Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-22
THE CYCLONES PATH.
Particulars of the Illinois
Tornado.
Fearful Loss of Life and Prop
erty Reported.
A School House Carried 800 Feet
Into the Air.
All the Inmates Killed-At Least a Score
of Fatalities-Many Buildings
Demolished.
Associated Press Dispatches. |

AMBoY, ILL.,, June 21.-The little vii
lage Of Pawpaw was visited by terri
bly, fatal cyclone yesterday evening.
The first notice OF the coming change
was dark cloud in the southwest. Be-
fore warning could be given great por-
ton of the southern part of the village
was in ruins, and nearly a score of the
inhabitants dead and dying A tremen-
dous rain preceded the cyclone. The
streets were flooded and creeks over
flowing. During the heaviest of the
rain, an ominous looking cloud passed
just south Of Amboy. The awful roar it
made could be distinctly heard above
the rumbling Of the thunder. 1t had no
sooner passed, than it was observed
that leaves, sticks, straw, etc., were
falling from the clouds. Soon
after messenger riding on horse
back brought the news that
a cyclone had passed a mile south of the
village. Relief parties Immediately
made their way to the scene. Trees
were uprooted, houses and barns de-
molished, and people killed on all sides.
Fourteen were killed and many injured
within ten miles of this place.
The Cyclones Swath.
The cyclone cut distinct swath a
mile long, through grove. 1t first de-
molished James B. Dee's large house
and barn. The family went into the
cellar and escaped with severe bruises.
With increased fury the cloud came
upon the Hunt school house, twQpiles
south. The teacher, Maggie Mcbride,
of Amboy, and eight pupils were wait
ing in the building for the storm to
abate. Every vestige of the building
was wiped out. Not one soul
in the building escaped death.
An observer says the building
was raised in perfect shape 300 feet in
the air, where it went into fragments
and was lost sight of. The body of the
teacher was found in the street partially
nude and badly bruised. The pupils
were found in a creek some distance
north
Widespread Destruction.
Reports from surrounding towns show
that the storm started at Harmon in
Lee county, proceeded to Sublet and
Compton to Pawpaw. A great many
were seriously injured, but being dis
tributed over a distance of thirty miles
cannot all be reached. Thirteen are
known to be dead, mostly children. A
school house in Brooklyn township,
south of Compton, was completely de-
molished. The teachers and scholars
were injured, two children meeting their
death. The loss so far as heard from is
100000.
Further Reports of the Storm.
DIXON, ILL.,, June 21.-Pawpaw, small
town in the eastern part of this county,
was struck by cyclone yesterday after
noon, and seventeen people killed and
the town destroyed. The wires are all
down and the news has been brought by
carriers.
Fearful Loss of Life.
EARLvILLE, ILL.,, June 21.-Late yester-
day afternoon terrible cyclone and cloud
burst occurred about five miles north Of
this city, which resulted in fearful
loss of life and property, no less than tif-
teen persons being killed, and number
of houses and barns entirely demol-
ished. A school house was the first OBJ
ject in the path of the storm, and it was
swept away, together with the inmates,
consisting of the teacher and six pupils.
Six bodies have been recovered.
A Contradictory Report.
EARLvILLE, June 21.--The report that
the town of Pawpaw was destroyed, and
seventeen people killed there, is untrue.