Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-04-02
DEATHS WILD RIDE
He Mounts the Tornado and
Scatters Desolation.
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER AT CHICAGO.
a Seven-Story Building Blown Over
on the Adjoining Occupied
Residences.
Eight of the Occupants Crushe ed to Death
Seven MOrtally Wounded, and
Others Badly Hurt.

Others Badly Hurt.
Nine of c Victims Children-A Citizen of Jol-
let Missing, Supposed To Be Under the De-
bris-Other Serious Wrecks in Various
Parts OF the City-The Storm Claims Many
Victims IN Kansas and Nebraska-Five
Killed 1t Towanda, Kan, and Ten Fatally
Hurt-The Town Wiped Out of Existence
Augusta Kan, Reports Three Deaths with
Fifteen Wounded-Train Blown from the
Track in Iowa-A Terrible Record of Fa-
talities of Varied Character.
CHICAGO, April death rode into the
city upon the mighty puff of wind that
hurled the rain in sheets upon the pave
ments shortly before O'Clock last even
ing The storm struck the seven-story
brick building at IA and 10 Pearce street a
blow that caused the structure to collapse,
and in its fall it crushed frame cottage
into kindling wood. Fourteen people are
supposed to ave been in the little house,
and the following list Of the dead and
wounded tells the frightful story: Mrs.
Eliza Allen, an invalid, who lived on the
second floor, crushed about head and body;
Mrs. j. /. Gowan, crushed about the
abdomen; William Gowan, 3 years old,
head crushed; Mary Gowan, years old,
smothered beneath the debris; David D.
Hewlett, s months old. frightfully crush
ed; Edward Mott, years old, smothered;
Horace Mott, years old, smothered;
Mary Walsh, 90 years old, niece of Mrs.
Gowan.
Long List of Injured.
James Gowen, 80 years old, leg broken
and hurt internally-may live; Alice Hew-
lett, years old, crushed about legs, head
and body-cannot live; Mrs. Ada Keown,
hurt about the head and injured internal
ly-will die; James Mott, crushed about
head-mortally injured; Mrs. James Mott.
fatally hurt; Jane Mott, II years old, spine
tnjured-may die; Mamie Mott, 10 years
old, serious wounds on the head-probably
live; Horace Wygant, bruised about
body and shOulders-will die; Mary Wy
CANT, wife of Horace, terribly crush ed
about body and head-will die; Horace
Wygant, infant, head crushed-will die;
Mrs. Ellen Gleason, slightly injured; Mrs
Kate O'Shaunessy, slightly cut about
face; Mark Seavey, slightly cut about
head; Mrs. Frank Gillenny, slightly hurt;
Harry Wascoe. arm cut; Jacob jacques,
cut about head and arms, not seriously;
Henry Johpson, cut on head and left leg,
not seriously.
A Joliet Man Missing.
Samuel Eirsdale, of Joliet, Ills, a cousin
Mrs Sarah Gowan, may also be numbered
with the dead whose bodies have not been
recovered. He came to the city several
days ago to visit his friends and relatives
and stayed at James Gowan's house. 1t
was not learned until late last night that
he was in the house at the time but the
fact was established when no trace of him
could be found elsewhere.
The Death Dealing Blast.
For some minutes the rain had been fall
ing in torrents, accompanied by frequent
flashes of lightning and deafening thunder.
The wind rapidly increased in velocity,
and then came the blast that caused I'll 9
disaster. 1t came from the south and
west On the west side of the building,
which lowered fifty feet above the frame
houses, were many open windows, while
the east wall was solid. The wind seemed
TO lift the roof slightly, and then with a
mighty crash, heard a half mile away, it
fell to the eastward. The base Of the
west wall was thrown outward, and it
lifted from its foundation the cottage on
that side of the building and hurled it
with frightful force across an alley eight
feet wide against the cottage on the other
side Of the narrow thoroughfare.
Buried Beneath the Debris.
The houses to the east of the collapsed
structure bore the brunt of the fall. The
two-story frame cottage at IL Pearce street
was buried beneath the thousand tons of
brick and mortar. The cottage at 10
Pearce street was torn and twisted, and
will be taken down at once. 1t is unsafe
and could not resist the power comprized
in an ordinary summer breeze. The cot
tages at 20 Pearce street and at 1872 Pearce
street were also so badly torn that they
will have to come down.