The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-15
AN ILLINOIS TOWN SUFFERS
Galya Swept by Tornado That Left
Death and Ruin in Its Wake.
Steamer Juliet, with It's Load Of Girl Gradu-
a'es. Sase-Licht Deaths at Che lgO-Bur-
la Of the NayyYurd Ext lOSion Victims.
TORNADO HAVOC AT GALyA.

An Illinois Town Partly wreched-One Per-
son Killed and Ten Injured.
GALEsBURG, ILL.,, June 14-There passed
through the northeastern part of this,
Knox county, about o'clock yesterday
evening. most destructive tornado. and
ruin was left all along its path. 1t seems
to have first made Its appearance north
west of Galva. About 30 o'clock two
black, threatening clouds were noticed In
the west approaching one another. and the
tornado Is thought TO have resulted from
their junction. Its course was south and
east through that city. and the main body
of the storm passed along the main business
street of the city. 1t came with such sud
denness that the citizens had no time in
which to fly to places of safety. In the
Free Methodist Church there was assem-
bled n congregation. In the rink there was
gathering of committee for fourth OF
July celebration. The church was quickly
mass of ruins and the congregation was
imprisoned. number were injured, one
dangerously. The rink was blown down,
bnt those inside managed TO escape with
out injury. Had the storm como few
minutes later many would have been In
x.
have resulted.
The roar of the storm is described as
terrible. 1t was accompanied by midnight
darkness and an awful sweep of wind that
carried everything before 1t. Nearly every
business-house along the principal street
was unrOoied and the stocks of goods were
badly damaged by the floods OF water fol-
lowing the tornado.
The Chicago. Burlington IL Quincy
round-house was wrecked. The e.. w.
Barnett unrOOfed
and ten thousand bushels of grain deluged
with water. The Rock Island IL Peoria
railway elevator and a part OF the depot
went next. The tnIl steeple of the Ba ptist
Church was cut Oft as clean as If by knife
and was hurled into the street. The Con-
gregational Church was also badly injured.
The saddest feature occurred at August
Olsen's house. There were in the mouse at
the time Mr. and Mrs. Olsen, Charles Olsen
and four others. The residence suddenly
collapsed, killing MIR. Olsen instantly. The
place to-day was in state OF demorallza-
ton. Business was suspended, the streets
being filled with debris of every descrip-
tiOn. The stores were more or less In
ruins. Hardly residence but what will
need repairs. The damage is estimated at
S2CO, 900. Considering the number of build
ings wrecked it is surprising that there
was not greater loss OF life. Dir. Olsen was
the only one killed.
The injured were as follows: George
Erickson, mp injured and arm broken; Mrs.
Albert Erickson. hurt internally; Mrs.
John Erickson, hurt in back and head;
Mrs. Herman Anderson. hurt internally;
Mr.. and Mrs. Noah Yarger, slightly in
lured; u. NJ. Homestead, hurt about head;
Ernest Dickerson. leg broken; Albert
Erickson, hurt internally; Huldah Carlson,
leg broken; Nellie Moline, hurt internally.
The trees in Washington and Central
Park were broken and uprooted. and the
parks were ruined beyond redemption.
The velocity of the wind was eXtraordi-
III 10 r.n bn
top of freight car was blown off. A car
of stock was pushed along the track and off
the switch. Windows all over town were
blown In. A Chicago Burlington X Quincy
freight train was halted on NepOnset Hill,
and the engineer describes the storm as the
worst he ever encountered. South OF Galva
large tree was plucked up by the roots
and carried sixty feet. The southeastern
part OF Galva suffered most severely.
After leaving Galva the tornado went in
q southessterly direction, according TO
some following Walnut creek. From all ac-
counts 1t must have been three or four
miles IN width. The farms all along its
path to Spoon river suffered most severely.
1t passed three and q half miles from AL
tona. The large brick house of Mrs. Jones
crum bled To pieces. Washington Dunbar's
large barn was blown over and number
OF head OF fine stock were killed. lie esti-
mates his damage at 5000.
At Altoona the roar of the storm cOuld be
plainly heard. and was frightful. North
and east of there barns were blown down
and lighter dwellings forced from their
foundations. fences blown away, orchards
Frustrated and ruined, and crops leveled.
Lord PetersOn's house was blown away,
aud q. A. Coles barn was torn To pieces.
When the wind struck Claus Peterson's
residence ii performed a curious operation.
cutting it In two. The storm In the vicinity
OF Lafay cite is said to have been severe,
but the damage was less than further north.
1t was in the Free Methodist Church IN
Galva that most of those IN jured were
hurt. This Old building is in the southeast
part of the town. The editce was reduced
To kindling-wood large crowd soon as
sembled and assisted in the work of rescue
Mrs. johnson. whose husband was badly
injured. had n thrilling experience. When
the storm was near the house be started to
run. while she lay down close to the wall.
lie was stricken down. The only part of
the house left standing was the wall close
TO which Mrs. johnson was lying. When
found she was unconscious from fright
Not q trace is left of a fine house that stood
milo west of Galva.