all other portions Of the city
business Is resuming its usual channels
'REILEF COMMITTEE BOARD or TRADE
by William T. Rolfe. Chairman"
The boundaries Of the districts swept
by the hurricane, rs nearly - may be
described by streets, are as follows:
Coming from the southwest, the wind be-
gan its destruction ct Broadway, sweep
ing round between Fifteenth and Six
tcenth. Thence northeasterly, diagonal
" to Chestnut On Chestnut the dam
age IL between Sixteenth and Four
teenth; on Walnut, between Fourteenth
and Twelfth; on Green, between Twelfth
and Tenth; on Jefferson, between
Eleventh and Ninth; on Market, be-
tween Eleventh and Tenth; ON Maine,
from Eleventh to the Louisville Hotel
In the middle Of the square, between
sixth and Seventh. Between Sixth
and Eleventh the hurricane swept to
the river and then leaped to Jefferson
willie.
The Catholic buildings at Seventeenth
street and Broadway were the Sisters
home, the parochial school. Father Dis
ney's residence and the sacred Heart
They were all blown down and Sister
Plus was buried in the ruins. Shortly
after, when taken out by the rescuing
party, she was dead. All Of the other
sisters escaped without injury.
Three lives were lost 1T the corner OF
Eighteenth and Maple streets The
killed were John Werrick, aged 40. his
daughter, aged 4 years, and James
Fitzgerald. neighbor. Werrick kept
. grocery ut that corner, and at the time
of the accident there were in the store
the proprietor, his wife, little daughter
and Fitzgerald. The building was q
frame ono two stories high.
All the entire western portion Of Park.
land, which lies just beyond the south
western limits of the city, was wrecked.
Despite the terror inspired by the
work of the wind the task of rescue
was commenced with surprising quick.
ness. Immediately upon tho burst Of
the police were ut work. Within ten
minutes posse appeared ut the Falls
City Hall wreck.
At first work was difficult aud tedi.
Gus on account Of the anxious multitude
that thronged the wreck. Difficult
WAS the task to clear the ruin
| Of women who were found dig.
! ging at the slate with their fingers,
| crazed at the groans beneath, each OF
their dying loved ones. Every one did
noble work.
After an hour Of ceaseless labor Mrs.
Sarah Kelly was rescued. She was
found sitting In IN upright position, her
head bruised and an arm broken.
Ten women, locked in each Others
| arms, were drawn out of the debris, all
dead but one. Mr.. James Hassen, whose
wife had been at the lodge meeting. was
foremost in tho work, and the first per-
son whom he drew out of the ruined
building was his wife, who died in his
arms. He laid her by the side Of the
others who were dead and continued to
work for the living. Inside Of the next
hour thirty men and women werc drawn
out dead. but with no wounds ON their
i bodies, and it is thought all met their
| death from suffocation.
Fire broke out in the ruins on Seventh
street and Q man. his wife and little