Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-04-03
THE CYCLONES FURY.
Early Reports Of Thursday Nights
Disaster Confirmed.
Its Extent Even Greater than First
Accounts Indicated Loss of
Life, as Yet Not Fully D eter-
mined, at Louisville.
Many Yet Buried in the Debris-Other
Places Suffered Severely, but,
LouisviIle's Loss Overshad-
ows Them All.

west, northeastward. leaving death and
destruction everywhere. Outside of the
clearly defined limits the citizens knew
only of a heavy rain accompanied by a
high wind. Soon came the alarm of
fire from a dozen different stations and
the horror of the calmity began to dawn
on the people. Great stone warehouses,
halls of amusement, railroad stations
and dwelling houses. all went down be-
fore the mighty powers of the air. The
storm soon passed on, the clouds scat
tered, and the moon cast its light over
sorely-stricken city. Relief parties
were soon organized; the whole force of
the fire department was at work. At
this writing no definite statement can
be made of the loss of life, but it is
large. 1t is impossible that SO wide a
sweep of territory covered with ruined
houses. with wreck of halls and build
ings of every character does not contain
many dead. Enough is known to show
that Louisville has been visited by
most appalling calamity. The wrecked
portion of the city lies between Eigh
teenth, Broadway, Seventh and Main
streets, the destroying elements pass
ing diagonally across the section, which
is probable a mile square. At least
two hundred house are in ruins. 1t is
feared that at least two hundred lives
are lost.
Probably the greatest loss of life oc-
CURED at the Falls City Hall, which
was in the center of the tornado. In
the lower rooms of the hall were fifty
or seventy-five children with their
mothers and other relatives taking
dancing lessons. There were at least
1875 persons on the lower floors and sew
enty-fve more attending a lodge meet
ing on upper floors when the terrible
wind swooped down upon the building.
The entire structure in less than five
minut; was a shapeless mass Of brick
and mortar, burying two hundred help
less victims, of which number few eS-
capped uniniured. Conservative esti-
mates place the loss of life at this
point at one hundred, while other re-
ports indicate the number nearer two
hundred. At three o'clock this morn
ing thirty-five dead bodies had been
taken from this ruin, and fifteen
wounded and dying. Only those on the
third floor had been reached, the room
containing the dancing-school pupils
and visitors not yet being opened
Immediately upon the burst of the cy-
clone the fire bells sounded and the po-
lice were at work. Within ten minutes
4 posse appeared at the Falls City Hall
wreck. The walls of the adjoining
houses were first propped, and then be-
gan the work of cutting through the
heavy slate roof that covered all. At
work nd 10
account of the immense multitude that
surrounded the wreck.
At twelve o'clock the opening of por-
ton of the debris of the Falls City Hall
caused a draught to penetrate the ruins,
whereupon the smouldering fire broke
out with tremendous fierceness 1t
spread rapidly and forced the workers
to desert the pile. AS soon as the fire
gained Roadway the groans of the i'm
prisoned people became shriel1s, and so
great was the horror of the moment
that the watchers grew frantic and
screamed and ran about like wild, the
terrible sufferings which they were I'M
able to alleviate driving them to de-
spair. Several lines of hose were soon
throwing water on the flames, but it
was more than an hour before work
could be proceeded with. and then it was
carried on with much difficulty on &C
count of the heat.
Up to twelve o'clock only about thirty
five dead bodies and twenty-five wound
ed and dying were taken from the
wreck. The corpses were laid in the
houses across the street and in
Eougherty & keenan's undertaking
shop on the block below. At the latter
place people passed in and out, one by
one. to look at the bodies, hunting for
friends and relatives. One man said
he was looking for Louis Lapp, and the
very first sheet lifted revealed the
corpse of the person wanted. The
man covered his face, groaned and
would have fallen had he not been sus-
tanned.
AT about half-past eleven o'clock the
room where the children were dancing
was reached. Mr.. Louis Simms. Jr., of No
1924 Market street, had for hours been
moving about in agony of grief in front
of that portion of the wreck where this
room had been, for his wife and four
little children We're there. When the
room was reached. Mrs. Simms was the
first one found ard she was fatally hurt.
Then, within about fifteen minutes of
each other three of the Simms children
were recovered. They We're unconscious,
and there is only a faint possibility of
their living. While the father was
lmploring the workers to get his other
child fire broke out and work was sus-
pended. The last man taken out alive
before the flames started was John |
Eepden of No. 2103 West Broadway. and |
just previous to that woman. who was
unable to give her name, was recovered. |
It was not possible to tell the extent of |
the in uries of either.
After the fire had been distinguished, |
women were found digging at the slate
with their fingers, crazed with the |
ruin beneath. Every one did noble |
work. After an hour of ceascless labor |
the first victim, Mrs. Sarah Kelly. was
anearthed- Her body was found sitting !
in an upright position, her head bruised |
and one arm broken. She said that al |
The first quake a mad rush was made |
Tor the entrance. Women were knocked |
Town and trampled upon in the mad
haste to escape. Seeing the overwhelm-
ng am at the door she remained be-
llnd. The last she saw of her friends |
vas just before the floor gave in and the |
ceiling fell
The work was continued, but none of
hose whom Mrs. Kelly said were near
ler could be found.
The excavation was then moved from
he rear of the building to the front,
where it was supposed the great crowd