Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-03-28
DEVASTATION AT METROPOLIS.
Several Hundred People Reported Killed
Wounded.

| several hundred feOple keIO rteG Killed
| Wounded.
CAIRO, HIS, March Is A terrific cyclone
| struck the town of Metropolis, Ills, some
| twenty five miles above here, On the Illinois
side of the Ohio river, between and 3
O'Clock last evening, and cut & clean swath
| about quarter of a mile wide clear across
the town, wrecking property of all descrip-
tions, and hurying men and women.
| in the debris of falling buildings The
| number of victims could not he ascertained
last night with anything like approximate
| accuracy, but it is reported that several hun
| dred people we're killed or won nded and be-
tween 200 and 800 houses were swept from
| their foundations and dashed t. pieces above
| the heads of their unfortunate occupants
A Moment of Ruin and Death.
The storm was past IN a moment and
| then came binding rain which greatly re-
tarded the work Of rescue. People outside
| the path of tha storm were quickly on the
streets and as fast as possible the victims
were taken from the ruins. One entire fam
lily of SIX parsons whose names We're not
learned were crushed by the falling of a
wall. In many instances two or three men,
hers of family were killed, and in hardly a
house In the path Of the cyclone did all
escape. One woman was found dead with a
babe clasped in her arms and little girl by
her side, all three horribly crushed, while
the nearly distracted father, himself uncon-
scious and desperately wounded lay n short
distance away.
Groans OF Mangled and Dying.
The rain soon ceased and tho full horror
OF the situation became apparent On every
side could he heard the groans OF the dying
and all around lay the mangled bodies of
the dead. Scores of bodies we're removed
from the ruins, and the wounded men were
taken to the homes of those who had escaped
the calamity, and given every possible at
tention, but many have doubtless died
through lack of proper medical attendance.
Ten physicians left here for the scene last
night, and more viii go.
The Roar of the Ravager.
fhe first intimation OF the cyclone was a
cloud of dark yellow or brown which
approached with terrible rapid ty and roar
that cou'd he heard nearly q mile away.
Many OF the inhabitants who heard the
sound fed to the cellars, and thus doubtless
escaped with their lives. Scores of bodies
and many of the wounded are yet unrecov-
cred, bus the work of the rescu ers will 60 on
without interruption until finished
The Destruction Com plete.
In the business district the havoc was ter
rible. Stores that had been considered sub
stantial were demolished in al instant, and
the goods scattered like chat on the awful
bhist The cyclone entered the town on the
south and west, sweeping every thing before
1t. Small barns and outbtildings were
caught up by the whirlwind and carried
with crushing force against larger struc-
lures. Trees were twisted OFF short and
hurled long distances. Fences were leveled
In the country for miles before the cyclone
reached Metropolis and for miles beyond
Every church and other prominen building
in the place is either destroyed or badly
damaged.