New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-08
SLAIN BY THE STORM.
4 NIGHT OF TERROR IN IOWA
EIGHTY PEOPLE KILLED AND HUNDREDS
INJURED

AWFUL WORK OF 4 TORNADO IN THE TOWN OF
poMERoY-pEsTRUCroN AND DEATH CAME
IN A MoMENT-PECPLE CRUSHED UNDER
THE RUINS OF THEIR HOMES
PROMPT RELIEF woRK-DIs-
TREssING SCENES AFTER
THE CALAMITY
HAPPENED
Pomerov. Iowa, July 7.-Fifty-three dead, SOW
enty-fve fatally injured and 80 with broken
limbs, cuts and bruises moro or less severe. THIS
is what the tornado Of last night accomplished
in the matter of casualty. The town Of PomerOy
is one complete wreck. There is scarcely" house
left standing About fifteen acres of wreckage
constitute now what was yesterday a thriving vii
lagc. Splinters are all that remain Pomeroy
is part and parcel Of the prairie. the death-deaii+
wind having left it barren and dcsolate Scarcely
tree remains Piles Of broken tmbers and
occasional pieces Of furniture are all that can be
found Of what were once the largest buildings in
the place Two hundred and fifty houses IN all
, were destroyed and the money loss on these and
their contents is placed at 100000. Every
where about Pomcroy to-day were dead and
dying people, dozen men were digging graves
In the burying ground the hill Just north of
tho village and the hearse was kept busy carrying
the victims Of the storm to their last resting
place Doctors from dozen more places hnr-
riod through the streets and in their wake fol
lowed squads Of soldiers carrying cohius. Special
trains from all tho surrounding towns brought
thousands who were ready TO take part in the
work of caring for the dead and wounded.
The following is n list of the dead, far as
they have been Identified:
ADAMS. Mrs. Maria.
ANDERSON. Mr..
BANKS B.-.e. seventeen years old.
BANKS Roy. eight YEAR old.
BE, kLI.Y, ---, two child en- Of John Beckley.
BLACK Georgia.
BLAC X Grover.
DAHLGEEN. --. infant.
DAHLGREN. Mrs
DANY Benjamin.
DAVY Era o.
DULEMrTH. Mr..
TOKCHE. \.
FROST, Ollie eighteen years old
GEORGE, Mr.. c. i.
GEORGE. Richard.
HAiuowE. MrA h. j.
HrLErT, Nj
HULFTT. Mrs.
JOHNSON. Mrs. T'lie.
KlFFTR Lena. az ten years
LUNGKFN. o. p.
1t SGREN. ollie.
MAXWELL. Ale
MAXWELL. samuel.
O'BEIEN. Mrs. D. L.. and child
0'BRIEN. J. N.
oUINLAN. Mr.. and child
RU>HTON sia,.
TALBrNT. Mrs
WILKINSON. A. J.
Clothing food and medicines were shipped in
hy the ton Soon order was brought ont Of
chaos relief corps organized and things
were going along in busincssliIc way
Last night in romeroy is one that will never
be- forgotten by those who were here. Darkness
followed quickly in ,hc wake Of the tornado. and
those who escaped death and injury were com
PEELED TO grope tLcr way among the ruined
houses guided along by the cry of some poor
unfortunate who was pinned under the falling |
rimbcrs Almost every light of any description
Whatsoever was destroyed. and the people from
Fort Dodge and the surrounding places who |
were the first 10 reach the scene
failed TO bring lanterns with them. The
search for the victims, therefore, was necessarily |
slow ill morning came. II was not till tho first
strca<s Of leht appeared in the east that the |
cnormity Of the disaster dawned upon the pco-
pie They looked where once town stood and
saw nothing but timbcrstrewn prairie. Every
dwelling to the south of the railroad tracks had
only a few hours before shot upward to the
skies were nowhere to be seen. Pomrroy yester-
day had wealth Of shade trees, hut this morn
ing nothing was g. be seen Of them save broken
horses. cattle, cats dogs and chicken, seat
tered over the ground. Pools Of human blood
mingled with the mud at every turn, showing
where some victim of the tornado hal been toss ID
after life had been crushed ont. The air was
full Of moans and sobs and smiclis and every
other face met on the street stained with
tears The PEOPLE in Pomcroy seemed powcrlc-e
to do anything for the sufferers, and it was not
until this morning early. when In" pcopl" from
outside towns arrived, that anything was done
toward recovering the dead and caring for the
wounded.
What is called the postoficc building, but
which has recently been used "a hilli1ri roohh'
turned into Il mOrgue. and hospitals were
establ shed in the remaining buildings, the biggest
one being the Pomcroy Hotel The scene III th'
improviscd morguc this morning was ghastN
ore. billiard tables were turned into slabs, ana
on these the manglcd bodies Of the dead "er"
placed The floor badly sunkcn IN th'
middle and here the blood "a it drpped from thc
tables ran in small streams and with fh' A.
sistancc of the water from the rapidly neltlhS
;c. f,rmoI , uonI nt oorc nm 10 the tops OF the