River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-04-10
--------s- ---s-=l------'--s- 49,
SWEPT AWAY.

startling Rumors Concerning the Fate OF
the Historic village of Prophetstown. Ill.
1t Ia said to Have Been Totally De-
stroyei by a Cyclone, and That Fifty
Residents Have Lost Their Lives-A
Freight Train blown from the Track
Meager Detais-More Victims of the
Recent Tornado In Kentucky.
ST.. Louis, April s.-News has been re-
ceived here that tornado last night
wrecked the town of Prophetstown, H.,
and killed fifty people. Particulars are
unobtainable.
$3.50 a. ma telegram just received
says that forty TO fifty people were
killed at Prophetstown. The news has
been verified by short message.
The railroad depot was blown down
and the station agent was buried be-
meath the ruins. A small Presbyterian
church on the main street was blown
down and the steeple carried fully 100
yards. The only names of the dead now
obtainable are:
William Vance, station agent, buried in the
ruins OF the depot
Charles Murray, an old man who worked for
the railroad, killed by freisht-car being blown
over on him.
who lived near the depot, killed in the ruins Of
his own house.
The trainmen think that the eight
persons in the Wilson or Nelson house
have all been killed
BURLfSGToN, Ia, April ga report
has reached here that the town of
Prophetstown, in Whiteside County, ILL.,,
was swept by cyclone last evening.
Every house in the village is reported
to have been demolished and many peo-
pie were killed or wounded. Proph-
etstown is thriving little town
of about 500 inhabitants on the south
bank of Rock river. about sixteen
miles south of Sterling. The tel
egraph wires have been Frustrated
by the storm which prevailed during the
evening. and no further information
will be obtainable for several hours, or
until party can be organized to pro-
coed to the scene of the disaster.
The information SO far obtained was
telegraphed by an operator at a station
near Prophetstown. He says that the
town is "a complete wreck, and that the
loss of life must be heavy. A train of
forty stock cars standing on side-track
was literally blown to atoms and the
cattle all killed. Fragments from the
buildings in the town were carried
through the air for long distances.
The operator who sent the news was
unable to furnish further particulars
before the wire went down, since which
time there has been no communication
with any point near Prophetstown.
Queries have been sent in all direc-
tons in the hope of getting further in
formation, but up to a late hour nothing
has been received.
Considerable rain fell in this vicinity,
but the wind was not dangerously high,
SO far as is known, at any point except
Prophetstown, which must have been
directly in the path of the cyclone. No
damage has been reported from other
places, but as Geographic communica-
ton is slow, and in some cases entirely
interrupted, fears are expressed of
further disaster.
IProphetstown is one of the most historic
villages in Illinois. Situated on Rock river, in
Whtesde County, about score OF miles
from the spot where ii cmptics into the Mis-
sissippi river, IL has been IN existence as an
Indian village as far back as the traditions
OF the Northwest extend. During the
dark and bloody days when General
Whteside. for whom the county in
which Prophetstown was located is named,
was fighting Baekhawk and his savages,
Prophetstown was a small Indian village and
IL Is related that the soldiers burned the wig
vans and looted the village though the
Indians who had occupied 1t had hitherto been
on friendly terms with the whites Tie
name has an Indian origin, the Prophet"
having made the village his headquarters.
When the country was finally at peace and be-
gan to develop under the whites PrOphetsiown
became a town of considerable Importance but
has never attained any great population IL
now has probably 1000 inhabitants, but, not
being a county town, has no particular com
merclal importance. 1t is located on the Chi
cago, Burlington Quincy railroadl
MORE VICTIMS OF THE RECENT TORNADO.
LOUISVILLE, KY, April lit is just
learned here that Harper's Ferry, Henry
County, was almost completely de-
stroyed by the tornado which
caused such destruction here. The
village, composed of less than
two dozen houses, is consider
able distance from any railroad. The
houses were not far apart and every one
of them directly in the path of the tor
nado. Men, women and children were
buried beneath the ruins. Not house
remained standing and the whole
surrounding country was covered
with wreckage. Mrs. Laura Thomas,
the wife of farmer, was
found dead by the side of a large
tree about a hundred yards from her
home. An infant child of farmer
named Fletcher was found beneath The
ruins of its fathers residence smoth-
cred to death. Seven or eight others
were injured badly, but none fatally.