Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-29
FAIR LouIsvlLLE's AWFUL FATE.
Her People Bereaved, Her Streets {
Waste Of Ruins and Vocal with
the Anguish OF Her Citizens.
The Descent of the Whiriing Demon
Upon the Doomed City-A sud
den Sweep That Left Havoc
and Death on All sides

Property Estimated at Over 1000 ooo-
Work Of the Destroyer in Illinois Metrop-
oils Terribly wreeked-Great Loss of Prop
erty end Lie at Little Praire-WOefai
News from Tennessee and Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE, March 29-The Falls City,
which sat so proudly on the banks of the
turbulent Ohio but twenty -four hours ago,
giving no thought to danger, is mourning
the loss Of 800 Of her citizens whose lives
went out in tie twinkling OF an eye; and her
Sons and daughters are standing by the bed
sides Of hundreds Of others who were injared,
many OF them fatally, in the terrible disas-
ter that has overtaken her The calamity
came without warning and it found men and
women engaged in their usual avocations,
and many seeking pleasure only TO find the
halls OF their gayety and mirth turned sud
denly into the most terrible OF sepulchres.
Omens of Coming Devastation.
Early in the evening the clouds west and
southwest of the city had a threatening
aspect, and brisk wind and rain prevailed
for two or three hours; but although the
violence of the wind increased as darkness
approached no alarm was excited. About S
o'clock the clouds were seen to mass them
selves TO the southwest OF the city. Half an
hour later the blast came with terrible
effect, the elimination as it were Of all its
threatenings OF hours before. Just west of
New Albany the Ohio bends to the south,
and it was here, and on the Indiana side,
that tue storm assumed the proportions Of a
cyclone and started upon its devastating
course
The Rotatory Terror Strikes the City.
Crossing the river at point just below
New Albany it struck the suburb Of Port
land and unroofed several houses, and APP
parently fed by this partial destruction it
struck the city at Seventeenth and Broad
way, and took direct Northeast course.
striking the squares in its path at their all
giles, and extending about one and One-half
squares in width Each square brought it
nearer TO the business portion OF The city
until it stru-k Main and Eleventh streets
Here its track was broadened until it COW
cred three squares, passing out OF the city
at Seventh street, where it crossed to the
Indiana side the space traversei was not
less than three miles and on every side wide
spread destruction was visible Massive
buildings of brick and stone were crushed
and scattered on every side, and hardly a
residence fell that some Of the inmates were
not killed or wounded
What the Morning Revealed.
The storm struck the city at : 2 p. N. The
whole thing was over in minute and a
half People living outside OF the track of
the storm were unaware that anything IN
usual had happened, and where the cyclone
had swept there was utter destruction, ruin
and death. Tho cyclone departed as quick
ly as it came. The gray daylight Of the
morning revealed a scene Of desolation that
was sickening to behold Main street from
Seventh 10 Twelfth is ruin, and 80 is Mar
ket street for the corresponding distance
Jefferson, from Tenth to Thirteenth, Wal
nut, from Thirteenth to Fifteenth; CHESTNUT,
from Thirteenth to Seventeenth: Broadway
10 the neighborhood of Eighteenth, and Nine
teenth are filed with debris and destruction
THE MOMENT AFTER THE HAVOC.
The People Partly Frenzied and Partly
ParaIyzed by Its Magnitude.
The cries of the survivors and the groans
of the injured mingled together and added
to the appalling nature Of the disaster. At
first there could be no organized effort at
rescue Hundreds Of homes had been de-
molished, husbands and wives, parents and
children had been separated, and each know
ing nothing Of the condition of the others
ran frantically from place to place looking
for the lost Thousands of others were par
alyzed with the immensely OF the catastro-
phe aud knew not what TO do. But not for
long. As soon as the first feeling of help
lessness had passed away large crowds as
sembled and began a search, but the means
we're inadequate, and the heartrending cries
that broke the air completely unnamed
the searchers.
The Flames Finish the Work.
As If to add TO the horror fire at once
broke out in all parts of the devastated dis
trict, and the bewidered firemen knew not
which of the half dozen places TO 60 to first.
The Terrell & West house on Eighth street,
Sims furnishing house, the colored Odd Eel
lows hall, and Seegars saloon, all some dis
lance apart, were on fire at the same time.
James McCullom was burned to death at
Twentieth and Maple, and Nick Sullivan,
William Dilmer, and Ben Chelt were caught
in the timbers of Tierman's saloon and burnt
TO a crisp When the remains were recovered
they were 50 badly disfgured that Suili-
vans father could not tell which had been
his SON Six frame houses on either side OF
the saloon were also destroyed The loss of
life and property is at present incalculable,
1t will require long days Of painful search
and computation to reach proper estimate,
but it is certain that no such havoc has
ever been recorded before for an American
city from such cause.
Persistence of the Destroyer.
The mighty stroke OF the tornado fell with
q suddenneSs that scarcely gave time for
quickened heart-beats before those hearts
were stilied in death. Twice before the
wrenching asunder of life and homes and
castles of trade the force of the gale fought
lmpatientiy TO accomplish it work Twice,
for five furious minutes each, it strove and
passed on. Then came a lull, but only for a
little space, and then the tornado Numbered
over the doomed territory with lightning
constantly ablaze.
Estimate of the LOsses-RelieE
The board of trade has appointed commit
tee of relief, consisting of fifty members
They divided the city among them and went
to work at once. Estimates of the property
lost vary from g., O00. 900 to 50, 000, 900. The
insurance is probably small The board Of
relief issued an address to the people stating
that portion of the city 400 yards wide and
three miles long through the business and
residence districts had been devastated with
great loss of life and about SO, 000, O0t
worth of property. The address states that
while the calamity is great our citizens fee
able 70 cope with it. Offers OF relief have